Four SOL softball teams will be in action on Tuesday when District One action resumes.
Softball is the number one topic of conversation over dinner these days at the Sborlini household.
“Every single night,” senior Gabby Sborlini said. “Every single night it’s softball talk.”
It’s the same story for the Ghanayem family where the NCAA softball playoffs are the family’s sport of choice on television.
“It’s really interesting, and it’s really a fast-paced game,” senior Maddalana Ghanayem said. “My little brothers both play baseball too, so we’ve grown up that way.”
Sblorlini and Ghanayem are the lone seniors on a young Upper Merion squad that captured a share of the SOL American Conference title and - last Friday when the Vikings defeated Nazareth Academy - won the program’s first playoff game since 2003.
“I definitely thought we could do it.” Sborlini said. “Whit said that all he wanted was a win to get past the first round. We did it, so we want to keep going.”
Talk to John Whitney, and it’s clear that the two seniors have been the backbone of this year’s young squad.
“Those two kids have really been team players,” the Vikings’ coach said. “Mads has played several positions for me. She’s a very good catcher, but she moved around because that’s what the team needed.
“Gabby ended up pitching halfway through her sophomore year because we had a bunch of injuries. These kids are just about the team, and I’m real proud of them. They’ve led this young team the right way, and I’m glad things really have worked out the way they have for them.”
Both have youngster sisters who are mainstays in the lineup in sophomore pitcher Olivia Sborlini and sophomore second baseman Micaela Ghanayem.
Two short years ago, the Vikings closed out league play with a 4-8 record, finishing in a three-way tie for last place in the American Conference standings. Last year, they were conference champions with a 12-2 record.
The program’s turnaround coincided with the arrival last year of the now sophomore class that includes seven regulars.
“I have always hoped we could do this, and I knew the sophomores now would be coming up, and I knew this would be our second year together,” Maddalana Ghanayem said. “It’s a really awesome feeling to get this far, and hopefully we can go further.”
It’s a far cry from when they were sophomores, and Gabby Sborlini, who hadn’t pitched since her rec league days, found herself back in the circle.
“That was kind of stressful,” she said. “I wasn’t really expecting that to happen, but when Nikki Ross got hurt, I stepped up and said, ‘All right, I’ll try it.’”
Both seniors talk about the special camaraderie this year’s squad shares.
“We’re so close,” Sborlini said. “We don’t hang out on weekends, but we’re close in a team sense.
“We all support each other, and we’re always there for each other. It’s great. It’s a great experience. I just love being with these girls. They’re there for me, and they make me want to play even better than I am now. I learn from them. We all learn from each other.”
“We’re extremely close – we’re like a tight-knit family,” Ghanayem added. “We have our ups and downs, but we always make it through, keep each other up, keep each other positive.
“We’ve all grown up in the same community, and I think that’s a really big thing. All the sophomores played rec together on travel teams, so they’ve been close-knit. Me and Gabby have sisters on the team, so we’ve been close to them as well. We’ve grown up since middle school.”
On Tuesday, the Vikings will face top-seeded Springfield-Delco in the District One AAA semifinal game. The winner will not only earn a trip to the district title game but guarantee itself a berth in states.
“I think we have a chance,” Ghanayem said. “We have been talking to a bunch of girls that play travel, and we know the ins and outs. They’re a beatable team.”
The semifinal game will be played at Harriton at 4 p.m.
#2 AVON GROVE vs. #3 SOUDERTON (at Great Valley, 3:30 p.m.)
Souderton
- 16-4 overall
- 11-3 SOL Continental Conference champions
- Program’s first conference title since 2004
- Scored five or more runs in 12 games
- Split conference games with eighth-seeded Central Bucks East (4-1, 5-8) and ninth-seeded North Penn (4-10, 9-3) and swept 15th-seeded Central Bucks South
How they got here: The Indians needed a six-run rally in the sixth inning to earn a 9-7 come-from-behind win over West Chester Henderson in Friday’s quarterfinal round. After an opening round bye, the Indians edged West Chester East 6-5 in a second round game. The Indians trailed 5-3 heading into the bottom of the fourth when they plated three runs to win it. Erelle Sowers, who earned the win on the mound, contributed an RBI single and Paige Shelly drove in a pair. Savannah Bostwick was the lone Indian to collect two hits.
Avon Grove
- 17-4 Ches-Mont National Division co-champs with West Chester Henderson
- Swept league games with sixth-seeded West Chester Henderson (5-3, 2-0) and 11th-seeded Downingtown East (8-3, 1-0). Also defeated 10th-seeded Kennett (2-1)
- Lost two of three games to close out regular season, falling to Coatesville (2-1) and Downingtown East (3-2) in the finale.
- Led by sophomore phenom Maggie Balint, who already has over 600 strikeouts for her career and fanned 314 in 144.2 innings this season while walking just 40. She is 17-3 with a 0.48 earned run average and has allowed just 10 earned runs. Balint has committed to the University of Delaware but is being recruited by some of the nation’s top programs.
- Red Devils are led offensively by Balint (30-for-67, .448, 10 RBIs, 7 doubles, 1 triple, 1 home run) and Alyssa Herion (25-for-62, .403, 17 RBIs, 3 doubles, 1 triple, 5 home runs). No one else on team hitting over .300.
How they got here: In Friday’s quarterfinal 2-1 win over Neshaminy, the Red Devils scored a pair of runs on wild pitches in the bottom of the seventh to erase a 1-0 deficit. Maggie Balint fanned 14 while allowing six hits. After an opening round bye, the Red Devils eked out a 1-0 win in eight innings over Central Bucks South, plating the game winner on an errant throw. The Red Devils managed just three hits off losing hurler Hailey Warner. Sophomore Maggie Balint fanned 14 and allowed just four hits.
#4 SPRING-FORD vs. #9 NORTH PENN (at Hatboro-Horsham)
North Penn
- 16-6 overall
- 10-4 SOL Continental Conference (tied for second place)
- Won seven in a row to close out regular season after a 6-6 start, a strong finish that coincided with the return of Philadelphia University-bound centerfielder Erin Maher to the lineup.
- Last loss was April 28 to 15th-seeded Central Bucks South (2-0). The Titans swept the season series with the Maidens.
- Returns the nucleus of last year’s squad that advanced to state semifinals
- Split with third-seeded Souderton, winning initial meeting 10-4 and dropping second 9-3.
How they got here: The Maidens needed extra innings for the second straight game in Friday’s quarterfinal round against William Tennent. Nicole Schussler delivered a two-out, two-run single in the eighth inning to propel the Maidens to a 4-2 win. Jackie Bilotti earned the win. In second round action last Wednesday, Bilotti tossed a complete game three-hit shutout in the Maidens’ 2-0 win in 11 innings over Central Bucks East. Senior Vicky Tumasz delivered a two-run single to plate the game’s only runs in the 11th inning. In Monday’s opening round, Alyssa Shoulberg contributed a double and three RBIs and Bilotti had a pair of solo home runs to lead the Maidens to a come-from-behind 5-4 win over Council Rock South. Bilotti also earned the win on the mound.
Players to watch: Erin Maher (Sr., CF), Vicky Tumasz (Sr., SS), Meghan Curley (Sr., 3B), Alyssa Shoulberg (Sr., 2B), Jackie Bilotti (Jr., P), Becky Christoffers (Jr., RF)
Spring-Ford
- 18-3 overall
- 16-2 PAC-10 regular season champions
- Fell to 18th-seeded Owen J Roberts 8-1 in PAC-10 semifinals after defeating the Wildcats twice during the regular season (5-2, 5-3)
- Swept league games with 16th-seeded Methacton (7-3, 2-1) and split with 12th-seeded Perkiomen Valley (4-1, 1-12).
- Freshman Megan Kern was MVP of PAC-10
How they got here: The Rams used an RBI double by Morgan Maziarz in the eighth inning to eke out a 7-6 win over Pennsbury in a quarterfinal game on Friday. Cassie Alexy, Kylee Harris and Jess Nattle each had three hits in a contest that saw the Rams collect 14 hits. In Wednesday’s 10-6 second round win over Council Rock North, the Rams, who had an opening round bye, pounded out 12 hits – seven doubles. Megan Kern led the hit parade with three doubles while Jess Nattle (double) and Morgan Maziarz each added a pair of hits. Amber Sergas allowed just one hit in 3.1 innings in relief of starter Jenna Lee, who was roughed up for nine hits and six runs.
Class AAA
#1 SPRINGFIELD-DELCO vs. #5 NAZARETH ACADEMY (at Harriton)
Upper Merion
- 15-6 overall
- 13-1 SOL American Conference co-champions with Cheltenham
- Led by seniors Maddalana Ghanayem and Gabby Sborlini
- Friday’s quarterfinal win was first playoff win for program since 2003
How they got here: The Vikings used a five-run third inning to defeat Nazareth Academy. The inning was highlighted by Olivia Sborlini’s RBI double as well as singles by Allie Moffet, Abby Volpe, Micaela Ghanayem (RBI) and Gabby Sborlini (RBI).
Players to watch: Maddalana Ghanayem (Sr., C), Gabby Sblorili (Sr., RF), Micaela Ghanayem (Soph., 2B), Dez Kandy (Soph., 1B), Allie Moffett (Soph., SS), Olivia Sblorlini (Soph., P), Abby Volpe (Soph., CF), Riley Kontra (Soph., LF), Alyssa Adinolfi (Soph., 3B)
Springfield-Delco
- 19-3 overall
- Central League champions for the first time since 2003
How they got here: The Cougars, who trailed 4-2, staged a two-out rally in the bottom of the eighth inning. They loaded the bases on a pair of singles and a walk and then plated three runs when Lauren Scarpato’s drive to the outfield was misplayed.
Class AA
#2 ST. BASIL vs. #3 SPRINGFIELD – MONTCO (at Upper Dublin)
Springfield
- 7-6 in SOL American Conference (fourth place)
St. Basil
- District runner-up at the Class AA level in 2013
- Won five straight to close out regular season
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