Four SOL softball teams – Central Bucks East, Neshaminy, Pennsbury and North Penn – will be in action when the PIAA Class AAAA Tournament begins Monday.
By Mary Jane Souder
Sierra Huckfeldt should be forgiven if she initially wasn’t turning cartwheels at the prospect of playing at William Tennent for Central Bucks East’s district semifinal and final games.
After all, it was at Tennent in her team’s season opener, that Huckfeldt was hit squarely on the back of her head by a thrown ball at close range. She was diagnosed with a concussion and was sidelined for three weeks.
“It was tough because it was early in the season,” Huckfeldt said. “I really wanted to work with my team and improve with my team, and it’s tough not being in school and not coming to practice a lot.
“I was glad I made a pretty quick recovery because I know concussions can last months on end.”
The senior first baseman admits that it took some time to find her stride.
“It was a little tough in the beginning,” she said. “I’ve played with these girls forever, but it’s tough to try and get right back into it.”
Huckfeldt – by her own admission - has had her ups and downs this season, but she had the biggest hit of her season and perhaps her career when she stroked a two-run single in the fifth inning of Friday’s district title game to put the Patriots on top 4-0. Those two runs proved to be the final margin of victory for the Patriots, who won 4-2.
“As much as it is an individual sport, it’s really all about the team,” Huckfeldt said. “If there’s any way you can provide for the team, I’ll be there to do it in any way.
“Maybe it’s not always the big hit – maybe it’s a walk, maybe it’s getting hit by a pitch. Whatever it is, you have to put yourself (aside) and you’re playing for your team.”
How did it feel to deliver the big hit in Friday’s district title game?
“It was crazy,” Huckfeldt said. “Actually, when I got that hit, I cried. I don’t ever cry, but all of these emotions are coming together - yes, we can do it. We play as a team.”
Huckfeldt’s comments come as no surprise to coach Erin Scott.
“Sierra is definitely a team player,” the Patriots’ coach said. “Whatever the team needs, she’s willing to do it.”
Up until this season, Huckfeldt split time in the circle.
“She pitched in middle school but didn’t pitch for her summer travel team, but she knew we needed that position filled so she did it,” Scott said. “Last year she was a DP for us a lot of the time when she wasn’t pitching.
“I knew she played first base for her travel team, but we had a senior who stepped up to play first base, and Sierra recognized where she was needed. She’s always been a team player like that. This year she has been so excited to be in the position she’s most comfortable in (at first base).”
Huckfeldt earned the team’s most improved award after hitting .400 during the regular season out of the nine hole on the heels of batting .250 last year.
“The neat thing about this team that’s really special is you have the heart of your lineup that you count on, but they’re not going to produce every single game,” Scott said. “They can’t. It’s just a reality.
“I feel that every game in the playoffs we’ve had different people stepping up, whether it be Sierra stepping up in the nine spot or Danielle Marzetti and Kristina Prosner coming off the bench and stepping up or Carla Ruscio with the huge walk. The bottom of our lineup has produced a lot for us. It’s everybody contributing at some point, and it ends up really benefitting the team.
“You can’t just count on one or two people. You have to have all nine or, in our case, 14 plus three because we have three jayvee players with us. They all have to be on board.”
This year’s East squad features six seniors in its starting lineup as well as one junior and two freshmen – three if you include the two-pitcher rotation.
“As a freshman, you have to find your way on the team,” Huckfeldt said. “You have to make new friends with the girls that have been playing together and just find your way.
“I think all of the girls have stepped up in situations where they’ve been asked to step up. They all know what their role is on the team. They all learned really quickly how to be a team player.”
It was an easy lesson to learn on a team that is an advertisement for the value of teamwork.
[1-1] CENTRAL BUCKS EAST vs [12-2] GIRLS HIGH at Plymouth Whitemarsh (6 p.m.)
Central Bucks East
- 18-4 overall, 10-4 SOL
- Tied for second with Central Bucks South in the SOL Continental Conference
- Highlights of the regular season included a pair of wins over both 12th-seeded Pennridge and 13th-seeded North Penn
- Rode the arms of freshman pitchers Theresa Haug and Kayla Ventura to the district title.
- Veteran starting lineup features seniors Jess Haug, Kerry Schulz, Allie Chase (Boston College signee), Julia Schoenewald (Brown), Carla Ruscio and Sierra Huckfeldt as well as junior Caroline Shoenewald.
The road to states: The Patriots survived a minefield to earn the district title, earning wins over 10th-seeded Methacton (1-0, eight innings), second-seeded Hatboro-Horsham (3-2, 10 innings), third-seeded Pennsbury (4-2) and – in Friday’s district title game - top-seeded Neshaminy (4-2). Junior Caroline Schoenewald drove in a first inning run with a two-out single. Highlights of the Patriots’ three-run sixth included a bases-loaded walk to Carla Ruscio and a two-run single by senior Sierra Huckfeldt.
Girls High
- Lost to PCL runner-up St. Hubert’s 16-0 in four innings in the District 12 title game.
[1-2] NESHAMINY vs [12-1] ST. HUBERT’S at Temple Ambler (3 p.m.)
Neshaminy
- 20-2 overall, 14-0 SOL
- SOL National Conference champions
- Highlights of regular season included sweep of third-seeded Pennsbury
- Only regular season loss came in a non-league game against Nazareth Academy
- Loss to CB East in district title game snapped a 17-game winning streak.
- Led by Division One signees Lauren Quense (Fordham), Diana LaPalombara (St. Francis) and Julia McGovern (Quinnipiac)
The road to states: Neshaminy, the district’s top-seeded team, defeated 16th-seeded Boyertown 3-1 in a second round game and then downed eighth-seeded Downingtown East 7-0. A 2-0 win over 13th-seeded North Penn in the semifinals vaulted the Redskins into the district title game where they fell to seventh-seeded Central Bucks East 4-2.
St. Hubert’s
- 18-4 overall
- Fell to Archbishop Bonner-Prendergast 6-3 in PCL title game
- Defeated Public League champion Girls High 16-0 in four innings in the District 12 title game
- Led by first team All-Catholic League pitcher Erica Ragazzone, who will be taking her talents to Post University.
The road to states: St. Hubert’s was the Catholic League champion in 2010 and 2012 but lost in this year’s title game. In the Bambies district title win over Girls High, Ragazzone fanned four in a four-inning no-hitter. She also starred at the plate, going 4-for-4 with six RBIs.
[1-3] PENNSBURY vs [3-1] CENTRAL DAUPHIN at Lebanon Valley College (4:30 p.m.)
Pennsbury
- 19-4 overall, 12-2 SOL
- Finished second to Neshaminy in National Conference standings
- Highlights of regular season included a 5-2 win over New Jersey power Mount St. Dominic
- Roster includes six seniors who have signed to play at the Division I level – Christina Bascara (La Salle), Taylor Boltersdorf (Georgian Court), Val Buehler (La Salle), Jess Greenwald (Mount St. Mary’s), Mackenzie Obert (Hartford) and Suzanne Swanicke (La Salle).
The road to states: Pennsbury, the third-seeded team in districts, defeated 14th-seeded Upper Darby 3-1 in a second round game and followed that with an 8-3 win over sixth-seeded West Chester Henderson before falling to Central Bucks East 4-2 in the district semifinals. In Friday’s third place game, senior Val Buehler tossed a one-hit shutout to lead the Falcons to a 5-0 win over North Penn.
Central Dauphin
- 18-6 overall
- Won third straight District 3 title
The road to states: Central Dauphin entered the District 3 Tournament as the fourth-seeded team. The Panthers defeated 13th-seeded Mechanicsburg 5-1 in an opening round game and then knocked off fifth-seeded Conestoga Valley 5-1 in the second round. In a major upset, Central Dauphin, despite managing just two hits, defeated top-seeded Cumberland Valley, a squad that had scored 18 runs combined in its two regular season wins over the Panthers. In the district title game, Central Dauphin defeated 11th-seeded Daniel Boone 6-3. The Panthers strung together six straight hits – their only hits in the game – in a five-run second inning to erase a 2-0 deficit. Mary Nell Smith had a two-run triple and Alex Cunkle had an RBI double in the inning. Amanda Homrighausen fanned two and walked two in the win.
[1-4] NORTH PENN vs [11-1] NORTHAMPTON at Patriots Park (7 p.m.)
North Penn
- 16-9 overall, 7-7 overall
- Fifth place team in SOL Continental Conference
- Highlights of regular season included wins over fourth-seeded Central Bucks South and 12th-seeded Pennridge and a pair of wins over 19th-seeded Souderton
- Won five of six games to close out regular season after upset loss at hands of Quakertown.
- Led by senior Lock Haven signee Michelle Holweger.
Road to states: The 2012 District One AAAA champions advanced to the district semifinals with wins over 20th-seeded Garnet Valley (7-4), fourth-seeded Central Bucks South (14-3) and 12th-seeded Pennridge (2-0). In the semifinals, the Maidens lost to Neshaminy 2-0 and then fell to third-seeded Pennsbury 5-0 in Friday’s third place game. They managed just three hits in their last two games combined.
Northampton
- 22-2 overall
- Upset by Emmaus in Lehigh Valley Conference semifinals
- Led by Penn State-bound pitcher Marly Laubach whose 14 shutouts is a single season school record. She also boasts a school record 257 strikeouts, and her 22 wins ties the single season record for wins in a season.
- District 11 title is program’s first since 1996 when the Konkrete kids went on to win the state title as well. Northampton has five district titles in program history.
- Scored a total of six runs in three wins in district tournament play.
The road to states: Marly Laubach tossed a four-hit shutout to lead the Konkrete Kids to a 3-0 win over Liberty in the district title game. Kendra Makovsky was 2-for-3. Leandra Sterner tripled and scored a run. The second-seeded Konkrete Kids advanced to the district final with wins over 10th-seeded Pottsville (1-0) and third-seeded Parkland (2-1).
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