Central Bucks South and Council Rock North were winners and will square off in Thursday’s District One 6A title game. Neshaminy kept its season alive with a win over Downingtown West in a playback game. CB South/North Penn photos provided courtesy of Diana Leferovich. Check back for a gallery of photos.
District One Class 3A Semifinals
1-1 CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 1, 1-4 NORTH PENN 0
Kylie Kenney has nerves of steel.
Ask the Titans’ junior ace if she’s unnerved when she walks a batter – for example in the seventh inning with a one-run lead, and she has a definitive answer.
“No,” Kenney said.
“I do,” said centerfielder Alexa Ortman. “She usually gets out of it, but I’m always so nervous.”
Kenney, it seems, is in a world of her own in the pitcher’s circle.
“Out there, I’m pretty much a blank slate,” she said. “Nothing really fazes me because I know if I make a mistake my teammates are going to pick me right back up.”
Kenney hasn’t made many mistakes lately, and in Tuesday’s District One 6A semifinal, she silenced a Knights’ squad that had been scoring runs in bunches, limiting a team that had 29 hits in its two previous games combined to just two hits.
“This is what Kylie does,” South coach Kevin Rosini said. “She keeps us in every game. She limits the hits, and when there’s runners in scoring position, she finds a way to get the outs.
“Today it was her defense. She made two or three really good plays. With (runners on) second and third and that hot ground ball back to her, she one-hopped it for the third out. The line drive she caught. She’s finding different ways to make it through seven innings and giving us a chance to win. This is her fifth shutout against a team that scored 23 runs the last two games. This is what she’s done all year. I don’t think either pitcher deserved to lose.”
No one could have possibly predicted that the two teams would combine for just one run and four hits between them when the SOL Continental Conference co-champs did battle, but that’s exactly what happened.
Kenney and North Penn freshman Mady Volpe found themselves locked in a riveting pitcher’s duel. After issuing a leadoff walk to Alex DeLeon in the second, Volpe retired 14 in a row and had a no hitter with two outs in the sixth inning.
Kenney, meanwhile, had allowed just a two-out single to Amanda Greaney in the first and a two-out single by Tori Chiu in the third.
Extra innings seemed inevitable until – with two outs in the sixth – Ortman grounded a single to right. The hit not only broke up Volpe’s no-hit bid, it gave the Titans life. Tara Tumasz worked a 3-1 count and then laced a double into right center that plated Ortman all the way from first.
“She was o-fer in two games against her and swinging at pitches up at her head, not really staying patient,” coach Kevin Rosini said of Tumasz. “She saw Lex got on and said, ‘Hey, we can hit her a little bit.’ She found a pitch she liked.”
Tumasz – who had five strikeouts in seven previous at bats against Volpe - acknowledged that she had struggled against the Knights’ freshman hurler.
“She always gets me on that rise – high outside, so this time I tried to go further back in the box,” the Titans’ first baseman said. “I just tried to change something up, and it worked.”
Ortman was committed to scoring the moment she broke off first base.
“I knew I was going all the way,” she said. “No way I was going to stop. I knew it was in the gap. I was going all the way home.”
Kenney took care of business in the bottom of the seventh. Courtney Neal drew a one-out walk, but the junior hurler retired the next two batters she faced. Tumasz fielded a grounder at first and tug the bag for the game’s final out, setting off a jubilant celebration. The Titans were heading for the district title game.
“It was in our brain,” Kenney said. “We lost in the playoffs in the first (game) every year, so making it past the first game was the first goal obviously, and every game after that, we had a new goal every time.”
“I definitely wasn’t thinking about going to the championship,” Ortman added. “Honestly, our banquet (on Wednesday) is the furthest I was thinking.
“This game was really hyped up. Our thing going into it was actions speak louder than words. We were just ready to go out and play. The last game at their field (a 3-0 North Penn win over South), we were super hyped up for it because we beat them once at our field. This game we knew we had to come into it like we had all the other playoff games.”
Kenney struck out seven in the two-hitter, walked four and hit a batter.
“I knew coming into the game that I definitely had to hit my corners like I have to do every game,” she said. “The umpire was definitely giving the lower strike zones, and they weren’t trying to swing at it. I would throw the low pitch to get ahead of most batters.”
The Knights twice had runners on second and third – the first time with two outs in the second after a Chiu infield single and a walk to Emily Groarke. Both advanced on a wild pitch, but Kenney calmly fielded a sharp grounder up the middle and threw to first for the inning’s final out.
In the fifth, Jamie Beer and Neal drew back-to-back walks to open the inning. Both runners advanced on Paige Paciolla’s sacrifice bunt, and with coach Rick Torresani calling for a suicide squeeze, Chiu laid a bunt down the line that was fielded by Tumasz who made the tag. The umpire ruled the runner out, and the game remained scoreless. Until the sixth.
“We were trying not to bring it to those last few innings, but it usually happens like that in these games,” Ortman said. “So once we got to the bottom of the inning, we were like, ‘Why not do it now instead of the seventh inning?’”
“That’s the story of our season,” Rosini said. “Every win we have - it’s never easy. A lot of our wins are close or late innings.
“The fight and the heart of this team – we were getting no hit with two outs in the sixth, and we had one base runner the whole game. All of a sudden – single, double, game over.”
Volpe tossed a gem of her own, allowing only two hits while striking out seven and walking one. Neither team committed an error.
“It was a close game, and they got the clutch hit,” North Penn coach Rick Torresani said. “You have to hand it to them. Both pitchers pitched great.
“For a freshman, that kid (Volpe) threw a heck of a game in a pressure situation. We’ll bounce back.”
Central Bucks South (19-3, 9-3 SOL) will face #19 Council Rock North in Thursday’s District One 6A title game at Immaculata University (4 p.m.).
“To be honest with you, I don’t believe it, but I do because (assistant coach) Ellen (Goldstein) and I have said it all year – there’s something special about this group,” Rosini said. “I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s just something special about this group. The way they get along.
“They are with each other the whole way. They could have easily been down. We were getting no hit, and the fire and the energy in the dugout – you could hear it. We just love this group, and here we are.”
North Penn (28-6, 9-3) will host Garnet Valley in Thursday’s third place game.
North Penn 000 000 0 0-2-0
Central Bucks South 000 001 x 1-2-0
#1-19 COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 2, #1-15 GARNET VALLEY 0
The Indians’ magical run through districts continues, thanks to another win over a higher-seeded team after another long road trip. This win vaulted the tournament’s 19th seed into Thursday’s district title game.
“It’s just amazing how far we’ve come,” senior Riley Sheehy said. “It’s just been really fun. All of our games have been team wins, and we’ve really come together.
“We’ve been the underdog in every game in the playoffs, and it’s just been neat to see how far we’ve come. I
“I don’t know if there’s an exact moment, but all of a sudden our defense started playing really well together. We started manufacturing runs, and everything clicked at once. That’s how we’ve been playing ever since.”
This is the first ever trip to the district title game for the program.
“It’s pretty awesome,” coach John Engelhardt said. “These kids have come together, they play hard, they play together.
“It’s pretty cool to be in this spot because Council Rock North has never been here since the school split. I don’t think they have enough time to really let it sink in and to really understand – you’re a 19 seed, there’s an outside chance we don’t even get into the tournament.
“We’ve played on the road the last four games, and we’ve beaten teams that are higher seeds. Our confidence is high, and the team that beat some of the better teams early on this season is the team we’re seeing. It’s exciting, and it’s fun.”
The Indians scored the game’s only runs in the top of the first. Sheehy led off with a single and immediately stole second. With two outs, Juliana Shields singled, plating Sheehy from second. Abby Seiple followed and drew a walk, setting the stage for Elena Calibeo’s RBI single that gave the Indians a 2-0 lead.
“That was huge,” Sheehy said. “Getting on top from the beginning really helps the momentum the rest of the game.
“It sucks getting down right away for any team, and for us to be on top right away, that was really big for us, especially since those were the only two runs we scored the whole game.”
“We really did not threaten again until the fifth,” Engelhardt said. “We had runners on second and third with no outs, and we got nothing. That was tough.”
Lauren Begg earned the complete game win, allowing just three hits while striking out two and walking none. The Indians’ outfield, which saw considerable action, stole the spotlight, hauling in 10 fly balls – four by Sheehy, four by Marissa Haynes and two by Calibeo.
“There are going to be those hits that you can’t do anything about, but for the most part, everything that’s hit in the air – our outfield has covered really well,” said Sheehy, who anchors the outfield in center and, according to Engelhardt, made several dazzling catches. “Elena made a really good catch today that went to the fence, and she caught it over her shoulder. Marissa had a diving catch the last game.
“Our outfield talks really well to each other. We let each other know how much room we have. We just work really well together, so we’re able to cover all the balls that some teams aren’t able to get to.”
Engelhardt had high praise for his defense.
“The outfield and defense – it was the best defensive game in the three years that I’ve been here,” the Indians’ coach said. “My outfield was absolutely amazing – they would be the defensive MVP.
“Elena Calibeo caught two at the warning track. Riley Sheehy was amazing. She gets a jump on the ball – I didn’t think anyone was ever going to be better than Sabrina Crane, and Riley is right there. If they don’t make those catches, it’s a different ball game. They hit Lauren hard. She was a little high in the zone today, and we played flawless defense. We had one error, and it did not hurt us. That was the name of the game.
“What was cool about today – we didn’t do as well as we would have liked at the plate, but because the heads didn’t drop, we played our best defensive game in three years and we won, so this was a new type of win for us. We beat Neshaminy 3-1, and I guess we’re building off of that with defensive gems. Our infield played just as well, but there were 10 balls in the outfield. I’m just proud of the way they played. I don’t think they realize where they’re at, and I don’t want them to. I want them to keep playing and having fun.”
Council Rock North (16-7, 7-5 SOL) will face top-seeded Central Bucks South in Thursday’s District One 6A title game at Immaculata University (4 p.m.).
“I think after the game today it actually started sinking in because we were talking about – we’re going to be playing for the championship, and everyone was sitting there taking it in,” Sheehy said. “We were the 19th seed. No one would have expected that we’re going to play the number one seed in the championship game, but that’s what’s happening.
“Everyone was taking a minute today like – wow, we had to win four games to get here, and we won all four of our games. We’ve been playing really well. We’ve been on such a roll. We really haven’t slowed down to think about it until after our game today.”
Council Rock North 200 000 0 2
Garnet Valley 000 000 0 0
Playback Game
#1-6 NESHAMINY 3, #1-7 DOWNINGTOWN WEST 2
The Redskins bounced back from Friday’s heartbreaking loss to Council Rock North to defeat the visiting Whippets in a playback game.
“It was the same message – “Listen, we needed to win two games to go to states, and we won the first one and lost the second one,’” coach Dave Chichilitti said. “We almost get a redo.”
The players, according to Chichilitti, didn’t know they’d have the opportunity to play back with a chance to earn a state berth.
“The last time we won a playoff game all my seniors were freshman,” the Redskins’ coach said. “We won one and lost the next one, and there was no playback.
“I kind of knew that they really didn’t know, so I didn’t say anything, and after they lost the other day, they were in the outfield crying. I walked out and said, ‘What are we crying for? We get to play again Tuesday.’ They were like, ‘We’re not eliminated?’ That helped calm the mood a little bit.”
In Tuesday’s must-win game, the Redskins put a pair of runs on the board in the fourth inning when – after singles by Amanda Kurtz and Alexis Watkins - Victoria Smith delivered a single that plated a pair.
That 2-0 lead held until the top of the sixth when the Whippets evened the score.
“Their leadoff batter (Caitlin Coker) is going to Boston University, and she’s a stud,” Chichilitti said. “Sarah (Dowalo) got her out once, and I wanted to go lefty to lefty again, so let’s wait until Sarah plays that batter and then we’ll bring (Amber Brugger) in. Sarah got that girl out and we brought Brugger in.”
The Whippets collected back-to-back hits, and with runners on second and third, Chichilitti brought Dowalo back in the game.
“The first batter she gets a little humpbacked liner to Kurtz – two outs,” the Redskins’ coach said. “Next pitch – wild pitch, next pitch – wild pitch, and that’s how they tied the game.”
In the bottom of the inning, Liana Dean led off with a double, and that brought Watkins to the plate.
“She knew she was going to have to bunt,” Chichilitti said. “I said, “Mandy, you’re going to have to bunt even though you’re 2-for-2. Fake the first one and turn a little early.’
“She faked and the third baseman crashed, and I saw the shortstop just standing there. I looked over at Jones and pointed to third. She stole third easily. Had they not thrown the ball and hit her in the helmet, she would have scored easily.”
Jones scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly to right field by Watkins.
Dowalo – who retired the Whippets in order in the seventh - notched the win, allowing three hits in seven innings while striking out seven and walking none.
“We played great defense again today,” Chichilitti said. “The hitting just hasn’t snapped yet. It can, and if it does, I’ll be excited to see what happens.
“But the pitching and defense is allowing us to grind these close games out, and that’s great because that’s what playoff softball is. If the lineup starts to click like it did at one point, I would really be excited to see that, and it could happen at any minute.”
Neshaminy (18-4, 10-2 SOL) will host #8 Conestoga in Thursday’s playback game for the final state berth. Conestoga defeated #12 Coatesville 6-2.
Downingtown West 000 002 0 2-5-1
Neshaminy 000 201 x 3-6-0
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