Check out the results for SOL softball teams in action Friday.
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 8, NORTH PENN 3
Sparked by some timely hitting and a strong effort on the mound by Kayla Ventura, the defending district champion Patriots picked up an important early season win.
“I think it’s reassuring,” coach Erin Scott said. “We’ve been trying to give them confidence.
“I don’t want to focus on what happened last season because it’s a completely different team. Although we have some players who aren’t as experienced at this level, I think we still have a lot of potential. We’ve focused a lot on being positive, having short memories, and using things that happen as learning experiences. I gave them homework to visualize today’s game, and I think they did it. It’s really important to get into that mental focus and positive mindset.”
Ventura went the distance for the Patriots, allowing seven hits and fanning seven, as Scott looked to change things up after splitting duties between Ventura and Theresa Haug last season and in the season’s early weeks.
According to Scott, it also was important for the players to come back strong after their 4-1 loss to Souderton one day earlier that saw them fall behind early and manage just one hit.
“Yesterday was the toughest loss we’ve had because it was the first time we weren’t even in the game,” the Patriots’ coach said. “We didn’t give ourselves opportunities. I really wanted them to forget about yesterday, come in with a clean slate, have confidence and be positive. Yesterday everyone was tense and uptight the entire game because we had been down 2-0 from the first inning, which resulted in us over trying, and then we’re not successful, and it compounds itself. Today we said, ‘Let’s have fun, let’s have confidence, let’s do our best.’
“I knew we could win today, and Kayla really stepped up. Obviously, North Penn can hit, and she was hitting her spots. She did her job, and Theresa (Haug) did her job. She did what we needed her to do today. She stepped up offensively and did a good job at first.”
Danielle Marzetti ignited a first-inning rally with a leadoff triple. A Maiden error put a pair of runners on board, and the Patriots got on the scoreboard when Caroline Schoenefeld delivered a sacrifice fly. An RBI single from Brady Tillotson gave the Patriots an early 2-0 advantage.
“This is one of the first games we haven’t been behind,” said East coach Erin Scott. “With a young team, it’s difficult to get down in the first inning and then have to battle back.
“They’ve fought back in a lot of games, but it’s made it really challenging to try and get wins that way.”
The Maidens cut that lead in half in the third inning. After Ventura fanned the first two batters she faced, junior Jackie Bilotti tripled, and Lauren Ostopowicz followed with an RBI single to make it a 2-1 game.
In the fourth inning, the Maidens added a pair of runs to go on top 3-2. Vicky Tumasz and Meghan Curley opened the inning with back-to-back singles. A run crossed the plate on Hannah Uhler’s groundout, and the go-ahead run scored from third on an illegal pitch.
With one out in the fifth, Sydney Badger singled, and Schoenewald was hit by a pitch. The bases were loaded after Tillotson drew a walk. Theresa Haug came up and delivered a two-run single that gave the Patriots a lead they would not lose.
“Theresa was huge for us offensively,” Scott said.
The Patriots added to their lead in the sixth, benefitting from several Maiden miscues as well as RBI singles by Schoenewald and Haug.
Schoenewald finished the day 2-for-2 while Haug was 2-for-4 with three RBIs. Marzetti also was 3-for-4.
Both teams are 2-2 in league play (2-3 overall)
North Penn 001 200 0-3
Central Bucks East 200 024 x-8
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 2, PENNRIDGE 0
Hailey Warner was impressive in her first action in the circle since being sidelined with a concussion for several weeks. The Titans senior hurler scattered four hits to pick up her first win of the year.
Maddie Decker provided all the run support Warner would need, delivering a home run in the fourth inning.
The Titans are 2-1 in league play (2-2 overall) while the Rams are 1-3 in the league (3-4 overall).
Pennridge 000 000 0-0
Central Bucks South 000 200 x-2
CHELTENHAM 5, UPPER DUBLIN 2
The Lady Panthers remained perfect in league play, upping their record to 4-0 with Friday’s win over the Flying Cardinals.
Becca Simms spotted the Lady Panthers a 3-0 lead when she hit a three-run home to left field in the third inning. Grace DeRosa, who earned the win on the mound, helped her own cause with a two-run home run in the sixth inning. The Lady Panthers also received huge performances from Madison Gianelle and Kelly Graham. Both players were 3-for-3 with a run scored.
DeRosa allowed four hits and no earned runs in seventh innings, fanning seven and walking five. The Cardinals scored single runs in the sixth and seventh innings.
“Grace basically held them off balance the whole game,” coach Ron Perlstein said. “We got sloppy in the sixth inning when we were tripping over our own feet.
“They had a rally in the seventh inning. They scored a run and had the bases loaded with their number four hitter up. Grace LeRosa got her to pup up to finish it out.”
Erica Winter turned a double play for the Lady Panthers, who improved to 4-0 in league play (5-1 overall). The Flying Cardinals are 2-2 in the league (2-4 overall).
Upper Dublin 000 001 1-2
Cheltenham 003 002 x-5
BENSALEM 3, ARCHBISHOP RYAN 2
The Owls’ confidence got a shot in the arm Friday when they knocked off previously unbeaten PCL powerhouse Archbishop Ryan in dramatic fashion. Lauren Morell delivered a walk-off single in the seventh to send the Owls home winners.
“It was a great game,” coach Dan Schram said. “This was huge for us.
“I looked at Ryan warming up. They were big kids, their pitcher threw hard, and I said to the kids, ‘There are a lot of different ways to win games. We may have to win a little differently than we did the other day (in a 10-0 win over Upper Merion).’ A come-from-behind victory is something we need to learn how to do.”
Morell’s bloop one-out single to center plated Isabel Hansbury, who singled earlier in the inning, with the game winner.
Ryan actually led for the better part of the game, taking a 2-0 lead in the top of first and maintaining that lead heading into the bottom of the sixth when the Owls’ bats came to life. Carley Smith tied the game with an RBI double.
Smith and Lauren Morell both finished the day 2-for-3 to lead the Owls.
“Carley Smith is a sophomore who has been playing first base for us,” Schram said. “By trade, she’s a middle infielder.
“She’s doing a fabulous job. She was getting really good plate appearances over the last couple of games, and I told her, ‘Don’t change a thing. It’s going to happen.’ She was just hitting the ball to people. She’s a talented kid, and she and Lauren are our future.”
Jackie Morell earned the win on the mound, allowing just four hits.
Archbishop Ryan 200 000 0-2
Bensalem 000 002 1-3
ABINGTON 12, WISSAHICKON 0
Nicolette Ray delivered a grand slam in a five-run uprising in the third inning that put the Ghosts on top 7-0 on their way to the win in the abbreviated six-inning game. The sophomore slugger finished the game 2-for-4 with five RBIs, but she wasn’t the only offensive star for the Ghosts.
Michela Monterosso was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and four RBIs. Jamie Gosselin was 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
Ray also earned the win in the circle, tossing six shutout innings for the Ghosts (4-3). The Trojans saw their record drop to 0-6.
Abington 025 203-12
Wissahickon 000 000-0
HAVERFORD 8, PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 4
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