Check out the results for SOL softball teams in action on Wednesday. Check the photo gallery for photos from the North Penn/Pennridge game.
PENNSBURY 10, NESHAMINY 6 (Tuesday, May 13)
Frank McSherry has won more than his share of championships during a stellar coaching career, but the veteran coach admits that this year’s title – the Falcons clinched a share with Tuesday night’s win – is remarkable indeed.
“It’s been special,” McSherry said. “As positive as we want to be and as much as we want to sell that positive attitude to our team – which you always have to, we’re also realistic and we see things. When you graduate nine seniors and have two starters coming back and the rest basically question marks, you’re saying – wow, how are we piecing this together.
“And you know what – it took a while to piece things together. It really did. We tried a number of things, and for whatever reason, something clicked in the kids, and gosh, they’re hitting the ball like crazy.”
A long-time coach who watched the Falcons smack the ball around in Tuesday night’s title-clinching win was impressed.
“He texted me this morning and said, ‘Frank, I’ve never seen a game where so many balls were hit so hard,’” McSherry said. “It was unbelievable. It really was.”
The Falcons hammered out 11 hits, but even the outs, according to McSherry, were hit hard, and no one hit the ball harder than diminutive sophomore Marguerite Salamone, who was 3-for-4 with a double, home run, three RBIs and four runs scored.
“She put on a show, she just put on a show,” McSherry said. “She caught as a freshman for the jayvee and did a really nice job. I don’t know what her average was last year, but she hit.
“She’s the real deal. She had a big night.”
For Salamone, who anchors the Falcons behind the plate, it was an impressive ending to a dazzling season. The sophomore finished the regular season 39-for-78 for an even .500.
“I always talk to coaches about this at league meetings,” McSherry said. “I hear these inflated averages, and I say, ‘Who’s doing the book? Are fielder’s choices being counted as hits?’
“Murph (assistant coach Dave Murphy) and I got over the book after every single game with a fine-toothed comb.”
Salamone, who had a double in a two-run first, hit her home run in the three-run second that gave the Falcons a lead they would not lose (5-2).
Dani Litwin also had a big night for the Falcons, finishing 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs and senior Farryl Groder was 2-for-5.
For the Redskins, Sammy Offenback with 2-for-2 with a home run, four RBIs and two runs scored. It was her two-run home run that sparked a three-run sixth. Sarah Snider-Leonhauser was 2-for-5.
Casey Boltersdorf earned the win on the mound while Jenny Rakita absorbed the loss.
While the Redskins fell to 9-5 in league play (14-5 overall), the Falcons closed out the regular season with an 11-3 mark in league play (13-7 overall).
Pennsbury 231 210 1-10
Neshaminy 200 103 0-6
BENSALEM 3, CHELTENHAM 0
The Owls rebounded from a loss to Abington 24 hours earlier to earn yet another impressive non-league win, shutting out the SOL American Conference co-champions.
“A loss to Abington is honestly nothing to feel bad about,” coach Dan Schram said. “I don’t care what their record is. They’re a good team.
“All those non-league victories I have – I think Abington would have beaten those teams too. Our division is stacked. You want to play your best ball at the end, and both us and Abington came on too late.”
Jackie Morell was the story of the game on the mound, scattering five hits while fanning a career high 11 and walking just one.
“She battled,” Schram said. “Every game she brings it. She gives you everything she’s got. She’s a tough, tough kid.”
The two teams were deadlocked heading into the bottom of the sixth when the Owls exploded for three runs. Katelynn Reiss drew a two-out walk, and Kelsey Dekoyer followed with a single. Both runners advanced on a passed ball. Tatyana Keshanech singled to plate Reiss, and Kelly Nolan followed with a two-run double to put the Owls on top 3-0.
“Two seniors have been so dedicated over the years – Kelly and Tatyana, I was glad to see they got to deliver the big game hits when they did because they’ve just been great kids over the last four years,” Schram said. “It was nice for them to get some headlines.”
Dekoyer and Keshanech led the Owls with two hits each. The Owls collected seven hits.
The Owls (4-9 SOL) upped their overall record to 10-9 while the Lady Panthers are 14-4 overall (13-1 SOL).
“Cheltenham played a really nice game,” Schram said. “Every year we play them, they’re getting better each and every year.
“They had us on the ropes. We were nervous, but we took our time, and we came up big in the sixth inning.”
Cheltenham 000 000 0-0
Bensalem 000 003 x-3
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 8, SOUDERTON 5 (10 innings)
The Patriots – who needed a win to clinch a share of second place in the Continental Conference standings – appeared to be down for the count, trailing 5-1 to the conference champion Indians heading into the sixth inning.
A leadoff triple by Brady Tillotson sparked a three-run outburst that included several costly errors. Three innings later, with the international tiebreaker in effect in the 10th, the Patriots scored three more runs to earn the all-important win.
The win came on the heels of a 2-1 win over Central Bucks South one day earlier as the Patriots bounced back after dropping three games last week.
“This is what I know this team is capable of,” East coach Erin Scott said. “Again, it’s a young team, so we’ve had our ups and down throughout the season, but we’re just trying to focus on the controlables.
“We can’t control what happened last week. Those things have happened, so we focused on what we could do this week. Our girls stepped up, they really stepped up, and offensively, a lot of people contributed, which was nice to see.
“Last week that was our biggest issue – we weren’t hitting great, and yesterday (in a 2-1 win over CB South) we had four hits, so it was nice to see that turnaround, especially in a pressure situation like that. I’m just so proud of them.”
Kayla Ventura, who entered the game in the fourth, slammed the door on the Indians, shutting them out the rest of the way to earn the win. She fanned 10.
Erelle Sowers, victimized by some shaky defensive play, absorbed the loss.
Paige Shelly led the Indians with three hits while Haley Delany, Sowers and Angie Carty each added a pair. Tillotson and Ventura both had a pair to lead the Patriots.
Souderton closed out the regular season 11-3 in league play (14-4 overall) while the Patriots are 10-4 in the league (10-8 overall).
Central Bucks East 000 113 000 3-8
Souderton 200 300 000 0-5
NORTH PENN 5, PENNRIDGE 3
The Maidens clinched a share of second place in the SOL Continental Conference standings with Wednesday’s win. Jackie Bilotti contributed with her arm and her bat. The junior pitcher earned the win, allowing six hits and three runs while striking out four and walking one. At the plate, Bilotti was 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Teammate Alyssa Shoulberg was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
A two-run first spotted the Maidens an early lead, but the Rams scored three in the third to go on top by one. The Maidens won it with a three-run outburst in the fourth.
The Maidens closed out league play with a 10-4 record (13-6 overall) while the Lady Rams are 5-9 in league play (7-11 overall).
Pennridge 003 000 0-3
North Penn 200 300 x-5
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 5, NORRISTOWN 2
Tricia Link tossed a two-hitter to earn the win for the Colonials. Offensively, PW had seven hits. Standouts were senior Rachel Konowal, who went 2-for-3 with a run scored, and senior Susan Janfrancisco, who went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles, two RBIs and two runs scored.
The Colonials seized early control of the game with a three-run outburst in the first. They added single runs in the fourth and fifth before the Eagles got on the scoreboard with two runs in the sixth.
PW closed out league play with a 6-8 record (6-9 overall) while the Eagles are 2-10.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 300 110 0-5
Norristown 000 002 0-2
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