SOL Softball Wrap (4-22-14)

Check out the results for SOL softball teams in action Tuesday. Please visit our gallery to view photos of the Upper Moreland vs Wissahickon softball game.

National Conference

HARRY S TRUMAN 3, WILLIAM TENNENT 2
The Tigers played the role of giant killer on Tuesday, handing the Panthers their first league loss of the season with a come-from-behind win.

"This was a huge, huge win for us, especially when we have been trying to tell to them the whole first half of the season - when they show up and play a complete game, they can beat anybody," coach Gretchen Cammiso said. "We had a couple of tough losses, and for them to come up and beat William Tennent and to start the league over again, hopefully, this will give them the encouragement that - you know what, we actually can beat these teams."
The Tigers needed a late-game rally to eke out the win, plating a pair of runs in the top of the seventh. Olivia Lavertu led off the inning with a single, and pitcher Jess O’Neil followed with a double to put a pair on board. In a clutch at-bat, freshman Alyssa Morlando, who bats out of the nine hole, hit a grounder to second that plated Lavertu from third.
“She had struck out the first two at-bats, and I’m thinking, ‘Should I pinch hit her,’” Cammiso said, opting to stick with her freshman. “I called timeout and said, ‘Lys, just try to hit it to second base,’ and she hit it to second.”
With two outs, Jess O’Brien delivered a hit that turned out to be the game winner – an RBI single up the middle to put the Tigers on top 3-2.
The bottom of the seventh was not without drama. The Panthers put a pair of runners on board, but the Tigers closed it out with a nifty doubleplay that saw the third baseman throw to first for the out, and the game ended with a Panther runner trying to advance gunned down at third base.
“I don’t know what happened today,” Cammiso said. “It might have been the four-hour practice we had yesterday.”
In a season of high-scoring games, Tuesday’s game was a rarity.
“This was actually a good softball game,” Cammiso said. “There were no errors on either side. It’s been a while since I’ve actually seen a game like this.”
Jackie Heim led the Panthers with a 3-for-4 effort that included two doubles and a triple. Heim’s RBI triple knotted the score 1-1 the fifth, and the Panthers took a 2-1 lead when Heim scored on an RBI double by Nikki Alden.
O’Neil earned the win on the mound, allowing eight hits.
"Jess O'Neil pitched a great game," Cammiso said. "She hit her spots. William Tennent has some good hitters. We tried to stay away from them. Luckily, we scattered their hits and played good defense.”
The Tigers are 3-4 after one go-round in the conference (3-7 overall) while the Panthers fell to 4-1 in the league (7-2 overall).
Harry S Truman       000 100 2-3
William Tennent       000 020 0-2

NESHAMINY 9, PENNSBURY 6
Frank McSherry predicted a slugfest, and the veteran coach was spot on. The two perennial conference powers exchanged big innings, and it was the Redskins, who pounded out 13 hits, using a four-run fifth to earn the come-from-behind win.
“I’m very pleased with the way we hit, and I’m very pleased with the way we fielded,” coach Dave Chichilitti said. “They put a lot of balls in play. Jenny (Rakita) only had five strikeouts.
“We made 16 plays, and a bunch of them weren’t easy. On the flip side, I don’t care what anybody says – their pitcher (Casey Boltersdorf) was the best pitcher we’ve faced in our league. We usually strike out two or three times a game and put the ball in play, and she struck nine people out.”
Sam Offenback put the ‘Skins on the scoreboard with a solo home run in the second. Also in the inning, Jen Walker collected an RBI single, and Mackensie Compton, who had a monster day at the plate, delivered a two-run single to spot the Redskins a 4-0 lead.
The Falcons got three of those runs back in the bottom of the inning, Freshman Maddie McQuaid delivered the big blow – a two-run double, and Marguerite Salamone had an RBI single to make it a 4-3 game.
In the top of the third, the Redskins added a run to go on top 5-3, but the Falcons scored three in the bottom of third to take a 6-5 lead. The Redskins won the game with a four-run fifth that included an RBI double by Walker and a two-run home run by Compton.
Rakita allowed six hits in a winning effort but none after the third inning.
“Jenny didn’t pitch as well as she wanted to in the first three innings,” Chichilitti said. “She was getting the ball up. In the middle of the third inning, she went outside and threw in the bullpen and fixed something. She really closed the door on them at the end.”
Leading the Redskins were Sophie Beretski (3-for-4, double, RBI), Walker (2-for-5, two doubles, three RBIs), Compton (2-for-5, double, home run, four RBIs) and Sarah Snider-Leonhauser (2-for-4). Olivia Zaino was 1-for-2 with a run scored, and Nikki Wild and Hunter Hart both had doubles.
“We’re very happy,” Chichilitti said. “This was a do-or-die game for us. If we had lost, we would have had three losses and been two games out of first place.”
As it stands, the Redskins are 5-2 in league play (9-2 overall) while the Falcons are 4-2 in the league (4-6 overall).
Chichilitti gave a plug for his conference.
“The SOL National is better than the SOL Continental this year,” he said. “Typically, they have had it better, but in head-to-head play, we beat Souderton. North, Tennent and Bensalem beat CB East. All those crossover games we’ve been winning. I think the SOL National is better than the Continental, and it shows.”
Neshaminy      041 040 0-9
Pennsbury       033 000 0-6

BENSALEM 3, ABINGTON 2
The Owls notched their first conference win of the season, eking out the victory over the Ghosts.
“It’s become kind of clear the way the league is this year you have to earn every single at-bat, you have to earn every single possession of the ball and you have to take care of the ball,” Bensalem coach Dan Schram said. “Everything is very even this year, so this was a very big win for us.
“Abington always comes to play.”
The Ghosts plated an unearned run in the first, but the Owls answered with a run in their half of the inning. Isabel Hansbury singled and moved up to second on a passed ball. She scored when Carley Smith’s grounder to third was bobbled.
The Owls went on top 2-1 in the second inning when Jess Ferdinand, who reached base on a bunt single, scored on a double by Jackie Morell.
In the third inning, the Ghosts knotted the score when Jamie Gosselin, who led off with a single, scored on Nicolette Ray’s RBI single. The Owls plated the game winner in the sixth. Jenny Campbell tripled and scored on Smith’s groundout.
Jackie Morell earned the win, allowing six hits and one earned run while walking one and fanning two.
Gosselin led the Ghosts with a 2-for-4 effort at the plate. Ray, who allowed seven hits, absorbed the loss on the mound.
The Owls are 1-5 in league play (4-5 overall) while the Ghosts are 1-6 in the league (4-6 overall).
Abington         101 000 0-2
Bensalem        1

COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 9, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 3
The Golden Hawks made history on Tuesday when they earned what is believed to be the program’s first ever win over its sister school.
“It was big,” coach Greg Heydet Sr. said. “We’re still are making a few mistakes, which every team does, but as long as we hit, we believe we can play with anyone.
“Today they hit.”
Becca Dougherty once again worked her magic on the mound for the Golden Hawks.
Twenty-four hours after tossing a shutout in Rock South’s 1-0 win over Bensalem, Dougherty took the mound in the bottom of the first after the Indians plated a pair off freshman starter Stephanie Andreoli. She allowed just three hits and one run the rest of the way.
Making life easier for Dougherty was a Golden Hawks’ offense that was on fire. Sophomore Mikayla Becker led the hit parade with a perfect 4-for-4 effort at the plate that included a triple, two RBIs and three runs score. Dougherty helped her own cause with a pair of doubles while Jackie Schneider was 2-for-3 with a double and three runs scored.
“We hit,” Heydet said. “The middle of our lineup just hit today.”
In the third inning, the Golden Hawks, trailing 2-1, had two outs with nobody on when they mounted a rally, collecting four straight hits. It began with back-to-back-to-back singles by Schneider, Becker and Melanie Wilkinson (RBI) and was capped by Dougherty’s two-run double to make it a 4-2 game.
The Indians answered with a run in the bottom of the frame to trim the Hawks lead to one, but the Golden Hawks weren’t finished yet, plating three runs in the fifth and one run in both the sixth and seventh innings.
In the three-run fifth, Schneider got things started with a leadoff double. Becker singled, and Katelyn Gaudet contributed an RBI single. The Golden Hawks also benefitted from a pair of walks.
The game had a dramatic ending.
“They left the bases loaded in the last inning, and their number four hitter (Bailey Bigler) took it to the fence,” Heydet said.
Becker hauled it in for the game’s final out, and the Golden Hawks (4-3, 4-2 SOL) find themselves a half game out of first place in the conference standings. The Indians are 3-3 in league (5-4 overall).
Council Rock South     013 031 1-9
Council Rock North     201 000 0-3

Continental Conference

CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 10, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 5
The Patriots found themselves staring at a 3-0 deficit heading into the bottom of the third inning when they exploded for six runs.
Jenn Young led off with a double, and after Hailey Warner struck out the next two batters she faced, Sydney Badger kept the inning alive with a single, and Caroline Schoenewald followed with an RBI single. Brady Tillotson drew a walk, and then it was Theresa Haug collecting an infield single to load the bases, setting the stage for a grand slam by Kayla Ventura to put East on top 6-3.
In the fifth, Schoenewald hit a two-run home run to make it an 8-3 game before the Titans tacked on a run in the bottom of the frame. Badger’s two-run home run in the sixth put the Patriots on top 10-4 before the Titans plated a run in the bottom of the seventh for the 10-5 final.
Both teams collected double-digit hits with East pounding out 15 and South collecting 13.
Badger led the Patriots with a perfect 4-for-4 day that included three RBIs while Ventura, who earned the win, was 3-for-4 with four RBIs. Schoenewald, Tillotson and Young were all 2-for-4. Schoenewald had a pair of RBIs and Haug had one.
For the Titans, Taylor Risich was 3-for-4, Lauren McCarthy was 2-for-4 with an RBI and Sophia Boggs was 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Hope Darreff had one RBI.
Warner fanned 12 in six innings of work. Maddie Decker tossed a scoreless seventh to close it out.
Central Bucks East     006 022 0-10
Central Bucks South   120 010 1-5
NORTH PENN 3, PENNRIDGE 2
The Maidens celebrated the return to the lineup of senior Erin Maher with a win over the Rams under the lights at Druckenmiller Park. Maher- sidelined since the beginning of the season with a broken foot - immediately made her presence felt, reaching base on all four trips to the plate out of the leadoff spot. She finished the game 2-for-2 with a pair of walks.
“It unbelievable,” coach Rick Torresani said. “She was so excited to come back today. She texted me after the doctor gave her clearance, and I said, ‘Do you want to play today?’ She said, ‘You better believe it.’
“She just went out there – she was on base all four times, she scored two runs, and she made two great catches in the outfield.”
The Rams took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, but the Maidens got that run back in the third, thanks to a Meghan Curley RBI single. A two-run single by Becky Christoffers in the fifth put the Maidens on top 3-1. The Rams made it a 3-2 game with a run in the sixth.
Jackie Bilotti earned the win on the mound, allowing four hits and one earned run while striking out two and walking a pair.
The Maidens upped their record to 5-2 in league play (5-3 overall) while the Lady Rams fell to 1-5 in the league (3-6 overall).
North Penn     001 020 0-3
Pennridge        100 001 0-2

HATBORO-HORSHAM 14, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 4
Jackie Locke had a big day for the Hatters, turning in a 3-for-5 effort at the plate with four RBIs. Jen Cader had a pair of hits, including a triple, and scored three runs. The Hatters, who collected 10 hits, also were the beneficiaries of more than a few walks.  Daria Edwards was on the receiving end of four free passes and she scored four runs. Jayne Black also drew four walks. She also had a single and scored a pair of runs.
For the Hatters, it was pitching by committee. Bryn Griffith threw two innings, allowing one hit while striking out a pair. Lexie Campbell worked three innings, allowing two hits while fanning five. Kaeli Simmons threw two innings, fanning a pair.
The Hatters are 5-2 in league play (6-2 overall) while the Bucks fell to 0-7 in the league (1-8 overall).

SOUDERTON 7, QUAKERTOWN 0
Katie Kehler tossed an impressive three-hit shutout to lead the Indians to the win. She fanned one and did not walk a batter, allowing the Indians to keep their one-game lead in the loss column over their Continental Conference foes.
Amanda Brush, who finished the day a perfect 3-for-3, put the Indians on the board with an inside-the-park solo home run in the first. Souderton added a run in the third, benefitting from singles by Erelle Sowers and Brush as well as a sacrifice fly from Haley Delany to go on top 2-0.
In the fifth inning, the Indians blew the game open with a five-run outburst. Brush got things started with a single, and the inning also included singles by Paige Shelly, a bases-loaded walk to Delany (RBI) and a two-run single by Missy Wiley.
The Panthers made a pitching change, but with one out, Angie Carty singled home a run, and a bases-loaded walk by Brush made it a 7-0 game.
The Indians are 5-1 in league play (7-2 overall) while the Panthers fell to 2-5 in the league (5-5 overall).
Souderton       101 050 0-7
Quakertown    000 000 0-0

American Conference

UPPER MORELAND 13, WISSAHICKON 9
The Trojans took a 7-1 lead into the bottom of the third inning when the Golden Bears plated a pair. They answered with two runs in the top of the fourth to go on top 9-3 only to watch the Golden Bears score four in the fourth and three in both the fifth and sixth to earn the come-from-behind win.
Despite the outcome, Wissahickon coach Crystal Rae States liked what she saw from her young squad.
“The girls played well for the majority of the game,” the first-year coach said. “They made some great defensive plays and had strong at-bats.
“We bounced back from yesterday to put up nine runs, which is a huge success for the team. Hopefully, the girls can come out strong against Upper Dublin on Thursday and play the way they did today.”
The two teams combined for 24 hits with the Golden Bears collecting 13. Redick (3-for-3, RBI, two runs), Miller (3-for-4, home run, RBI, two runs), Lindsay Walder (3-for-5, two runs) and Jenn Freeman (2-for-1, double, RBI) led the potent Upper Moreland attack.
For the Trojans, Brittany Gelman had another big day, going 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Halle Segan and Andrea Mazurek (RBI, two runs) both added a pair of hits.
The Golden Bears improved to 4-2 in league play (5-2 overall) while the Trojans are 0-6 in the league (0-10 overall).
Wissahickon   142 200 0-9
Upper Moreland         102 433 0 -13

CHELTENHAM 12, NORRISTOWN 1 (6 innings)
Grace DeRosa took a one-hitter into the sixth inning of Tuesday’s game at Norristown. The Eagles collected a one-out single and scored an unearned run, but the game belonged to the Lady Panthers’ senior hurler, who allowed one hit while fanning 11 and walking three.
DeRosa also had a big day at the plate, finishing 3-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored. Also coming up big were Rita Laychock (3-for-5 with a double, two RBIs and three runs scored) and Maddie Baer (3-for-4, RBI, two runs scored). The Lady Panthers, who pounded out 16 hits, also received a clutch performance from sophomore Madison Giamelle, who had just one hit but contributed three RBIs.
“We broke out after our Upper Merion loss,” coach Ron Perlstein said of his team’s loss to the Vikings in a battle of the conference’s unbeaten squads. “We had six hits against Upper Merion, and it was sort of we let out a little of our steam here and our pent up frustration from that game.
“It was good to get a final win in the first go-round in our league. I think that was important.”
Cheltenham     230 223-12
Norristown     000 001-1

UPPER DUBLIN at UPPER MERION (Suspended because of weather)

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