A softball champion was crowned in the SOL Continental Conference. Check out all of Wednesday’s results.
SOUDERTON 6, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 3
One swing.
That’s all it took to shatter Central Bucks South’s dream of reclaiming a share of the Continental Conference title. Souderton’s Paige Shelly played the role of dream wrecker when she delivered a grand slam in the second inning, turning a 2-2 tie into a 6-2 lead. The Indians never looked back and continued their late-season quest to earn a berth in the district tournament.
“Yesterday at practice I talked to Tom Quintois, our athletic director,” coach Steph Rummel said. “We were talking about what we had to do in order to get in (to districts).
“He was saying that if we beat CB South – North Penn would still beat us out head-to-head but maybe we could get an additional bid. I told the girls that, and they were all excited and they just wanted to win. They came in confident, knowing they could do it. They didn’t press at all, which I’m actually very impressed about because I thought they would press. They didn’t. They just played their game. It was insane.”
Shelly’s blast capped a six-run uprising in the second inning by the Indians, who trailed 2-0 after one inning. Haley DeLany got things started with a double, and Morgan Yoder followed with a single. DeLany scored on a wild pitch to make it a 2-1 game. Amanda Brush drew a walk, and Erelle Sowers laid down a bunt single to load the bases. Angie Carty’s RBI single knotted the score, setting the stage for Shelly’s heroics.
Senior Salina Allebach earned the win, allowing six hits while striking out one in six innings.
“Coach Phil (Rummel) and I both talked to Salina and Meg (Roynan), our other pitcher, yesterday about how CB South saw a lot of our pitches,” Rummell said of a 13-7 loss to the Titans earlier this season. “They were working deep counts, they were hitting foul balls, and it was the same situation with Paige Shelly today – she was hitting foul ball after foul ball and then she hit the home run.
“The less pitches the girls see, the less likely they’ll get a good hit. That’s kind of what we were going into today with – just getting up on the batters and making it our pitch rather than their pitch and not picking around the strike zone but getting them up quick.
“Salina just did well with that. She continued to come in – strike one, strike two. They were off balance, and we had the playground to do whatever we wanted to, whatever pitch we wanted. That’s why Salina was so successful today. She was just coming right at them. Our defense was also on their toes because it was a very quick-paced game. Salina just got the ball and went, and our defense was ready for it.”
The Titans scored a meaningless run in the seventh, but the afternoon belonged to the Indians, who won their fifth game in their last six to finish the season with a 7-7 league mark (11-8 overall).
“We’re really excited about it,” Rummel said. “I think it’s all due to the fact that they relaxed.
“Umpires have come up to me and said, ‘You guys have an outstanding infield. You guys have an outstanding lineup.’ It’s just one of those things. They just had to relax for it all to come together, and it really has. I think that’s the number one thing they’re pumped about – not necessarily that they’re winning these big games but that they’re winning them because everything is coming together. There was always something missing, and now it’s like everything is clicking.”
Also contributing offensively for the Indians were (Sarah Derstine (1-for-2, double, walk, hit by pitch), DeLany (2-for-3, double) and Yoder (2-for-3).
The Titans closed out the league season tied with Central Bucks East in second place in the conference standings with a 10-4 record (13-6 overall). South’s loss gave Hatboro-Horsham sole possession of a title the Hatters and Titans shared last season.
HARRY S TRUMAN 1, BENSALEM 0
Senior Bridget Hunt scored the game winner and also reached a personal milestone, reaching the coveted 100-hit plateau in Wednesday’s SOL finale. Hunt scored the game’s only run in the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Jess O’Neil.
A week ago, the Owls appeared to be a lock to earn a postseason berth, but Wednesday’s loss was their second in as many days. While the Tigers improved to 5-9 in league play (6-12 overall), the Owls saw their record drop to 7-7 in the league (8-10 overall).
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 13, UPPER DUBLIN 7
The Colonials exploded for 13 runs on 13 hits. Corinne Watson had two doubles, two runs scored and two RBIs while Susan Janfrancisco was just a home run shy of hitting for the cycle, finishing the day with a single, double and triple as well as three RBIs. Michele Taunton and Crissy Terraces added two RBIs apiece.
The Colonials struck early and often, plating five runs in the first and three more in the fourth. The Flying Cardinals scored single runs in the first, third and fourth before scoring four in the seventh. By that time, the Colonials had the game pretty much in hand.
For the Flying Cardinals, Rachel Hyman was 1-for-3 with a solo home run. Sarah Rosenbaum was 2-for-4 with a run scored and RBI, and Rachel Matricardi was 3-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and one RBI.
Alison Spinelli earned the win on the mound for the Colonials, working seven strong innings. She allowed six hits and fanned six, and she was charged with just one earned run.
Kristin Ganderton absorbed the loss for the Flying Cardinals, who closed league play with a 7-7 record (8-11 overall). The Colonials also finished league play with a 7-7 mark.
SPRINGFIELD (MONTCO) 3, CHRISTOPHER DOCK 1
Brianna Littlepage was 3-for-3 with a triple while teammate Jen Hammons went 2-for-3 and drove in all three runs.
Kim Machalette did the job on the mound, fanning six while walking four. Machalette and Alyssa Ard both had a double. The Spartans collected seven hits off Dock hurler Lauren Weidler, who struck out seven and walked two. Weidler also hit a double, one of only three hits for Dock off of Machalette.
The Spartans are 6-13 overall.
HATBORO-HORSHAM 11, CONESTOGA 1
The Hatters received big offensive performances from a lengthy list of players. Jaynie Black (2-for-4, two RBIs), Jenn Cader (2-for-4, two doubles), Maria Spinosa (2-for-4, one run scored, RBI), Daria Edwards (2-for-5, home run, two RBIs) and Heather Lutz (2-for-4, double, two RBIs) all came up big.
Senior Nicole Casagrand did not allow an earned run in the win. She fanned two and did not walk a batter.
The Hatters, who clinched sole possession of the Continental Conference crown as a result of CB South’s loss, closed out the regular season with a 15-3 record (11-3 SOL).
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