The SOL split a pair of games and saw its Carpenter Cup run come to an end on Wednesday.
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Alexa Ortman had herself a day on Wednesday.
The Central Bucks South junior was 5-for-8 at the plate with a double and triple in the SOL’s two games combined, and for good measure, she gunned down a runner from center field to end a scoring threat in the third inning of the SOL’s game against Lehigh Valley.
The SOL saw its Carpenter Cup run end with a 5-0 loss to Lehigh Valley in the team’s second game of the day, but it’s undoubtedly not the games Ortman will remember most. Getting to know players from South’s archrival North Penn well could be.
“Me and Tara (Tumasz) both enjoyed being on the same team as them because our rivalry with North Penn was fun, and it made it fun to get to know them,” Ortman said. “We went into it knowing about the rivalry, knowing (North Penn’s) Rick Torresani was going to be coaching us, and there were going to be a couple of girls on the team, but we were pretty open.”
North Penn and CB South shared the SOL Continental Conference title, and it was the District One 6A champion Titans edging the Knights 1-0 in a district semifinal contest. Next year, there could well be some conflicting emotions when South faces North Penn and the now friends are once again archrivals.
“They’ll all be there next year, and it will be funny if we get to one of the bases and we talk with them,” Ortman said. “It will still be competitive, but it will be a lot more fun to play them.”
Ortman, who plays travel for the Pennsbury Gems Gold squad, enjoyed her first Carpenter Cup experience.
“It’s definitely fun playing with people from different high schools,” she said. “We didn’t play most of them, so it was fun just getting to know them.”
Wissahickon junior Siani Paige-Miller was back for her second go-round in Carpenter Cup play.
“I came back again this year because – one, I enjoy playing softball, and two, I just wanted to experience it one last time because it’s my last year,” Paige-Miller said. “It was a really good time. I liked interacting with girls from other schools that were on my team.”
Paige-Miller, Wissahickon junior Macey Segal and Springfield Township junior Gabby Gaskin were the lone second-year players on the squad.
“This year there was more interaction between everybody and knowing who was who,” Paige-Miller said.
Plymouth Whitemarsh junior Emma Carney was a newcomer to the Carpenter Cup squad.
“Going into it, I was kind of nervous because I didn’t know that many people on the team, but it was such a great experience,” Carney said. “All the girls I met were so nice. I made a couple of new friends, and playing softball with them was a great experience.”
Upper Dublin coach Heather Boyer, the SOL’s head coach, admits she initially had some concerns about the team’s chemistry.
“They were super quiet,” she said. “Trying to get them to intermingle last week at practices – it was almost like a dentist or orthodontist’s appointment would be more comfortable.
“Having done this for a couple of years, that chemistry piece is as important as the talent. If you don’t have a group of kids that jell well, it can be really tough to win games. They started to come together. They were still quiet, but I think that’s the personality of the group, and that’s fine.”
The SOL won its first elimination game on Wednesday, rallying for a come-from-behind 12-9 win over Olympic Colonial. The SOL saw its tournament run end with a 5-0 loss to Lehigh Valley.
“Winning is definitely a priority, but it’s not as important in life as making new friends and meeting new people,” Carney said. “I knew a couple of faces from playing them before in our league, but I did notice new people I didn’t know I played against.
“Even one of the coaches, coach (Ellie) White from Abington- they’re going to be joining our league next year, so I’ll definitely remember them. Everyone was so nice. The outcome probably wasn’t how we wanted it to go, but I’m so glad of everything that happened.”
Four-run fifth propels SOL to win over Olympic Colonial
Elia Namey’s bases-clearing double highlighted a four-run fifth inning that turned an 8-7 deficit into an 11-8 lead. The SOL went on to win by that margin.
“She was the big hero in that game,” Boyer said of Namey. “She plays an unbelievable first base. Coming from a former first baseman, I love kids who know when they need to stretch and really make that extra effort to get the out, digs balls out of the dirt, and she does it beautifully. It’s fun to watch her play that position.
“I always took great pride in my role as a defensive first baseman. I was mad if the ball got by me because in my mind everything should be caught, and she has that same approach which I love to see. She really prides herself on her defense. That bases-clearing double in the fifth inning was huge because there was a little back and forth between us the Olympic Colonial, and she put the nail in the coffin with that hit.”
Olympic Colonial had the early advantage, plating three runs in the top of the first. The SOL got one of those back in the bottom of the inning when – with the bases loaded and one out - Tara Tumasz lofted a sacrifice fly to right field.
In the second, the SOL scored four runs to go on top 5-3. Tori Caputo drew a leadoff walk, and the SOL had a pair on board after Paige-Miller doubled to right. Ortman and Victoria Juckniewitz followed with back-to-back RBI singles. Bean Hughes lofted a sacrifice fly to center that plated a run, and an RBI double to left by Namey gave the SOL a two-run advantage.
Olympic Colonial went back on top 8-5 after a five-run fourth, but the SOL answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Hughes drew a walk, and one out later, Tumasz delivered an RBI double to center. Carney’s two-out single to center pulled the SOL to within one.
The SOL took a lead it would not lose with four more runs in the fifth. Paige-Miller started the rally with a leadoff single, and the bases were loaded after Ortman singled and Juckniewitz was walked. One out later, Namey ripped the three-run double to left, and another run crossed the plate on an RBI single by Tumasz.
The two teams exchanged runs in the sixth when Gaskin singled and Ortman smacked an RBI triple to left.
Paige-Miller’s 3-for-4 effort led the SOL. Ortman (2 RBIs), Namey (4 RBIs) and Tumasz (3 RBIs) each had two hits and combined to drive in nine runs.
Juckniewitz scored three runs and earned high praise for her defensive play at shortstop in the tournament.
“Her defense was phenomenal,” Boyer said of North Penn’s sophomore third baseman. “She might look back and get frustrated because she bobbled a ball here and there, but she made some unbelievable defensive plays.
“She had a ball today in the five-six hole between third base and shortstop – I don’t know how she got a glove on it, but she kept it in the infield and kept a run from scoring, and she made it look easy. She just really took charge on the left side of the infield and played a great shortstop for us.”
Makenna Patterson earned the win. Gaskin threw a scoreless inning in relief to close out the game.
SOL 12, OLYMPIC COLONIAL 9
Olympic Colonial (9) – Julia Petroski 5-1-1-0, Emily MacGibeny 2-1-1-2, Morgan Fisher 4-2-1-1, McKenna Moore 3-0-3-1, Cam Rachuba 3-1-1-1, McKenzie Yucaba 1-0-0-0, Rachel Kubrak 4-1-2-1, Morgan Fitzpatrick 2-1-1-1, Jena Imperiael 2-0-1-0, Alexys Kasprzak 1-0-0-0, Maddie Grubb 2-1-1-0, Jennie VanSciver 1-0-0-0, Emma Laliberte 3-1-1-1, TOTALS 33-9-13-8.
SOL (12) – Alexa Ortman 5-2-2-2, Victoria Juckniewitz 3-3-1-1, Kammy Kropinski 0-0-0-0, Bean Hughes 2-2-1-1, Elia Namey 3-0-2-4, Macey Segal 0-1-0-0, Tara Tumasz 3-1-2-3, Jamie Beer 2-0-0-0, Emma Carney 4-0-1-1, Tori Caputo 1-1-0-0, Makenna Patterson 1-0-0-0, Gabby Gaskin 1-0-0-0, Sam Marasheski 0-1-0-0, Siani Paige-Miller 4-1-3-0, TOTALS 29-12-12-12.
Olympic Colonial 300 501 0 9-13-2
SOL 140 241 x 12-12-3
2B-Emma Laliberte, Morgan Fitzpatrick, Tara Tumasz, Elia Namey. 3B-McKenna Moore, Rachel Kubrak, Alexa Ortman. LOB-Olympic Colonial 7, SOL 8.
IP H R ER BB SOL
Olympic Colonial
Jennie VanSciver 2.0 5 5 5 3 0
Emma Laliberte (L) 3.0 6 6 4 2 0
McKenzie Yucaba 1.0 1 1 0 0 0
SOL
Tori Caputo 3.0 7 6 6 1 0
Makenna Patterson (W) 3.0 4 3 2 0 1
Gabby Gaskin 1.0 2 0 0 1 0
Lehigh High Valley Pitching Duo Silences SOL
The SOL never found its offensive stride against the trio of Emily Silberman (Salisbury), Kelly Dulaney (Parkland) and Hannah Palinkias (Emmaus). Dulaney was just named the 2018 PaHSSBCA Class 6A Player of the Year.
“She was definitely the best pitcher we saw out of all of our teams,” Ortman said. “She was definitely one of the better pitchers I would face travel-wise or high school – they had good pitching.”
Ortman – who hit out of the leadoff spot – accounted for three of the SOL’s six hits, finishing the game a perfect 3-for-3 with a double to cap a standout tournament.
“This is my 21st season, and she might be the best centerfielder I’ve ever seen in my career,” Boyer said. “She’s got the whole package – she’s got the defense, she’s got the arm, she’s got the speed. Her communication in the outfield is great, so she covers her spots well.
“She’s got the offensive strategy. Not only is she a great bunter and a slap hitter, but she can hit for power, and then she can run the bases extraordinarily well. She stole third base on a delayed steal today that was just awesome. She threw down two beautiful bunts against faster pitching where that ball is really hard to control and soften and place the way she did. She had those bunts bookend an awesome double that she slammed down the left field line. It’s a lot of fun to watch her play, and she’s a nice kid too.”
Take away Ortman’s three hits and a double by Wissahickon junior Macey Segal, and the SOL didn’t have a whole lot to cheer about. Lehigh Valley scored four runs in the second, and that would be more than enough.
Tori Caputo closed out the game with three strong innings, scattering four hits and allowing one run (unearned). The Quakertown junior and Pennridge junior Makenna Patterson handled all the pitching duties for the SOL with the exception of one inning.
“It is almost impossible – in fact, I don’t know if it’s ever been done - to win this tournament with just two pitchers,” Boyer said. “Lex Ortman was ready on standby if we needed her.
“We’ve been fortunate in the past to have at least three, and this year we didn’t have that. Tori and Makenna gave us all they could and did a great job.”
The SOL finished the tournament with a 2-2 record.
LEHIGH VALLEY 5, SOL 0
Lehigh Valley (5) – Zariah Alvin 3-1-1-1, Peyton Stauffer 4-0-1-2, Kylie Hlay 4-0-1-0, Emily Silberman 3-0-1-0, Hannah Palinkas 0-0-0-0, Kelly Dulaney 1-0-1-0, Abbey Sechler 4-2-2-0, Hannah Boggs 3-0-1-0, Addison Roche 2-1-1-0, Nicole Secara 1-0-1-0, Morgan Karasek 2-0-0-0, Julia Luisser 1-1-1-0, Mya Zettlemoyer 1-0-0-0, TOTALS 29-5-11-3.
Lehigh Valley 040 010 0 5-11-1
SOL 000 000 0 0-6-3
2B – Peyton Stauffer, Alexa Ortman, Macey Segal. LOB-Lehigh Valley 7, SOL 6.
IP H R ER BB SO
Lehigh Valley
Emily Silberman (W) 2.0 3 0 0 0 2
Kelly Dulaney 4.0 2 0 0 0 0
Hannah Palinkas 1.0 1 0 0 0 0
SOL
Makenna Patterson (L) 4.0 7 4 4 3 1
Tori Caputo 3.0 4 1 0 0 0
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