CB West and Bensalem were winners in SOL softball action Tuesday. To view photos of the CB West/Upper Dublin game, please visit the Photo Gallery…CLICK HERE.
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 8, UPPER DUBLIN 0
Freshman Angelina Sherba was impressive in her varsity debut. The rookie hurler threw a complete five-inning game, allowing just three hits while fanning 10 and walking four.
“Just like hitters might struggle on a day like today because they haven’t seen live pitching – she hasn’t seen live batters,” coach Jim Taylor said. “To work through that with a couple of walks – she was in jams but pitched her way out of them.
“She was very consistent. She had at least two strikeouts in every inning except one and struck out the side in the first inning.”
Sherba also had herself a day at the plate, finishing 3-for-4 with two runs scored.
Her batterymate – freshman catcher Julia Perez – delivered the game’s big blow when she ripped a two-run home run to left field to highlight a four-run second inning. She finished the day 2-for-4 with four RBIs.
The Bucks tacked on two more runs in both the third and the fifth innings.
“We have a long way to go,” Taylor said. “They had base runners, and you have to give them a lot of credit. They haven’t been outside either. It could have gone the other way.
“We have a lot to work on. In years past, someone else would have gotten those hits and not us. Based on our recent history, we’re very happy.”
The Bucks have 21 freshmen and sophomores out of 25 players on their roster this season.
“There’s a fine line between the best jayvee players and the players that are on varsity, so today was an opportunity to look at a lot of them,” Taylor said. “We got everyone in, and hopefully, every time they play an inning will help them out when they’re full time players.”
Collecting hits for the Cardinals were Sarah Tannenbaum, Sarah Sharp and Erin Gallagher.
Rebecca Matricardi absorbed the loss, allowing just four hits while walking three and striking out two. Only five of West’s runs were earned.
Central Bucks West 042 02 8
Upper Dublin 000 00 0
BENSALEM 6, UPPER MERION 4 (11 INNINGS)
Three hours and seven minutes.
That’s how long it took to determine a winner in Tuesday’s opener for the Vikings and the visiting Owls.
“It was breathtaking,” Bensalem coach Dan Schram said of the 11-inning marathon. “It was really neat to be a part of it.
“Upper Merion played a heck of a game, and for two schools that really haven’t been outside much, this was a practice, this was a scrimmage and a game all rolled into one, and it couldn’t have been better for either team. Hats off to them. They did a nice job.”
Senior hurler Jackie Morell put her name in the history books, collecting a career high 14 strikeouts and breaking the program’s career strikeout mark of 308. She now has 311 strikeouts. The senior hurler allowed just six hits.
“As always, the ace was Jackie Morell,” Schram said. “I pinch hit her in the 11th inning, and she hit a ground ball on the right side of the infield that scored a run, which was huge to put us up.
“To come in in that situation – year after year, that kid has brought it. Today it was in 30-something degree weather against a good team, and Upper Merion is a good team – to see her go and throw 14 Ks and the way she battled.
“Jackie and Chelsea Briggs are our captains, and you could just see the way they took hold of the kids. They were very instrumental in keeping the balance and really maintaining the mentality. I heard them talking about ‘We’re Bensalem strong,’ and on the mound, Jackie has such presence and really was able to control the young kids on the team.”
The Owls won it with a pair of runs in the top of the 11th. After Morell drove in the go-ahead run, Carley Smith brought home Kelsey Dekoyer with an insurance run and a 6-4 Owl lead.
“When we got to the 11th inning, I thought to myself, ‘Even if we don’t pull this out, I’m proud of my kids,’” Schram said. “We have trained and worked out all year.”
The Owls’ coach tipped his hat to Kelsey Dekoyer for giving the team a much-needed pep talk prior to the 11th inning.
“We had a huddle before the 11th inning, and when these games get so crazy, I step in the back and look for the great individuals to step up,” Schram said. “Kelsey – in conference – says to the girls, ‘We didn’t get up for those 6 a.m. workouts so we could lose this. We worked out so we could win this.’
“I thought – wow, what a statement that is. We do tabata workouts, and they’re grueling. They really, really trained hard. Our school is under total renovation, and we have done no softball all year. All we’ve done is worked out. It makes you mentally tough, and it makes you physically stronger, and it gives you that confidence.
“It was really rewarding to hear Kelsey say that. It was hard on them, and it was hard on me. I feel like that kind of propelled through. I don’t know if it made us physically prepared, but it certainly made us mentally prepared.”
Lauren Morell had a big day at the plate, finishing 3-for-4 with a walk and three runs scored.
“Lauren was fabulous behind the plate,” Schram said.
Carley Smith also had three hits, and Erin McVicar was 2-for-5. Meg Nally, Dekoyer and Hailey Fleming each had one hit as the Owls collected 11 hits off a duo of Upper Merion hurlers.
“We didn’t hit too much,” Schram said. “Eleven hits in an 11-inning game is not a ton of hits.”
The Vikings certainly were resilient, knotting the score 2-2 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth after the Owls went ahead 2-0 in the third. Bensalem scored a run in the top of the eighth, but the Vikings answered with one of their own in the bottom of the inning. It was the same story in the 10th as the two teams exchanged runs, setting the stage for the 11th inning and the Owls’ win.
For the Vikings, Olivia Sborlini had a pair of hits while Dez Kandy, Abby Volpe, Linda Sobel and Alyssa Adinolfi each had one hit.
Sborlini started the game but injured her ankle and was relieved by Adinolfi, who threw the final three innings.
“We hurt our pitchers,” UM coach John Whitney said. “We probably had six or seven errors, but the kids kept battling.
“The game was back and forth, but we had problems fielding the ball.”
The Owls had errors of their own, but Schram believes his team can benefit from the experience.
“We got exposed for all the things we haven’t been able to do,” the Owls’ coach said. “We’re usually pretty airtight when it comes to defense, but we didn’t really have a lot of time to practice.
“I’m glad they were able to expose us in a way we needed to be exposed, and we still came out on top.”
Bensalem 002 000 010 12 6
Upper Merion 000 020 010 10 4
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