Check out the results for SOL softball teams in action Wednesday.
HARRY S TRUMAN 8, ABINGTON 5
Look for coach Kyle Hoffman and assistant Gretchen Cammiso to be coaching in full uniform for Truman’s next league game on Monday at Neshaminy. Cammiso promised the Tigers she would coach in full uniform if they defeated her alma mater, Pennsbury, on Tuesday. The Tigers obliged, upending the Falcons 3-1, so the players decided to take it one step further, asking Hoffman if she would do the same if they defeated Abington. The first-year coach agreed.
Armed with that extra incentive, the Tigers rallied from a 5-0 deficit to earn their second big win in as many days.
“We started really flat,” said Hoffman. “I had to go out to the mound in the first inning and tell them we needed to pull it together.
“We got out of that inning, and (Abington) came back and put two more up in the second inning. They just hit the ball.”
The Tigers found their stride the second time around the lineup, putting four runs on the board in the bottom of the third with a two-out rally. Two walks and a single set the stage for a bases-clearing double by Jess O’Neil. Madalyn Pacheco’s RBI single pushed a fourth run across and trimmed the Ghosts’ lead to 5-4.
In the fourth inning, the Tigers took a lead they would not lose. Heather Leo singled, and leadoff hitter Jess O’Brien followed with a double to the fence in left center that plated the equalizer. The go-ahead run crossed the plate on Kesley Hackbart’s single to center. For good measure, the Tigers added two more runs in the fifth.
In hindsight, Hoffman – who has made wholesale lineup changes – might be wishing she had made those changes sooner.
“If I would have known this is how it would have played out, I would have went for it,” the Tigers’ coach said with a laugh. “It’s crazy.
“We’ve had as many wins this week as we’ve had the rest of the season.”
After allowing five runs in the first two innings, O’Neil silenced the Ghosts the rest of the way, allowing just two hits over the final five innings. The Tigers’ ace fanned 12 in another dominant effort. In an interesting stat, O’Neil fanned every batter in the Ghosts’ lineup at least once.
“She had at least one strikeout in every inning,” Hoffman said. “We talked to her about her pitching three weeks or a month ago, and she turned it on as soon as we talked to her.
“Now her bat is coming around.”
Leading the Tigers offensively were Jess O’Brien (2-for-3), Jess O’Neil (2-for-4), Ashley Foley (2-for-4) and Madalyn Pacheco (2-for-3).
For the Ghosts, Jamie Gosselin (2-for-4), Nicolette Ray (2-for-3) and Maddie Malfara (2-for-4) led the way.
Truman (6-10, 4-8 SOL) will face Bristol on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. as part of the Lower Bucks Softball Night doubleheader at Bristol Borough Fields. Abington (12-4, 8-3) will travel to William Tennent on Thursday.
Abington 320 000 0 5
Harry S Truman 004 220 x 8
UPPER MERION 4, UPPER MORELAND 1
The Vikings scored two runs in the top of the first and led from wire to wire in Wednesday’s game that didn’t feature a whole lot of offense. The Golden Bears actually held a 6-5 advantage in hits, but the Vikings made theirs count.
Dez Kandy ignited the Vikings in the first with a double, and after a walk to Olivia Sblorlini put a pair of board, Micaela Ghanayem delivered a two-run single. The Vikings added a run in the second before the Golden Bears got on the scoreboard in the top of the third. The Vikings answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning. That 4-1 lead held up the rest of the way.
“We scrapped for our runs today,” coach John Whitney said.
The Vikings don’t need a whole lot of runs these days with Sborlini on the mound. She brought a string of three straight shutouts into Wednesday’s contest, and although that streak was broken, it was an unearned run, extending Sborlini’s streak to four games without allowing an earned run.
“Liv pitched an outstanding game,” Whitney said. “She’s been great all season.
“They had some base hits. They did a good job too. They put the ball in play, but we fielded the ball a lot better today.”
Sborlini scattered six hits and allowed one run while walking one and fanning 12.
Brianna Byard, who absorbed the loss, kept the Vikings’ offense under wraps for the better part of seven innings.
“The kid wasn’t overly fast, but she did a good job, and they played good defense,” Whitney said. “We actually came back today and played a lot better defensively, which made me happy.
“We didn’t play well at Wissahickon yesterday. I think we had one error today. The girls fielded the ball and did everything right. We just told the kids –play good defense behind Liv, and we’ll scratch our runs out.”
The Vikings were without their three and four hitters – Abby Volpe and Allie Moffett. Both are nursing injuries but are expected to return to the lineup.
Upper Merion (13-2, 11-0 SOL) will host Upper Dublin on Thursday while Upper Moreland (7-5, 6-4) will host Cheltenham.
Upper Moreland 001 000 0 1
Upper Merion 211 000 x 4
SOUDERTON 6, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 2
Rock North got off to a good start in its non-league game at Souderton, plating a pair of runs in the top of the first. Not a whole lot went the visiting Indians’ way the rest of the day as Souderton scored six unanswered runs in a game that saw the two teams combine for 13 miscues.
“They had six errors, and we had seven errors,” said coach Steph Rummel, whose team struggled defensively in an extra-inning win against Pennridge one day earlier. “We’re just in a little bit of a slump with our fielding.
“We have to push through it, work through it and got back to our elementary skills. That’s pretty much all that we can do.”
Souderton trailed 2-1 heading into the third inning but scored three in the bottom of the inning to take a lead it would not lose. Alex Scheeler led off the inning with a single, and Katie Kehler had an RBI single, but the Indians also benefitted from a pair of errors.
Scheeler was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a walk. Dayna Shelly was 2-for-4 with an RBI and run scored. Katie Kehler also was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Savannah Bostwick was 2-for-3 with one RBI.
Scheeler scattered four hits in the complete game win.
Souderton (14-2, 11-1 SOL) is off until Monday when the Indians will travel to North Penn for a contest with title implications. Council Rock North (9-5, 6-3) will travel to Council Rock South on Thursday.
Council Rock North 200 000 0 2
Souderton 103 002 x 6
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 10, INTERBORO 6
The Golden Hawks rallied from an early 4-0 hole to score six runs in the bottom of the second on their way to the non-league win.
“They’re a good team,” coach Greg Heydet said. “Usually down 4-0, (we might) give up, but not today.”
Melanie Wilkinson, Sabrina Dobron and Mikayla Becker opened the second inning with back-to-back-to-back singles. By the time the inning was over, the Golden Hawks had pounded out eight hits with Stephanie Andreoli – who also earned the win in the circle – delivering the lone extra base hit, a two-run double.
Interboro scored one in the top of the third to make it a 6-5 game, but the Golden Hawks scored two in the bottom of the inning and added single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to go on top 10-5 before Interboro scored a single run in the sixth.
The Golden Hawks – who pounded out 16 hits – were led by the 3-for-4 efforts of Becker, Amanda Sharp and Katelyn Gaudet.
Council Rock South (9-7, 4-6 SOL) will host archrival Council Rock North on Thursday.
Interboro 131 001 0 6
Council Rock South 062 110 x 10
NESHAMINY 11, LITTLE FLOWER 0 (5 innings)
The Redskins took any suspense out of Wednesday’s non-league game early, plating eight runs in the second and added three more in the third en route to a lopsided win in the abbreviated five-inning contest.
Sarah Snider-Leonhauser was the lone Redskins to collect more than one hit as coach Dave Chichilliti substituted freely. Sam Offenback and Mackensie Compton both contributed home runs while freshman Natalie Rios had a triple. Nikki Wild and Hunter Hart each added a double on a day that saw the Redskins pound out 11 hits.
Junior Cailyn Seely earned the shutout win for the Redskins (15-2, 10-1 SOL).
Neshaminy 083 00 11
Little Flower 000 00 0
Tuesday, May 5
SOUDERTON 7, PENNRIDGE 6 (8 innings)
The Indians needed a late-game rally to eke out the win in extra innings over a Lady Rams’ squad that handed Souderton one of its only two losses earlier this season.
“I didn’t see the Souderton that I usually see,” coach Steph Rummel said. “I didn’t recognize the girls – the way they were acting, the way they were carrying themselves. It just wasn’t them.
“I don’t think they were ready for the game 100 percent mentally. They snapped into it at the end of the game.”
Both teams struggled defensively, combining for 11 errors. Souderton’s game winner in the eighth was set up when Nicole Linke reached base on an error to open the inning. Savannah Bostwick followed and legged out a bunt single. With the bases loaded and two outs, senior Dayna Shelly plated the game winner with a clutch RBI single just over the infield.
Alex Scheeler (2-for-4, one run), Katie Kehler (2-for-4, two doubles, RBI, two runs scored) and Link (2-for-4, two RBIs, two runs scored) led the Indians.
Scheeler earned the win in the circle, allowing seven hits while striking out three and walking four.
Pennridge 100 230 00 6
Souderton 002 201 11 7
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