Pennridge and Souderton were winners in SOL softball action on Saturday.
PENNRIDGE 4, NORTH PENN 0
Meghan Bauer fanned nine in the Lady Rams’ April 14 game against North Penn, but the outcome – a 7-1 loss – did not reflect her performance. When the two teams met in a rematch under the lights for North Penn’s Community Night, coach Carol Atkinson once again handed the ball to Bauer.
The junior hurler delivered. In a big way.
The Maidens managed just three hits as Bauer was in complete command in the complete game shutout win. Bauer struck out eight and walked just one, and the Lady Rams’ defense was solid behind her, committing just one error.
“When we played North Penn the first time, she did a solid job, and I knew she was going to do a solid job again,” Atkinson said. “She knows when to throw that rise ball. She pitched a great game.”
The Lady Rams, benefitting from an errant Maiden throw, went on top 1-0 in the fourth, and that lead stood until the top of the seventh when they tacked on three more runs. Meghan Johnson delivered an RBI single that plated Sam Harty, who had singled. Grace McGinley also had an RBI single in the inning, and the third run crossed the plate when Julia Helbling was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
Bauer did the rest, retiring the Maidens in order to put the finishing touches on the big win.
“They came together and shined tonight,” Atkinson said. “That was the team that has worked so hard. They came out to win tonight and that’s what they did.
“It was a very exciting game. Hopefully we can continue with this next week.”
Skylar Hengeveld was 2-for-4 with a run scored and Krista Yerk was 2-for-4 to lead the Lady Rams’ nine-hit attack.
Jordan Pietrzykoski accounted for two of the Maidens’ three hits, finishing 2-for-2.
Bri Battavio absorbed the loss.
Pennridge (5-8, 2-7 SOL) will be on the road at Central Bucks South for a night game Tuesday (5:45 p.m.). North Penn (6-6, 5-4) will host Great Valley in a non-league contest on Monday.
Pennridge 000 100 3 4-9-1
North Penn 000 000 0 0-3-1
SOUDERTON 3, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 2
Less than 24 hours after Souderton watched an early 8-4 lead slip away in a wild 15-11 loss to Neshaminy, the Big Red took an early 3-0 lead over the visiting Indians and this time held on for the important win.
“This is absolutely big,” coach Steph Rummel said. “We’ve been working on continually getting better, and I think we’ve been playing more as a team lately.
“Coming off the Neshaminy game and playing hard against them, we knew what we could do. We just came out with the best game that we could. They hit really well, and that’s what we need to do every single game.”
Sophomore pitcher Alex Scheeler ignited the three-run outburst with a triple to right field, and after Alyssa McCormick singled her home, Brianna Reuss singled. Senior Angie Carty stepped to the plate, and with her team in need of a big hit, she delivered a two-run triple.
It would be all Scheeler would need, although Rock North battled back. A Nicole Rounsavill single in the top of the third made it a 3-1 game, and it was a one-run game after Kalli Segel ripped a two-out double to center field that plated Hannah Stalker, who singled to open the inning.
That was the extent of the scoring for both teams.
“We left seven on base and struggled to make an adjustment at the plate,” Rock North coach John Engelhardt said.
McCormick led the Indians with a 3-for-3 effort.
“I definitely think more players are stepping up,” Rummel said. “Today every person touched the ball, every person hit the ball.
“It was definitely a whole team effort, and we’ve been getting better at that. We’re a little inconsistent with our fielding, but hopefully, we’re coming out of that. Today I was most pleased with our fielding. We didn’t let any big innings happen. We were able to buckle down and get the outs when we needed to and really step up in the field to back (Scheeler) up, and that was big for our game today.”
Souderton collected eight hits off freshman Jenna Khantzian, who absorbed the loss. Scheeler allowed six hits in a complete game win.
“She did very well today,” Rummel said of her pitcher.
Souderton (6-5, 4-4 SOL) will host Central Bucks West on Tuesday, and Council Rock North (8-2, 6-1) will be on the road at Harry S Truman on Tuesday.
Council Rock North 001 001 0 2
Souderton 030 000 x 3
PERKIOMEN VALLEY 4, ABINGTON 1
The Vikings scored two runs in the first, thanks to a Noelle McCullough triple, and they added two more in the second on an inside the park home run.
Rider recruit Emily Oltman took a no-hitter into the sixth inning when Nikki Rae collected a single for the Ghosts’ first hit.
Abington pitcher Megan Burdziak absorbed the loss but did not allow a hit after the second inning.
Abington (3-8, 2-5 SOL) will host Council Rock South on Monday.
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