SOL Softball District Preview (5-22-17)

Four SOL softball teams are scheduled to be in action on Monday in the opening round of the District One 6A Tournament. Check out the preview capsules.

Pennsbury, Council Rock South, Central Bucks East and Pennridge are scheduled to be in action in Monday’s opening round of the District One Tournament. Interestingly, the four teams will be playing each other, ensuring that two SOL teams will move on and two will not.

Six Class 6A SOL teams have first round byes and will be in action on Wednesday. Upper Moreland (5A) and Springfield Township (2A) will also begin district play on Wednesday.

Check back for recaps of all the action.

Monday, May 22
#19 PENNRIDGE at #14 PENNSBURY
Pennsbury

12-6 overall
8-4 SOL National Conference tied for second with Council Rock North behind Neshaminy
Junior pitcher Alyssa Heilman – who walked just one batter in eight-plus games to open the season – makes opponents earn their way on base.
Split regular season series with #6 CR North (3-4, 6-2) and #15 CR South (5-1, 2-5)
Opened season with seven straight wins.

Pennridge

11-9 overall
6-6 SOL Continental Conference fourth place behind North Penn, CB South & CB East
Senior Meghan Bauer & Kailyn Bell have split pitching duties
Split regular season series with #4 North Penn (0-6, 5-4, 8 innings)
Won six of seven games to close out season and clinch a district berth.

#18 CENTRAL BUCKS EAST at #15 COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH

Council Rock South

13-7 overall
6-6 SOL National Conference fourth place behind Neshaminy, Pennsbury and CR North.
Rematch of May 1 non-league contest that saw CR South defeat #18 CB East 4-3.
Led by four-year varsity veterans Stephanie Andreoli, Phylicia Wilkov and Melanie Wilkinson.
Freshman Danielle Walters and senior Stephanie Andreoli have handled the pitching duties
Split regular season series with #6 CR North (4-9, 8-5) and #14 Pennsbury (1-5, 5-2).
Seven-game winning streak was snapped by back-to-back losses to close out regular season.

Central Bucks East

11-8 overall
8-4 SOL Continental Conference second place behind co-champions North Penn and Central Bucks South
Audrey Labouliere, who is batting .468, leads the Patriots at the plate. Alyssa Catron is the RBI leader with 16 while Hailey Aspinwall has 15.
Swept regular season series with #19 Pennridge (13-7, 1-0)
Rematch of May 1 meeting with #15 Council Rock South that Golden Hawks won 4-3.

Wednesday, May 24

CLASS 6A
#2 NESHAMINY (Bye)
Neshaminy

17-2 overall
12-0 SOL National Conference champions
Won third straight conference crown
With the loss of Villanova commit Sarah Dowalo to an injury, junior Amber Brugger has been a workhorse in the circle. The Redskins’ ace has compiled a 16-1 record with seven shutouts. She also bats leadoff for a lineup that boasts plenty of punch.
Swept regular season series with #6 CR North (4-2, 3-1), #14 Pennsbury (10-0, 1-0) and #15 CR South (2-1, 5-3). Defeated #12 Central Bucks South (10-9).
Only two losses came out of district to Wilson West Lawn (5-6) & Pine Grove (4-7)

#4 NORTH PENN (Bye)
North Penn

16-4 overall
10-2 SOL Continental Conference co-champions with Central Bucks South
Senior Bri Battavio, a Monmouth University signee, is the Knights’ mound ace as well as a major contributor at the plate.
Swept regular season series with #18 CB East (14-3, 4-1) and split with #12 CB South (0-11, 1-0) and #19 Pennridge (6-0, 4-5 8 innings)
Regular season wins over #8 Haverford (6-1) and #9 Quakertown (15-6)
Nine-game winning streak snapped in final regular season game by Pennridge (4-5)

#11 BOYERTOWN at #6 COUNCIL ROCK NORTH
Council Rock North

14-5 overall
8-4 SOL National Conference tied for second place with Pennsbury behind Neshaminy
Led in circle by sophomore Jenn Khantzian, a Virginia Tech recruit.
Seniors Sabrina Crane and Taylor Amazeen anchor the young squad.
Split regular season series with #14 Pennsbury (2-6, 4-3) and #15 CR South (9-4, 5-8)
Defeated #19 Pennridge (8-1)
Won six of seven games to close out regular season.

Boyertown

13-5 overall
10-5 Pioneer Conference Liberty Division fourth place behind Spring-Ford, Perk Valley & Owen J Roberts
Leadoff batter Sarah Reinert ignites the Bears’ attack
Split regular season series with #5 Perk Valley (2-3, 7-2).
Defeated #12 Central Bucks South in regular season finale (4-1).

#10 AVON GROVE at #7 HATBORO-HORSHAM
Hatboro-Horsham

17-3 overall
12-2 SOL American Conference second behind Quakertown
Split season series with Quakertown (12-16, 9-5).
Regular season wins over #4 North Penn (12-8), #14 Pennsbury (6-5) and #18 CB East (6-5)
Sophomore Mikayla Fedele handles the majority of the team’s pitching duties.
Seniors Brynn Griffith and Kylie Flagler bring veteran leadership to a very young squad.
Outscored opponents 119-18 in nine-game winning streak to close out the season.

Avon Grove

15-5 overall
15-4 Ches-Mont National Division second to Coatesville
Rachel Butler had big shoes to fill, following in the footsteps of pitching sensation Maggie Balint after playing infield behind the now Oregon star the past two years. Butler has not only got the job done in the circle, she also hits out of the cleanup spot for the Red Devils.
Butler (.410, 29 RBIs), Allyson Wallauer (.489, 23 RBIs), Olivia Kunitsky (.429, 18 RBIs), Morgan DeFeo (.409, 18 RBIs), Megan Nolan (.403), Carly Raymond (.400, 16 RBIs) all carry big bats for a Red Devil squad that has scored 159 runs.

#9 QUAKERTOWN at #8 HAVERFORD
Quakertown

17-3 overall
13-1 SOL American Conference champions
Led by seniors Tara Baglivo and Lauren Beal, who will continue their careers at Bucknell and Marist respectively. Baglivo is a spark out of the leadoff spot while Beal has pounded out 13 home runs out of the cleanup spot.
Panthers have averaged over 10 runs a game while scoring more than 200 runs.
Split regular season series with #7 Hatboro-Horsham (16-12, 5-9) and defeated #19 Pennridge (9-1).

Haverford

15-5 overall
Central Division champions
Pitcher Brenna McCandless anchors the Fords.

#12 CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH at #5 PERK VALLEY
Central Bucks South

14-6 overall
10-2 SOL Continental Conference co-champions with North Penn
Bucknell-bound senior Taylor Marinelli leads a potent Titan lineup. The senior slugger batted .483 (29-for-60) with nine home runs, six doubles and one triple for a slugging percentage of 1.066. She also has a team-high 34 RBIs.
Senior Alexis McConomey (.444, 28-for-63) and sophomore Alexa Ortman (.486, 36-for-74) also have come up big for a Titan lineup that scored 156 runs.
Sophomore Kylie Kenney and senior Alexis McConomey shared pitching duties.
Swept #18 CB East (3-2, 6-3) and split regular season series with #4 North Penn (11-0, 0-1). Defeated #7 Hatboro-Horsham 21-17 in a slugfest.

Perkiomen Valley

18-4 overall
12-4 Pioneer Athletic Conference Liberty Division second place behind Spring-Ford
Defeated Upper Perkiomen 2-0 to capture the Pioneer Athletic Conference crown in a contest that saw pitcher Abby Wild allow just one hit while striking out 14.
Wild, a Bloomsburg recruit, is the heart and soul of a young Viking squad.
Split regular season series with #1 Spring-Ford (3-4, 3-1), #13 Owen J Roberts (9-2, 3-4) and #11 Boyertown (2-7, 3-2). Defeated #3 Coatesville (9-0) and #15 CR South (2-1)

CLASS 5A
#10 UPPER MORELAND at #7 SUN VALLEY
Upper Moreland

12-8 overall
9-5 SOL American Conference third behind Quakertown and Hatboro-Horsham
Pitching duties shared by Jenna Sadowski and Jocelyn Baumeister
Split regular season series with Class 6A #7 Hatboro-Horsham (6-2, 1-13).

Sun Valley

12-8 overall
11-8 Ches-Mont American Division tri-champions with Kennett and Great Valley
Led by East Stroudsburg recruit Mackenzie Lewis, who recently surpassed the 100-hit mark.

CLASS 2A
#3 SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP at #2 NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY