CR South, North Penn, Quakertown and CR North were winners in the District One 6A Tournament on Wednesday. North Penn/Owen J Roberts photos provided by Keith Clemens Photography…CLICK HERE to go directly to the SOFTBALL gallery. Hatboro-Horsham/Avon Grove photo provided by Kathy Leister Photography, and the CR South/Neshaminy photos provided courtesy of Jesse Garber (http://JSGarber.zenfolio.com/p832882217)
CLASS 6A
#15 COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 8, #2 NESHAMINY 6 (9 innings)
“We never gave up.”
It was a phrase Greg Heydet used repeatedly when he talked about his squad’s stunning upset of the second-seeded Redskins, and it might well have been the Hawks’ unwavering resolve that was the difference in a game that took nine innings to determine a winner.
The Golden Hawks led from the outset only to watch the Redskins score three runs in the bottom of the seventh to knot the score. It’s the kind of thing that often dooms a team, but not the Golden Hawks. Twice they watched the Redskins battle back to knot the score, but they refused to lose.
“They were bound and determined not to quit,” Heydet said. “We’re peaking at the right time.”
“I’m still speechless – it was just a great game,” Rock South senior Melanie Wilkinson said. “It was really, really nerveracking, a lot of emotions.
“Standing on the field, I was so nervous that they were going to come back on top and win the game. Everybody knows Neshaminy was undefeated (in SOL play). They’re a great offensive and defensive team. I don’t even have any words for it.”
Back and forth games are nothing new to the Golden Hawks, who one day earlier rallied for a come-from-behind win over Central Bucks East in an opening round game.
“I think the momentum from that game followed us into this game today,” Wilkinson said. “We just didn’t give up, and I’m really proud of my team for not giving up because that’s something a lot of teams would do.”
The Golden Hawks served early notice that they intended to avenge a pair of regular season losses to the National Conference champions, plating a pair of first inning runs.
“I was really excited to play them,” Wilkinson said. “They were the only team that beat us twice in the league.
“I knew if we played them a third time – we’re not losing three times in a row.”
“Our two games with them were 2-1 and 5-3, and we gave them both games on a bad inning,” Heydet said. “Totally from the beginning, we were excited to play them.
“Win or lose, we were excited because they were ranked two. You beat them and you’re going to be prepared for the rest of the playoffs.”
Stephanie Andreoli led off the first inning with a double, and she scored on Phylicia Wilkov’s single. A single by Wilkinson was followed by Makenna Diamond’s single that pushed a second run across.
Karley Dispirito’s RBI single highlighted a two-run fourth that put the Golden Hawks on top 4-0, but the ‘Skins got on the scoreboard with two in the bottom of the inning. It looked like the Golden Hawks were in complete command after Wilkinson hit a solo home run in the top of the seventh to give her team a 5-2 lead.
“Then the dramatics started,” Heydet said.
Only a perfectly-executed relay throw from Andreoli to Wilkinson to Sabrina Dobron for the tag at home plate and the inning’s third out prevented the ‘Skins from plating the game winner.
“The ball went off our outfielder’s glove at the fence,” Heydet said. “When it went off, Stephanie was right there. She hit Mel in the cutoff, and the girl was probably out by eight feet.
“I would have sent her – home team, yeah. It was just back and forth.”
The Golden Hawks plated a single run in the top of the eighth when – with two outs – freshman Kiley Woloshyn doubled and then scored on Wilkov’s RBI single. The ‘Skins got that run back in the bottom of the inning that made it 6-6.
In the top of the ninth, Danielle Walters singled, and Diamond legged out a bunt single. A pair of errors allowed the Golden Hawks to plate a pair, and this time the Redskins had no answer, although the inning was not without its anxious moments for the Hawks.
“They hit two bombs to the fence in center field – they don’t give up,” Heydet said of drives by Rebecca Dixon and Leanna Jones. “Danielle Walters was at the fence when she caught them.”
Devan Masciulli singled with two outs, but that was the beginning and end of the Redskins’ rally.
“Everything is clicking now,” said Heydet, going on to acknowledge the play of freshman shortstop Marissa Thompson. “She probably saved the game with a diving stop of a ground ball up the middle to keep the ball in the infield in the eighth inning. It could have been over then.
“They’re stepping up. We beat Neshaminy 2-1 several years ago, but a playoff game – 15 against number two, this is a big game. Today we kept hitting. If you look for momentum, this is it.”
The Golden Hawks held a 14-9 advantage in hits. They were led by the multi-hit efforts of Andreoli (2-for-4, double, two intentional walks), Wilkov (2-for-4), Wilkinson (3-for-5, home run), Diamond (2-for-4) and Dobron (2-for-5)
Andreoli earned the win in relief of Walters in the eighth inning.
Council Rock South (15-7, 6-6 SOL) will travel to Avon Grove for a date with the 10th-seeded Red Devils.
“We’re hoping for Friday’s win which guarantees states,” Heydet said.
Council Rock South 200 200 112 8
Neshaminy 000 200 310 6
#4 NORTH PENN 4, #13 OWEN J ROBERTS 2
The Wildcats had to be feeling confident heading into Wednesday’s game at North Penn. After all, they were just 24 hours removed from a 14-4 thrashing of Upper Darby that saw their team pound out 17 hits.
It was a much different story this time around as the Knights scored early and never looked back on their way to the important win.
“It was a really good game against a very well coached, very good team,” coach Rick Torresani said.
The Knights got on the scoreboard with a single run in the bottom of the first, which came on the heels of a top of the first that saw the Wildcats threaten but come up empty.
Bri Battavio doubled, Elia Namey was hit by a pitch, and the Knights plated a run when a fly ball to shallow right field was dropped.
“That was huge,” Torresani said. “They had runners on first and third with two outs in the top of the inning when one of their best hitters, if not the best hitter on their team, came up.
“Bri threw a real nice pitch inside and got a ground ball to third for the out. You could see that deflated them because after last night when they had 17 hits and 14 runs, you could see maybe they assumed they were going to score a couple of runs there. It’s our first playoff game and their second, and anytime you can jump out on a team early, no matter how you do it, it’s huge.”
The Knights added a pair of runs in the third inning. Emily Groarke got things started with a leadoff single, and the Wildcats elected to give Battavio an intentional walk. Namey singled to load the bases, and Brittany Moyer delivered the game’s big blow – a two-run double that put the Knights on top 3-0. In the fourth inning, a Wildcat error gave the Knights a base runner, and Victoria Juckniewitz made it hurt when she delivered an RBI triple that gave the Knights a 4-0 lead.
The Wildcats broke up Battavio’s shutout bid in the sixth when they plated a pair of runs, but they would get no closer.
Battavio, who allowed four hits and walked one in the complete game win, received plenty of support from her defense.
Torresani lauded the inspired play of center fielder Courtney Neal.
“She made two tremendous catches,” the Knights’ coach said. “Maybe if those two balls fall in they’re a double or triple.
“We preach at North Penn – you make the big plays, you play good defense, and that’s going to win games.”
North Penn (17-4, 10-2 SOL) will host fifth-seeded Perk Valley on Friday in a quarterfinal contest. The Knights are guaranteed at least two more games.
“If you don’t do well on Friday, you still have a chance to earn that fifth (state) spot,” Torresani said. “That’s huge.”
Owen J Roberts 000 002 0 2
North Penn 102 100 x 4
#6 COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 3, #11 BOYERTOWN 0
May 2, 2017
Coach John Engelhardt remembers it well. His Indian squad had a 5-3 lead over archrival Council Rock South heading into the bottom of the sixth when the Golden Hawks scored five runs to earn the come-from-behind win.
Making the loss especially painful was the way the Indians lost.
“That was an emotional loss because we had four errors in one inning and seven errors in the game,” Engelhardt said. “We had a team meeting where we talked about negative energy, positive energy, putting our heads down.
“It starts at the top with me. We all have to look to pick each other up and be as positive as we can. From that game on – and we’ve lost some games, but the girls have kept their heads up and played all seven innings. As a result of that, our defense has gotten better every game.”
Engelhardt had an idea his team might be ready to turn in a defensive masterpiece during warm-ups on Wednesday, and he was right.
The Indians made all the plays – from routine to spectacular.
“This was the best that we’ve played defensively in the two years that I’ve been here,” Engelhardt said.
“The past two weeks we’ve really come together as a team,” junior Taylor Briggs said. “Communication is huge, and we’ve really built on that.”
Topping the list of highlight reel plays was a dazzling grab in the top of the fourth inning by left fielder Marissa Haynes of a screaming line drive down the line that had extra bases written all over it.
“There were several plays that could have been momentum changers – that hit to left field,” Engelhardt said. “Taylor Briggs not only hit a three-run homer, but she also played flawless defense at third base.”
Briggs stole the spotlight with her three-run home run over the left field fence in the bottom of the fourth that won the game. The stage was set when Riley Sheehy and Lauren Begg opened the inning with consecutive singles. With one out, Briggs got all of a pitch, delivering a three-run home run that turned out to be the game winner.
“I felt it right off the bat,” Briggs said. “It was the best feeling, and I knew our momentum would keep going from there. We just had to play good defense, and we did.”
Prior to Briggs’ blast in the fourth, Boyertown pitcher Alison Melahn faced just nine batters in the first three innings, but the Indians, according to Briggs, remained confident.
“Our energy is pretty constant, and we’re always in it all seven innings,” the Indians’ third baseman said.
The Bears held an 8-5 advantage in hits, but four of Boyertown’s hits were infield singles. Three were by speedy leadoff batter Sarah Reinert, who also threw some leather at the Indians with a superb stop of a ball in the third base hole and fired to first for the out.
Boyertown had a pair of hits in the second, third and fifth innings, but pitcher Jenna Khantzian – who fanned six and did not walk a batter – and the Indians’ defense never flinched.
“Our team has been playing really good defense, and whenever a ball is hit to the infield or outfield, I’m very confident that they’re going to get it – it’s not going to be an error, it’s not going to get by them,” Khantzian said. “I’m confident that we’ll get out of the inning before the runner can score.”
While the Bears hit several balls hard in the first several innings, they did not get a ball out of the infield after Haynes’ snag to open the fourth.
“As the game goes on, I get to see more of how they perform, and I observe the way their teammates work and try and work with that,” Khantzian said.
Engelhartdt, for one, has come to expect excellence from his sophomore pitcher.
“Jenna is Jenna – we know what we’re getting out of her,” the Indians’ coach said. “It’s almost expected for her to come out and pitch a fabulous game, which she did, but it was nice for us to be able to give her that cushion in the fourth inning.
“We knew they were a very good team. We had a very, very good scouting report, and we knew they were capable of hitting for power along with playing small ball. Their coach is very aggressive, and we knew that when they got runners on they were going to do some things that we haven’t seen this year. To (catcher) Taylor Amazeen’s credit – she’s as good as it gets, so I think that helped to limit some of what they were going to do.”
Council Rock North (15-5, 8-4 SOL) will travel to Coatesville for a date with the third-seeded Red Raiders.
“We walk away very happy, knowing we get at least two games,” Engelhardt said. “I think this is the furthest Council Rock North has gotten in over a decade, and it’s a credit to these girls.
Boyertown 000 000 0 0-8-0
Council Rock North 000 300 x 3-5-0
#9 QUAKERTOWN 9, #8 HAVERFORD 4 (8 innings)
Rich Scott – accustomed to his team’s double-digit scoring efforts – kept waiting and waiting for his explosive lineup to have its big inning. It finally happened in the top of the eighth when the Panthers erupted for five runs.
“I figured it was going to happen – I just didn’t think it would be the eighth inning,” Scott said. “I thought it would be the fourth or fifth inning, but either way, I’m glad it happened.
“Their pitcher was nothing we haven’t seen all year long. There was nothing different about her than most of the pitchers we’ve seen, so I knew we’d have a big inning. Their center fielder made two great catches on fly balls that most people wouldn’t have caught.”
Bri Lefkoski led off the eighth inning with a double down the right field line.
“It should have been a triple, but the first base bag was sticking out of the ground, and she tripped over it and fell between first and second,” Scott said. “Luckily, she made it to second.”
Tara Baglivo and Abbey Schwarz (RBI) followed with back-to-back singles. One out later, the Fords elected to intentionally walk Lauren Beal. Maddie Moyer made them pay, ripping a shot to the fence for a double that plated a pair.
“In any other field, that would have been over the fence,” Scott said.
Halle Frederick’s double plated two more runs, and the Panthers led 9-4.
Early on, the Panthers put a pair of runs on board in the first inning. Tara Baglivo and Abbey Swartz led of the frame with back-to-back singles and then pulled off a double steal. Nikki Vanelli delivered an RBI single, and a second run crossed the plate on Moyer’s groundout. Haverford got one of those runs back in the bottom of the inning, thanks to a leadoff home run by Heather Lazer, clearing the 225-foot sign.
Quakertown added a single run in the second to go on top 3-1, but the Fords came back to knot the score in the bottom of the fourth and took a 4-3 lead with a run in the sixth.
Down to their final three outs, the Panthers rallied to knot the score when Moyer crushed an RBI double that plated pinch runner Morgan Thrush from first base, and the stage was set for extra innings.
“I was confident,” Scott said. “Thursday we had one of the best practices hitting-wise that I’ve seen all season. Everybody was hitting the ball over the fence.
“It was unbelievable. I just couldn’t imagine us not scoring some runs. I was confident. The girls are playing very well. Tori (Caputo) is pitching well, so everything is coming together. You want to get hot when the time is right, and now is the right time.”
The list of Panthers with multiple hits was a lengthy one. Baglivo was 2-for-4 with a double, RBI and two runs. Schwartz was 2-for-5 with a double and two runs scored. Vanelli was 3-for-5 with an RBI. Beal was 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Moyer was 2-for-5 with two doubles and four RBIs. Frederick was 2-for-4 with a double, triple and two RBIs. Lefkoski , a freshman, was 3-for-3 with a double and a run scored.
“She just started slapping from the left side this year,” Scott said of Lefkoski. “Her confidence is growing.”
Caputo earned the complete game win for the Panthers, allowing eight hits and four runs (three earned) while striking out three and walking one.
Quakertown (18-3, 13-1 SOL) will travel to top-seeded Spring-Ford on Friday.
“All the pressure is on them,” Koch said. “They’re number one. I’m good with that.”
Quakertown 210 000 15 9-16-3
Haverford 100 201 00 4-8-2
#10 AVON GROVE 8, #7 HATBORO-HORSHAM 5
The Hatters took a 1-0 lead in the first but the visiting Red Devils answered with four runs in the second. Although the Hatters pulled to within one (4-3), they would get no closer.
Maddie Yeager led the Hatters’ 11-hit attack with a 3-for-4 effort at the plate that included a double, triple , RBI and run scored. Brittany Hubler was 2-for-4 with a run scored, Brynn Griffith was 2-for-4 with a run scored, and Alicia Tauber was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Rachel Carney also had an RBI for the Hatters.
Hatboro-Horsham (12-2 SOL) closed out its season with a 17-4 record.
Avon Grove 040 301 0 8-13-2
Hatboro-Horsham 102 001 1 5-11-2
#3 COATESVILLE 4, #19 PENRIDGE 1
The Red Raiders opened up a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning, and the Rams answered with a single run in the fifth. That’s as close as they would get in a contest that saw the Raiders hold an 8-6 advantage in hits.
Samantha Harty accounted for half of her team’s hits, finishing the game 3-for-3 with an RBI. Emily Hegen was 1-for-3 with a double and run scored.
Kailyn Bell absorbed the loss, allowing seven hits and four runs (only two earned) while striking out one and walking three.
Pennridge (6-6 SOL) closed out its season with a 12-10 record.
Pennridge 000 010 0 1-6-1
Coatesville 000 202 x 4-8-2
#5 PERK VALLEY 8, #12 CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 0
CLASS 5A
#7 SUN VALLEY 3, #10 UPPER MORELAND 2 (8 innings)
The Golden Bears lost a heartbreaker on Wednesday. They took a 2-0 lead in the fifth only to watch the Vanguards rally to knot the score with two runs of their own in the sixth. They won it with a run in the eighth.
“We had opportunities, and they made a couple of really good defensive plays to get out of a couple of innings,” said coach Scott Ludlow, whose team pounded out 11 hits. “It was one of those back and forth, well played games.
“It was kind of heartbreaking to lose the way we did, having opportunities the way we had, but hats off to them. They played really well. They didn’t make many mistakes in the field, and they hit the ball late in the game.”
Sun Valley collected seven of their 10 hits in the last three innings.
Making Wednesday’s season-ending loss more difficult to swallow was the fact that Ludlow must bid farewell to eight seniors who were the nucleus of the squad – second baseman Maddie Mull, shortstop Brianna Byard, outfielders Kim Benge, Noelle Woodman, Kayla Sawick and Lauren Souza as well as reserves Cat Dell and Myla Green.
“It was a class of girls who all played softball for four years,” Ludlow said. “It was a great group of seniors to have, but it was a tough way for them to go out. They’re a big part of why the program is where it is.”
The Bears got on the scoreboard in the fifth inning. Singles by Maura Casey and Kayla Sawick set the stage for a two-run double by Brianna Hughes that gave the Bears a 2-0 lead. They had opportunities but could not push any more runs across.
“It was a tough way to finish the season, certainly not the way we wanted it to,” the Ludlow said. “I was proud of the way we played this year.
“We played some good softball. We had some down spots, but one of the things we always did – we bounced back. I would have liked to go at least another game, but I’m happy with the way the season went, the way they fought, the way they battled and the way they played.”
Jenna Sadowski pitched into the sixth when – with a pair on board – she was relieved by Jocelyn Baumeister.
Upper Moreland (9-5 SOL) closed out its season with a 12-9 record.
Upper Moreland 000 020 00 2-11-0
Sun Valley 000 002 01 3-10-1
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