All three SOL softball teams in action Friday lost in the District One 6A quarterfinal round. North Penn will play Perk Valley on Saturday.
It was a rough day for the Suburban One League.
Three teams competed in the quarterfinals of the District One 6A Tournament. All three came up short. Council Rock North, Quakertown and Council Rock South remain alive – three of four teams that will be vying for the fifth and final state playoff berth.
North Penn’s scheduled game against Perkiomen Valley was postponed until Saturday at 11 a.m.
#3 COATESVILLE 8, #6 COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 2
The game started off on a shaky note for the Indians and never really got a whole lot better. The Red Raiders benefitted from a two-out error to plate an unearned run in the first, and they never looked back. By the time the Indians got on the scoreboard, the Red Raiders had an 8-0 lead.
“I was proud of my kids – they could have just quit,” coach John Engelhardt said. “They kept fighting, but it wasn’t our day. To beat a team as good as Coatesville, we’re going to have to play as good as we can possibly play to win.
“We did not play good defense, and at this stage, you’re not going to play a team where you can give up four errors. We also didn’t hit well.”
The Indians managed just two hits off Brianna White, who struck out seven.
“She moved the ball around really well,” Engelhardt said. “Today wasn’t our day.
“We knew this game was the biggest game Council Rock North has been involved in in some time. Our girls brought it. We had a fantastic pre-game again. I was really excited when we came in, but it just didn’t click today.”
The Indians benefitted from three straight walks and a costly error to plate their runs in the sixth.
Council Rock North (15-6, 8-4 SOL) will host Council Rock South in a playback game on Tuesday. It will be the third meeting between the neighboring schools.
“This is a very interesting spot,” said Engelhart, whose team split its two regular season games with the Golden Hawks. “This is an interesting spot because that game (an 8-5 loss in the second meeting) kind of turned our season.
“There’s a lot of cool things about this game. The girls know each other and are friendly. This is the biggest North-South softball game ever.”
Interestingly, this meeting – the third – will be the first time that either team will be playing on their home field. The two teams met in a benefit game in New Jersey and then played their rematch at Northampton Recreation Center, that contest to benefit ALS.
“It’s going to be an emotional day because for one of us, the season will be over,” Engelhardt said. “These girls like each other, but they don’t like to lose to each other.
“This game raises the stakes. One team will be playing for a berth in the state and the other is finished. There’s already that adrenaline, that pressure because they’re our sister school, and this is for bragging rights.
“It’s pretty cool to see, at the end of the day, the two SOL National teams that are playing are Council Rock and not Neshaminy and Pennsbury, who have ruled at this stage of tournament. It will be a good day for Council Rock as a whole.”
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#1 SPRING-FORD 4, #9 QUAKERTOWN 0
Sam Lindsay did what no pitcher before her had been able to do this season, silencing the Panthers’ high-powered offense. The sophomore hurler allowed just two hits in the complete game shutout over a Panther squad that had never scored less than four runs in any game this season.
“They definitely have a good pitcher, and their team is good,” coach Rich Scott said. “They’re well coached, and we had an off day too.
“I knew it was going to be a tight game. I was expecting more hits. We just didn’t do well, but their pitcher was very good.”
The Panthers didn’t exactly help their own cause when they committed three errors in the third, allowing the Rams to score a pair of unearned runs.
“That doesn’t help,” Scott said. “After that, we didn’t play badly. We just didn’t hit.”
Tara Baglivo and Nikki Vanelli (double) accounted for the Panthers’ only hits. Vanelli led off the seventh with a double to left center. The Panthers had two on board when Lauren Beal was hit by a pitch. A groundout brought an end to that threat.
“Our offense just wasn’t there today,” Scott said. “That was a solid team.
“The girls were down, of course, but we kept telling them to keep their heads up. We’re going to be playing another game, and we have to be ready. They were fighting until the last out, so that was a good sign.”
Tori Caputo, who is 15-3 on the season, threw well in defeat, allowing just six hits and two earned runs while walking one.
“Tori Caputo threw a heck of a game,” said Scott.
Megan Kern, who was 3-for-3, accounted for half of Spring-Ford’s hits.
Quakertown (18-4, 13-1 SOL) will play the loser of Saturday’s North Penn-Perk Valley game on Tuesday.
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#10 AVON GROVE 5, #15 COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 4
Two days after their exhilarating win over Neshaminy, the Golden Hawks suffered a heartbreaking quarterfinal loss to the Red Devils. Making the loss especially devastating was the fact that that Golden Hawks had the bases loaded with one out in the seventh but could only push one run across.
“They were a good team,” coach Greg Heydet said. “They have hitters, they have a great defense, but we had an opportunity to win it.
“Their pitcher (Rachel Butler) located the ball, and their defense is very good. One through nine can hit.”
The Golden Hawks managed just five hits off Butler while the Red Devils had eight off Danielle Walters and Stephanie Andreoli.
Avon Grove, which plated a single run in the first, scored three runs in the third inning to go on top 4-0. The Golden Hawks cut that lead in half with two runs in the fourth, but the Red Devils tacked on a run in the bottom of the inning to go on top 5-2. Melanie Wilkinson’s solo home run in the sixth made it a 5-3 game, and the Hawks plated a run in the seventh before their rally stalled with the bases loaded.
The seventh-inning rally began with singles by Makenna Diamond and Sabrina Dobron. Emily Freed advanced both runners, and the bases were loaded after Karley DeSpirito was hit by a pitch. A sacrifice fly by Stephanie Andreoli made it a 5-4 game, but Butler retired the next batter she faced on a fly ball to the outfield.
“We were flat at first, until about the fourth inning,” Heydet said. “I think some of the girls were intimidated a little by the size of their girls – they’re big, tall and athletic.
“We started coming back, but we ran out of time. That team is good, so I’m not too disappointed, but I’m disappointed because we had a shot to win it. We had chances.
“Avon Grove is always in the playoffs. They know how to keep their cool and focus.”
Council Rock South (15-8, 6-6 SOL) will travel to neighboring Council Rock North for a playback game on Tuesday.
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Avon Grove 103 100 x 5
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