It was a busy day for SOL softball teams. Check out the recaps for teams that were in action Tuesday.
SOL National Conference
BENSALEM 6, PENNSBURY 5 (10 innings)
The Owls rebounded from a heartbreaking loss to Neshaminy 24 hours earlier to edge the Falcons in a 10-inning thriller. Sophomore Haley Keenan delivered a two-out single that plated the game winner.
“Last year a mentality was born with these kids,” coach Dan Schram said. “We’re going to hold onto it as long as we can.
“These kids believe in their school, they believe in the name on the front of the jersey, and they believe in each other. I couldn’t be any happier.”
With the international tiebreaker in effect, the 10th inning opened with Deja Seilhammer on second base. A sacrifice bunt by Angelia Micalizzi moved her to third, and she was still there with two outs when Keenan delivered the game winner.
Dani Sharpe – who threw 17 innings in the last two days – earned the complete game win.
“Her toughness can’t be measured,” Schram said. “She’s a tremendous young woman who gave us a tremendous shot to win today.
“Yesterday a good team got a good break, and today we got the big break. I’m very, very proud of the kids.”
The Owls’ coach went on to credit his infield.
“I had two freshmen starting on the right side of the infield – Jessica Klein played second, and Maddie Buechner played first,” Schram said. “Maddie Buechner had a two-run RBI single in the third inning, which was big. They did a great job in a big game as freshmen.
“On the left side of my infield, I had tremendous leadership with Allison Goodman at third and Tori Yorgey at shortstop.”
Leading the Owls at the plate were Yorgey (2-for-5, RBI, run), Sharpe (2-for-4, BB, RBI) and Keenan (3-for-4, RBI, SB).
Leading the Falcons were Carley Parsons (3-for-6, run), Arden Rabiger (2-for-4, 2B, 2 BB, 2 runs) and Casey Glynn (2-for-4, 2B, 2 runs).
Bensalem (2-2, 1-2 SOL) will travel to Harry S Truman on Thursday, and Pennsbury (0-4, 0-1) will host Neshaminy on Thursday.
Bensalem 014 000 000 1 6
Pennsbury 300 020 000 0 5
NESHAMINY 8, ABINGTON 5
The Ghosts scored three runs in the second to take an early lead only to watch the Redskins score eight unanswered runs en route to the win.
“We made four bad, bad errors – two of them in the second inning, and they went up 3-0,” coach Dave Chichilitti said. “Thank goodness we played tough defense in between and held them to three (until the seventh).”
The Redskins’ coach went on to laud the performance of Sarah Dowalo, who earned the complete game win. The senior hurler allowed just six hits and one earned run while fanning 10.
For the second time in as many days, Neshaminy was without its five hitter, Amanda Kurtz, who was attending a FBLA conference. They were also without their three hitter, Natalie Rios, because of illness.
“We had Maria Leedom step in at third and Kylie Gurysh played first, and it’s good to be able to go to people to hold down those spots,” Chihilitti said. “It’s real hard to play without some of your cornerstones.”
After the Ghosts went on top 3-0 in the second, the Redskins got two of those runs back in the third. Hallie Duffy’s RBI double knotted the score 3-3 in the fifth, setting the stage for the Redskins’ big sixth inning.
Olivia Fee and Duffy led the Redskins with two hits each.
For the Ghosts, Olivia Bernstein and Sam Marasheski both had a pair of hits with Marasheski contributing a double.
Neshaminy (6-1, 2-0 SOL) will be on the road at Pennsbury on Thursday, and Abington (0-2 SOL) will host Upper Dublin in a non-league game on Wednesday.
Abington 030 000 2 5-6-3
Neshaminy 002 015 x 8-9-4
SOL Continental Conference
PENNRIDGE 2, CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 1
On a cold night at Druckenmiller Park, runs were hard to come by on both sides, but it was the Rams eking out the walk-off win when leadoff batter Kiley Watson singled in the bottom of the seventh.
“It was cold – our bats took forever to warm up tonight,” coach Carol Atkinson said. “Obviously, playing back-to-back games in the cold doesn’t help, but they don’t give up. The girls don’t give up.”
That much was clear yet again as the Patriots – thanks to an RBI double by Steph Kuhns – took a 1-0 lead in the top of the sixth only to have the Rams answer in the bottom of the inning. Skyler Hengeveld collected a one-out single and moved up to third on Morgan Henry’s double. Hengeveld raced home with the tying run on Madison Silber’s sacrifice fly to left field.
The Rams won it one inning later when Watson singled up the middle to plate Ally Motts with the game winner.
Kailyn Bell earned the complete game win, ignoring the frigid temperatures to scatter five hits and allow just one run while striking out eight and walking one.
“She was on fire tonight,” Atkinson said. “She held them down. We got in a jam a couple of times, but she got out of it with a strikeout, forcing a pop fly or whatever.
“She’s a solid pitcher. She never loses confidence, and she’s very calm on the mound. She never shows her emotions.”
The Rams collected five hits off Giuliana Ruscio, who absorbed the loss despite allowing just two runs.
For the Patriots, Kuhns, Audrey Labouliere and Isabel Parker all had a double.
Pennridge (3-1, 1-1 SOL) will be on the road at Souderton on Thursday while Central Bucks East (0-4, 0-2) will travel to North Penn on Wednesday for a 3:45 contest.
Central Bucks East 000 001 0 1
Pennridge 000 001 1 2
NORTH PENN 11, WILLIAM TENNENT 2
Rick Torresani didn’t need a whole lot of words to describe his team’s conference opening win over the Panthers.
“We did some hitting and we did some scoring,” the Knights’ coach said. “It was a good game for us.”
The visiting Knights took a 1-0 lead in the first and put some distance between themselves and the Panthers with a five-run third. Jordan Pietrzykoski’s three-run double highlighted the frame.
In the bottom of the third, the Panthers got one run back, but the Knight scored four more runs in the fifth to go on top 10-1 on the way to the impressive win.
“Tennent’s playing well, and they have a nice team,” Torresani said. “They’re well coached, but we’re just hitting the ball right now.”
In three games – all wins, the Knights have scored 40 runs.
Pietrzykoski finished a productive day 3-for-5 with a double and four RBIs. Emily Groarke was 3-for-5 with two RBIs and three runs scored. Victoria Juckniewitz was 2-for-5 with a pair of runs scored, and she also threw some leather at the Panthers.
“She made some great plays in the field at third base for us,” Torresani said of his sophomore third baseman.
Freshman Mady Volpe earned her third win without a loss, allowing eight hits with seven strikeouts and one walk in seven innings.
North Penn (3-0, 2-0 SOL) will host Central Bucks East on Wednesday, and William Tennent (3-2, 0-1) will host Central Bucks South on Thursday.
North Penn 105 040 1 11
William Tennent 001 000 1 1
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 6, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 4
The Titans found themselves clinging to a 2-1 lead heading into the sixth inning when they erupted for four runs. Maddie Rowley delivered the big blow in the inning, a two-run double. The Titans had a lead they would not lose.
“We scratched out a run to make it 3-1, and then Maddie – with the bases loaded – knocked in two, which was just monster,” coach Kevin Rosini said. “That gave us the breathing room we needed because we had trouble hitting at first. We were not making good contact.”
Earlier, the Titans manufactured a pair of runs in the third inning, scoring their first run on a double steal by Rowley and Alexa Ortman, who stole home. The second run of the inning came on a safety squeeze by Katie Hines.
“We were bunting like crazy that inning, moving runners around, forcing them to make a play, and that really helped,” Rosini said. “We needed to do that because we were not making good contact, we were not putting the ball in play.
“The girl from West – (Angelina) Sherba – is a good pitcher, so we had to find a way.”
Armed with a 6-1 lead, the Titans withstood a rally that saw the Bucks score three in the bottom of the seventh.
“I’ll take wins any way I can get them,” Rosini said. “We’re scratching and clawing. We’re still figuring things out.”
One constant has been pitcher Kylie Kenney, who earned the complete game win. The junior hurler allowed six hits and four runs (three earned) while striking out nine.
“The rock is Kylie,” Rosini said. “She’s everything to us. She did it again today. She pitched a good solid game – got her strikeouts, and we turned two double plays behind her. That really helped.
“Maddie (McShane) caught today – we’re mixing her in now, and she made a really good play on a bunt. A girl tried to bunt a runner over, and she hopped out of there and made the play, got her out at first. We’re making the plays when we need to. We still haven’t hit the bulk of our schedule yet, but I’d rather be 3-0 than 0-3.”
Leading the Bucks at the plate were Rowley (2-for-4, 2B, SB, 1 run) and Ortman (2-for-4, RBI, 1 run)
Central Bucks South (3-0, 2-0 SOL) will travel to William Tennent on Thursday, and Central Bucks West (1-2 SOL) will be on the road at Central Bucks East Thursday.
Central Bucks South 002 004 0 6-8-1
Central Bucks West 001 000 3 4-6-3
SOL American Conference
HATBORO-HORSHAM 10, QUAKERTOWN 7
In a showdown of the squads who finished one-two in the conference standings last year, it was the Hatters getting the early edge with their come-from-behind win over the defending champs.
“We went down 6-2 in the third inning, and we just didn’t give up,” HH coach Joe DiFilippo said. “They showed a lot of determination.
“It’s two very good teams that can hit, so this is a game that could go either way. The girls wanted to win this one because they knew we blew that one up here last year, and when they went down 6-2, they didn’t get down on themselves.”
The Panthers – who defeated the Hatters 16-12 in last year’s early-season meeting – put three runs on the board in the first with Sarah Stofik’s two-run double the big hit. Quakertown went on to open up a 6-2 lead in the bottom of the second, but the Hatters had an answer in the fourth, exploding for six runs.
In the big inning, Antoinette Spinosa contributed a two-run double, Kayla Tauber followed with an RBI double, and Mikayla Fedele hit the third double of the inning, this one plating two more runs. Alicia Tauber’s RBI single put the Hatters on top 8-6.
Quakertown pulled to within one with a run in the bottom of the inning, but the Hatters scored two in the fifth to go on top 10-7. Neither team scored the rest of the way.
The Hatters, who pounded out 15 hits, were led by the 3-for-4 effort of Brittany Hubler, who scored a pair of runs. Spinosa – who hit a double and home run – drove in a game-high four runs. Kyleigh Dinnien (2-for-4, run), Alicia Tauber (2-for-5, RBI), Maddie Yeager (2-for-4, 2 runs) and Kayla Tauber (2-for-4, 2 2B, 2 RBIs, run) also had multi-hit games. Fedele had a double and two RBIs.
Fedele started in the circle for the Hatters and also closed out the game, earning the save. Grace Daniels, who allowed two runs (one earned) in three innings, notched the win.
For the Panthers, Abby Schwartz led the way with a 3-for-4 effort that included a double and two runs scored. Stofik was 1-for-3 with a double, 2 RBIs and a run scored. Morgan Thrush and Jenna Blair each had a double.
Hatboro-Horsham (2-0 SOL) will host Upper Moreland on Wednesday, and Quakertown (3-2, 2-1) will host Cheltenham on Thursday.
Hatboro-Horsham 020 620 0 10-15-2
Quakertown 330 100 0 7-10-3
SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 4, PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 1
The Spartans received a strong outing from junior pitcher Hannah Sebenick, who allowed just two hits and no earned runs in the complete game win. She struck out seven and walked only one.
“She kept them off balance pretty much,” coach Josh Ringgold said. “She’s actually controlling the ball really well. Every year she’s getting better, and if she can hit her spots like that, we should have a pretty good year.”
The Spartans scored in each of the first three innings and took a 3-0 lead into the sixth when the Colonials plated their only run on an RBI single by Lauren Fuhrmeister.
It was the base running of leadoff batter Mary Kate Smith – who stole four bases in the contest – that led to a run in the first for the Spartans. They added a single run in the second and two more in the third.
“The defense played really well,” Ringgold said. “I think we ended up with three or four errors, but for the most part, any balls that were in play they were able to either catch or field really nicely.”
Smith finished the game 3-for-4 with two runs scored, and Chloe Morales was 3-for-3. Mikayla Quinn and Kaitlyn Cannon each also had a pair of hits and an RBI. Junior Gabby Gaskin, who doubled, drove in a pair of runs.
Springfield Township (2-0 SOL) will host Upper Moreland on Thursday, and Plymouth Whitemarsh (2-2 SOL) will host Cheltenham on Wednesday.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 000 001 0 1
Springfield Township112 000 x 4
UPPER MORELAND 11, CHELTENHAM 1
Five postponements later, the Golden Bears played their season opener on their brand new field Tuesday, and as debuts go, this was a good one.
“This is our fifth day on the field – it’s been crazy,” coach Scott Ludlow said. “We played one scrimmage on it, and it really wasn’t much of a scrimmage.
“It was a really good start for us. We played without three of our four seniors because our seniors are on a class trip. In 18 years, I haven’t played without the seniors, but we are so far behind I didn’t have a choice. I had a conversation with them last week, so we went into this without three senior starters.”
Ludlow started five sophomores in Tuesday’s opener, and they delivered. Sophomore Brianna Hughes led the Golden Bears’ attack with a 3-for-4 showing that included two doubles and two runs. Gianna Fiorenza was 2-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs, and sophomore Jackie Martino was 2-for-3 with a double, home run and one RBI.
“We were young today, but we came out and we hit the ball early,” Ludlow said. “We did some nice base running and didn’t make any mistakes, but Jenna really helped us out with seven strikeouts in 15 outs.
“We made some solid defensive plays. It was a good win to start them off.”
Jenna Sadowski was in complete command in the circle en route to the win, allowing three hits and one run while striking out seven and walking none.
“It was a solid outing on her part,” Ludlow said.
Upper Moreland (1-0 SOL) will be on the road at Hatboro-Horsham on Wednesday, and Cheltenham (0-3, 0-2) will travel to Quakertown on Thursday.
Cheltenham 000 10 1 1-3-3
Upper Moreland 133 31 11-11-0
UPPER DUBLIN 14, WISSAHICKON 9
The Flying Cardinals’ bats came alive in Tuesday’s win over the Trojans. Korynn Bischoff led Upper Dublin’s hit parade with a perfect 4-for-4 effort that included two runs scored and three RBIs. Jayme Rubenstein was 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBIs. They were just two of seven Cardinals to finish the game with multiple hits.
A three-run first set the tone for the Cardinals, who added four more in the third. The Trojans interrupted their fun with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third to make it a 7-2 game, but a six-run fourth put the Cardinals on top 13-2, which was more than enough to allow them to withstand the Trojans’ late-game comeback attempt.
Contributing two hits each for the Cardinals were Erin Gallagher (2-for-5, 2 2B, 2 RBIs, run), Brianna Parker (2-for-5, 2 RBIs, run), Meghan Muth (2-for-3, 2 RBIs, 2 runs), Sarah Sharp (2-for-5, 3B, RBI, run) and Bela Soriano (2-for-5, run).
Julia Wolf earned the win in the circle, allowing five hits and two earned runs in three innings while striking out one and walking two. Erin Gallagher threw the final four innings.
For the Trojans, senior Siani Paige-Miller was 3-for-3 with three runs scored, and freshman Kailyn Pappanastasiou was 3-for-4 with a three-run home run in the fifth inning. She finished the game with a game-high five RBIs.
Upper Dublin (1-3, 1-2 SOL) will travel to Abington for a non-league contest Wednesday. Wissahickon (0-3 SOL) will host Hatboro-Horsham on Thursday.
Upper Dublin 304 601 0 14
Wissahickon 002 403 0 9
Non-league
SOUDERTON 12, POTTSGROVE 1 (5 innings)
The Indians made easy business of the visiting Falcons, scoring early and often on their way to the abbreviated non-league win.
Bri Neely led the Indians with a 3-for-4 effort that included a two-run inside the park home run in the fourth inning. She shared the team lead with three RBIs. Jess Lepore was 2-for-4 with an RBI and Alex Scheeler was 2-for-2 with a walk and three RBIs.
Scheeler was in complete command in the circle, allowing one hit while striking out seven and walking none.
Souderton (4-0, 1-0 SOL) will host Pennridge on Thursday at 3:45 p.m.
Pottsgrove 100 00 1-1-2
Souderton 321 6x 12-11-2
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