Check out the recaps for SOL softball teams in action. CB West/Downingtown West photos courtesy of Tracy Valko. Check back for a gallery. (CR North photos provided by CR North softball)
Non-league
NORTH PENN 1, HATBORO-HORSHAM 0 (8 innings)
Every now and then games actually live up to their billing.
Friday’s contest pitting the SOL and district powers was one of the special ones, and in the end, it took a successfully executed suicide squeeze by Rachel Lowry to plate pinch runner Jackie Diaz with a run that held for the game-winner.
“It was a great game,” NP coach Rick Torresani said. “It was awesome. We haven’t played a game like this for a while this year. It was two pitchers just going at each other and great defensive plays on both sides.
“They made some great diving catches in the outfield – there was at least three maybe four. The left fielder made two diving catches, the second baseman made a catch running out to right field over her shoulder. Both teams had their A game. We just happened to be the lucky ones to come out and get the run.”
Carley DiGiuseppe – capping the best at-bat of the game and perhaps the season – doubled to center field to lead off the top of the eighth.
“I walked up to Carley before she got up to lead off the inning, and I just told her, ‘A senior is supposed to come up big in these situations, and you’re a senior, so get it done,’ and she did,” Torresani said. “It was a 12-pitch at-bat. It was unbelievable. She kept fouling it off, fouling it off and fouling it off.
“That was our game plan going into it – to have (H-H pitcher Kendal Leitner) throw a lot of pitches. She was close to 160 pitches. We wanted to work her. We stayed off her rise ball as much as we could. The kids did what they were supposed to do.”
Diaz replaced DiGiuseppe on the base paths and advanced to third on a sacrifice by Sophia Collins, setting the stage for Lowry’s suicide squeeze bunt.
Mady Volpe closed it out in the bottom of the inning, allowing only a one-out single by Amya Lundy, who had two of her team’s five hits, and the impressive win was in the books.
“(Games like this) are extremely important because we haven’t had a game like that, and now the kids know,” Torresani said. “I don’t like bringing up that we’re young because we’re not young – these kids play a lot of softball, but at the high school level and not playing last year, I have five sophomores and a freshman starting, so they’ve never experienced this.
“For them to go through it and to have the chance to win the game, obviously, it helps us out a great deal because now they know they can do it. In that sense with seven or eight games left, it was huge.”
The game featured brilliant outings in the circle by Volpe – 8 shutout innings, 5 hits, 9 strikeouts, 4 walks – and Leitner – 8 innings, 2 hits, 1 run, 10 strikeouts, 2 walks, and it was one of those rare games neither team deserved to lose.
“If we had lost, I would have told them – ‘You followed what we wanted you to do, but we just didn’t win the game,’” Torresani said. “(Leitner) pitched a great game, but we made her pitch.
“As we get into the playoffs and face a good pitcher, we can’t be going up and letting her get three outs on nine pitches. This was a well-played game, a well-coached game by both teams.”
North Penn (14-1, 6-0 SOL) will host Pennridge on Monday, and Hatboro-Horsham (13-1, 6-0) will travel to Plymouth Whitemarsh on Monday.
North Penn 000 000 01 1-2-0
Hatboro-Horsham 000 000 00 0-5-0
WILLIAM TENNENT 8, NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 0
Mackenzie Klee accomplished the oh-so-rare feat of hitting for the cycle, doubling in the first, tripling in the second, homering in the fourth and putting the finishing touches on a memorable day with a single in the fifth.
All told, Clee was 4-for-4 with a double, triple, home run, three RBIs and three runs scored in a productive day out of the leadoff spot.
In the circle, Meg Curtis tossed a complete game two-hit gem, striking out 11 and walking one.
Clee doubled to left to lead off the first, and she scored when Anna Coulter followed with a double. Curtis helped her own cause when she ripped a two-run home run to left field, and the Panthers led 3-0. In the second, the Panthers added a pair. Sarah Cummins, who led off with a single, scored on Clee’s one-out triple to right. A sacrifice fly by Coulter plated Clee, and the Panthers led 5-0.
Clee’s two-out solo home run to center field in the fourth upped Tennent’s lead to 6-0, and they closed out the scoring with two more runs in the sixth. Giselle McLaughlin led off the inning with a single, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a groundout. With two outs, Olivia Clee kept the inning alive with a double, giving Mackenzie an opportunity to hit for the cycle, and she delivered, collecting an RBI single.
William Tennent (7-4, 5-0 SOL) will travel to Springfield Township on Monday, and New Hope-Solebury (2-12, 2-4) will be on the road at Lower Moreland on Monday.
New Hope-Solebury 000 000 0 0-2-1
William Tennent 320 102 x 8-11-2
ABINGTON 9, LOWER MORELAND 3
Annie Sokolski’s four-hit day out of the leadoff spot ignited the Ghosts, who collected 13 hits and put nine runs on the board.
“We definitely seemed a bit flat, but the entire team persevered,” Abington coach Bob Baginski said. “Lower Moreland played us really tough today.”
Lower Moreland scored first with a run in the second, but the Ghosts answered with a four-run third that included a two-run double by Lauren Everitt as well as an RBI single by Jess Sokolski.
Isabella Ricciardi’s RBI single in the bottom of the third made it a 4-2 game, and the Lions trailed by just one after Shein delivered an RBI single in the fourth inning.
Jess Sokolski’s RBI single gave the Ghosts a 5-3 lead, and they put the game out of reach with a four-run seventh. Highlights included singles by Madison Cornell, Jess Sokolski, Julia Bruestle (RBI) and Annie Sokolski (RBI).
Jess Sokolski, who earned the win in the circle, also had a big day at the plate for the Ghosts, finishing 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored.
Leanna Schenk threw 3.2 scoreless innings in relief for the Ghosts, allowing one hit while striking out two and walking two
For the Lions, Madison Sahl was 2-for-3 with one RBI.
Abington (7-7, 0-6 SOL) will travel to Wissahickon on Monday, and Lower Moreland (3-9, 3-3) will host New Hope-Solebury on Monday.
Abington 004 0100 4 9-13-1
Lower Moreland 011 100 0 3-5-2
QUAKERTOWN 15, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 3 (5 innings)
The Panthers pounded out 15 hits – all except one of them singles – on their way to the mercy rule win in the abbreviated non-league contest.
In the bottom of the first, the freshman connection of Ava Beal and Mary Wilkinson put the Panthers on the board with Beal collecting a leadoff single and scoring when Wilkinson hit a two-out single.
The Titans answered when Allie Franck smashed a solo home run – her third in the last four games – to lead off the top of the second, knotting the score 1-1.
In the bottom of the inning, the Panthers scored six runs. Sophomore Maya Hellyer got the ball rolling with a leadoff single. Back-to-back walks and a fielder’s choice set the stage for singles by Beal (2 RBIs), Emma Hilton (RBI), LauraRose Morelock (2 RBIs) and Syd Andrews (RBI), and the Panthers led 7-1.
The Titans scored two in the top of the third. CJ Haney, who doubled to lead off the inning, scored on a groundout, and Suzie Williams, who singled, scored on a Quakertown error to make it a 7-3 game.
That score stood until the bottom of the fourth when the Panthers put the game away with an eight run outburst that included eight hits – all singles except for an RBI double by Cadence Lewis, one error and one walk.
Beal (3-for-4, 3 RBIs, 3 runs) and Morelock (3-for-4, 3 RBIs) led the Panthers. Also contributing multiple hits were Hilton (2-for-3, 2 RBIs, 1 run), Wilkinson (2-for-4, 2 RBIs, 1 run), Andrews (2-for-3, RBI) and Hellyer (2-for-3, RBI, 1 run).
Andrews notched the win in the circle, allowing five hits and three runs (two earned) while striking out five and walking none.
For the Titans, Braylee Webb doubled and scored a run. Suzie Williams also had a pair or hits.
Quakertown (13-2, 5-1 SOL) will travel to Upper Dublin on Monday, and Central Bucks South (6-9, 2-4) will host Central Bucks West for its Senior Night game on Monday at 6 p.m.
Central Bucks South 012 00 3-5-1
Quakertown 160 8x 15-15-1
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 6, VILLA JOSEPH MARIE 4
The Indians ended a difficult week on a high note, celebrating Senior Day by earning a win over their neighboring rival. Coach Susan Yee had high praise for her five seniors.
“I couldn’t be happier for the fantastic Senior Day our five seniors had,” the Indians’ said. “All five played absolutely stellar ball today. They fielded beautifully, they did their jobs at the plate, and they pitched their hearts out. 
“Bella (Pellitta) and Sophia (Levy) both did a tremendous job at second base, and you would have never known today was only Allie Roe’s second start in left field because she played like a seasoned veteran. As for Gabby (Cohen) and Kat (Hastings), they both did their jobs in the circle and behind each other in the field, and I loved the fact that every single one of them had a chance to shine today. This really is a special group of seniors. They are all extremely hardworking and selfless. They just want to do well for their team in whatever capacity they are asked to.
“Case in point, Bella and Sophia both split time with each other at second today, but were both each other’s biggest cheerleader when it was their turn to sit. Similarly, when we lifted Allie Roe in the bottom of the sixth to put in one of our faster runners in the hope of pushing across some insurance runs, she came off the field with a smile and cheered Noelle on to get that run across. Additionally, Kat was having an absolutely dominant day in the circle, but was all smiles and nothing but supportive when we chose to have her fellow senior Gabby Cohen get her chance in the circle in front of her family for senior day and finish out what Kat started.
“While Gabby didn’t get a chance to show her selflessness by giving way to another player today, she showed her grit and team first nature by anchoring center field, cheering on her team, and staying ready to pitch while serving other roles both offensively and defensively throughout the game. I just can’t say enough about how special of a group these five young ladies are, and how much I plan to soak in every second I have left with them before they move on to bigger and better things in a few weeks. These five seniors are all going to be tough to replace on the field, but they are going to be even tougher to replace in the locker room when they move on because of the amazing young ladies and leaders they all are.”
Hastings, according to Yee, was in complete command in the circle. After giving up a leadoff single, she induced a grounder to third for a fielder’s choice out at second, a sacrifice bunt out and a three-pitch strikeout of the cleanup hitter to end the top of the first.
The Indians’ bats were hot in the bottom of the inning. Emma Zoldi and Taylor Gearhart opened the inning with back-to-back singles, and Molly Sheehy followed with an RBI double to the fence. Hastings was safe on an error, and Gearhart scored on the play. Sofia Shields hit an RBI single to left to put the Indians on top 4-0.
The Jems put a pair of runs on the board in the third, but Hastings regrouped and threw a one-two-three fourth that included two strikeouts. The Indians loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning, but the Jems escaped unscathed.
After a five-pitch, one-two-three inning in the top of the fifth, the Indians went down quietly in the bottom of the inning, but things got interesting in the top of the sixth when a pair of one-out errors put a pair of Villa runners on board. Hastings came up with a clutch strikeout and a fly ball to end that threat.
With one out in the bottom of the inning, Levy was hit by a pitch and Roe singled. Zoldi followed with her third single of the day, this one plating Levy. Gearhart’s RBI groundout allowed a second run to score, and the Indians led 6-2.
After a leadoff single by the Jems in the top of the seventh, Cohen relieved Hastings in the circle. A pair of runs crossed the plate, but Cohen retired Villa’s four and five hitters to close out the game.
“Overall I was really proud of our team today,” Yee said. “We played much smarter softball, especially coming down the stretch. We gave up healthy leads in two of our past three games in which we let things get more out of hand than they needed to be trying to get runners out at home instead of trading runs for outs, and limiting trail runner’s access to getting in scoring position.
“We talked about that a lot the past few days, and the girls did a beautiful job making the adjustments today. I couldn’t have been happier with the way they stayed calm and played smart in the seventh inning by focusing on outs, holding trail runners, and ignoring the lead girls crossing the plate who ultimately didn’t matter.”
Zoldi (3-for-3) and Sheehy (2-for-4) led the Indians’ attack.
Hastings earned the win, allowing six hits and three runs in six innings while striking out nine and walking one. Cohen notched the save.
Council Rock North (6-9, 2-4 SOL) will travel to Council Rock South on Monday.
Villa Joseph Marie 002 000 2 4-7
Council Rock North 400 002 x 6-10
PENNSBURY 6, ARCHBISHOP RYAN 0
The Falcons – behind the complete game shutout of Ainsley McClure – knocked the Ragdolls from the ranks of the undefeated. The Falcons’ ace allowed just three hits while striking out 11.
“What stood out today was Ainsley coming back and going back-to-back (games) after being on the DL, if you will, and throwing seven innings with 11 strikeouts,” Pennsbury coach Frank McSherry said.
The Falcons scored all the runs McClure would need in a four-run third. Freshman Sam Raub’s two-run single highlighted the inning. Quinn McGonigle picked up an RBI on a fielder’s choice.
In the fifth inning, McGonigle – who had three RBIs on the day – had the big hit when she collected a two-run single.
Caitlyn Martell was 2-for-4 with two runs scored, and Jessica Rowe was 2-for-3 with two runs. Emma Hause had the game’s lone extra base hit – a double.
Pennsbury (13-1, 5-0 SOL) will face archrival Neshaminy in a key conference battle at Bristol Memorial Field on Monday at 7 p.m.
Pennsbury 004 020 0 6-8-1
Archbishop Ryan 000 000 0 0-3-1
DOWNINGTOWN WEST 11, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 0
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