Pennsbury, Hatboro-Horsham & Neshaminy were winners in Wednesday’s second round of the District One Tournament that saw a pair of games involving SOL teams suspended because of storms.
Pennsbury/Souderton photos provided courtesy of Darryl Rule of J&D Photography. Hatboro-Horsham/William Tennent photos courtesy of Tracy Valko. Check back for a gallery of both games.
#1 PENNSBURY 2, #16 SOUDERTON 1
Frank McSherry and his Falcon squad knew the Indians would give them their money’s worth. In a regular season non-league contest, the Falcons needed nine innings to edge the Indians 4-2. This one was decided in seven, but it wasn’t easy.
“We knew it,” McSherry said. “We always hate this game because as much as you like having a bye – we always hate waiting a week to play. It seemed like we came out a little bit flat against a good team with a good pitcher, and you can’t do that.
“We played good defense, and Ainsley (McClure) made the pitches when she had to make the pitches. We were happy with the way the kids hit. We hit a couple of rockets right at people. On another day, they’re falling.”
Abby Burns broke up a scoreless battle when she led off the top of the fifth with a solo home run just inside the left field foul line to spot the Indians a 1-0 lead. The Falcons answered with a two-out rally. Jess Rowe collected a two-out single and scored all the way from first on Caitlyn Martell’s double to right center.
“Nothing was happening, so I took a chance,” McSherry said of sending Rowe home. “The kid had the relay in plenty of time, but she has to make a good throw, and the catcher has to catch it and make a tag. It was a close play, but the catcher dropped the ball at the plate, couldn’t handle the throw.”
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Rowan Mulholland led off the inning with a base hit and was replaced by speedy courtesy runner Presley Foote, who immediately stole second. Tyler Askey delivered a clutch two-out double that plated Foote with the go-ahead run.
Kendall Clemmer opened the top of the seventh with a single to left. Ainsley McClure came up with a huge strikeout for the inning’s first out.
“This is a little thing and it goes unnoticed, but Rowan Mulholland holds on to a third strike foul tip, and that’s always tough for a catcher,” McSherry said. “Those little things are so big.”
The Falcons closed it out with an impressive short-to-second-to-first double play.
“I didn’t know this until after the game, but Caitlyn Martell tells me that Sammy Raub, our freshman second baseman, said to Caitlyn, ‘We’re going to pull a double play, and I want the ball hit to you, so I can turn the double play, I can make the throw,’” McSherry said. “Caitlyn kind of laughed and said, ‘No, I want the ball hit to you, so I can throw to first base.’
“Well, sure enough, it was hit to Caitlyn, who flips it to Sammy Raub and Sammy Raub throws a bullet and gets the kid at first base. It’s a 6-4-3 double play. That’s how the game ends. I don’t remember the last time we turned a 6-4-3 double play. If you’re going to get a double play, it’s going to be 4-6-3, coming from the second baseman to the shortstop who has momentum coming across. That’s how the game ended.”
McClure turned in yet another stellar outing in the circle, allowing just five hits and one run while striking out eight and walking one. Burns also pitched well enough to win on most days, allowing eight hits and two runs while striking out eight and walking none.
“She’s a tough pitcher,” McSherry said of Burns. “And they looked so much better than they did against Plymouth Whitemarsh (in Monday’s opening round).”
Askey was 2-for-3 with a double and the game-winning RBI to lead the Falcons. Raub and Martell also had doubles.
Kendall Clemmer, a freshman, was 2-for-3 with a double for the Indians.
Pennsbury (20-1, 16-0 SOL) will host the winner of the #8 Quakertown/#9 Methacton game in Friday’s quarterfinal round. The Panthers/Warriors game was suspended with the Panthers on top 4-1 and will resume on Thursday.
Souderton closed out its season with a 14-8 record (10-6 SOL).
Souderton 000 010 0 1-4-0
Pennsbury 000 011 x 2-8-1
#3 HATBORO-HORSHAM 9, #14 WILLIAM TENNENT 2
A 40-minute rain delay did nothing to derail the Hatters, who led 6-2 with one out in the bottom of the sixth when the game was halted. When play resumed, Kendal Leitner smashed a three-run home run to cap a glittering performance for the junior standout, who earned the complete game win in the circle and also was 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBIs and two runs scored.
“She pitched a full game, she worked herself out of a few jams, but really when needed after the delay, she came back and – with two outs – hit a three-run home run,” HH coach Kelly Krier said. “She’s pretty special, she’s having a real special year. She settled in and struck out the side in the seventh.”
The Hatters scored all the runs they would need in a three-run first inning. Kristen Myers drew a leadoff walk, and Kayla Tauber followed with a single. Amya Lundy’s one-out double to center plated a run, and Marissa Rapino’s sacrifice fly scored Waeltz from third. Alyssa Tooley’s RBI single put the Hatters on top 3-0.
In the third, the Hatters added a run when Tess Kearney delivered a two-out single that plated Lundy, who singled to lead off the inning.
The Panthers made it a 4-1 game in the fourth when Lainey Scotese hit a sacrifice fly that plated Meg Curtis, who had singled. The Hatters scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth, thanks to a two-run single by Tess Kearney, and the Hatters led 6-1.
In the top of the sixth, Katie LaPlaunt’s two-out single plated Curtis, who singled to lead off the inning.
The rain came in the bottom of the inning with one out and a pair of Hatters on base – Myers (hit by pitch) and Waeltz (single). When play resumed, it was Leitner’s turn to shine, but she wasn’t the only Hatter to have a good day.
Kearney was 2-for-3 with three RBIS, Lundy was 2-for-4 with a double, RBI and two runs, and Waeltz was 2-for-4 with three runs scored.
“Abby Waeltz had a good hitting game for us,” Krier said. “She had pretty solid hits throughout the game. Later in the game, Tess Kearney had a two-run hit and played well for us. Our sophomores – Amya (Lundy), Abby (Waeltz) and Tess (Kearney) – stepped up.”
Leitner – in another glittering performance in the circle – allowed five hits and two runs (one earned) in seven innings, striking out 17 and walking just one.
For the Panthers, Curtis was 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored.
Hatboro-Horsham (20-1, 16-0 SOL) will host #11 Neshaminy in a quarterfinal game on Thursday. The game was moved up a day with the threat of rain and the Hatters’ prom on Friday.
“Neshaminy was our second scrimmage, and I know for both teams – how we played that day and how they played that day – we’re very different.
“It was a scrimmage, so you’re putting in players, testing things out. We have a lot of respect for Neshaminy. We know their program, we know what their girls can do, but at the same time, we know what we have to do and we can do.”
William Tennent closed out its season with a 14-5 overall record and a SOL Freedom Division crown (11-5 SOL).
William Tennent 000 101 0 2-5-1
Hatboro-Horsham 301 023 x 9-12-1
#11 NESHAMINY 8, #6 RIDLEY 1
The district bracket suggested Neshaminy was the underdog. The Redskins wasted little time before dispelling that notion, opening up an early lead and cruising to the win.
Senior Mia Barone earned the complete game win in the circle, allowing five hits and one run while striking out seven.
The Redskins scored a pair of runs in the first. Seniors Kylie Siwek and Kylee Jones opened the inning with back-to-back singles. Both runners scored on Barone’s double to deep center field.
Barone led off the fourth inning with a single to center and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from senior Dani Monaco. Junior Amanda Slabicki doubled down the third base line, plating Barone. Slabicki scored on sophomore Maddie Nelson’s single, and junior Carena Barr followed with an RBI single to left field. Jones collected the final RBI of the inning with a single up the middle, giving the Redskins a 6-0 lead.
Sophomore Lindsey Gorka led off the fifth inning with a double to right. Barone followed with an RBI double to center, and Slabicki’s single to left scored Barone with the final run of the game.
Siwek, Jones, Gorka, Barone, Slabicki, Nelson, and Barr each had two hits on the day. Barone and Slabicki earned multiple RBIs each while Jones, Nelson, and Barr each added another.
Neshaminy (16-5, 12-4 SOL) will travel to #3 Hatboro-Horsham on Thursday for a quarterfinal contest.
Neshaminy 200 420 0 8
Ridley 000 001 0 1
#4 SPRING-FORD 9, #13 CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 0 (5 innings)
The Rams seized early control of Wednesday’s second round game, opening up a 9-0 lead after three innings. The contest was halted after five innings following a delay of over two hours due to thunderstorms with more storms on the horizon.
The Patriots managed just three hits – one each from Bailey Shellhorn, Mackenzie Wilson and Elizabeth Gray.
Central Bucks East closed out its season with a 14-8 record (10-6 SOL).
Central Bucks East 000 00 0-3-6
Spring-Ford 315 0x 9-6-2
#7 HAVERFORD 2, #23 BENSALEM 1
The Owls – ignoring their 23rd seed – gave the favored Fords all they could handle before falling in a tightly contested game.
“It was a great game,” coach Dan Schram said. “Kids played a great game. Bensalem softball will be a force next year.
“Thank you to the entire community for the undivided support. Our seniors are great leaders and will go down as some of the finest to have played for BHS. They will be missed. Bensalem strong.”
The Owls knotted the score 1-1 in the sixth inning when senior Jess Klein ripped a triple that plated her younger sister Megan.
Junior Maggie Formichelli once again gave the Owls a strong outing in the circle.
Bensalem closed out a successful season with an 11-11 record (6-10 SOL).
#9 METHACTON at #8 QUAKERTOWN (Suspended)
#15 OWEN J. ROBERTS at #2 NORTH PENN (Suspended)
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