Check out the recaps for SOL softball teams in action Thursday.
SOL Patriot Division
PENNSBURY 13, NESHAMINY 0 (6 innings)
Twenty-four hours after an upset loss at the hands of Council Rock North, the Falcons responded with arguably their most impressive outing of the season. Laney Freiband was on top of her game in the circle, the Falcons pounded out 13 hits in six innings, and they played flawless defense.
“As bad as we were yesterday, that’s how good we were today,” Pennsbury coach Frank McSherry said. “We didn’t pitch well yesterday, we couldn’t catch a ball, and we could not hit, and today we did everything. It was like the tale of two teams.”
Freiband allowed five hits in the six-inning shutout win while fanning seven and walking none.
Naya Schubel – the Falcons’ designated player – had a huge day at the plate, finishing 2-for-3 with two doubles, five RBIs and two runs scored. Contributing two hits each were Ava Storlazzi (triple), Presley Foote (double), Anna Evanchik and Liv Czerniak (double).
“Liv Czerniak, our freshman shortstop, had a career day,” McSherry said. “She was 2-for-3 with a double, stolen base, and she made all the plays in the infield. She had a nice day.”
Sammy Raub had a double and two RBIs, and Freiband also had a double.
Pennsbury (16-4, 13-3 SOL) will host #24 Perkiomen Valley in Monday’s opening round of the District 1 6A Tournament. Neshaminy (10-6, 11-9) will be on the road at #13 Pennridge for an opening round game Monday.
Pennsbury 211 504 13-13-0
Neshaminy 000 000 0-5-2
Non-league
SPRINGFIELD TWP 12, MERION MERCY ACADEMY 9
The Spartans won a wild one, holding off a late Golden Bear rally. Thursday’s non-league win loomed large as it vaulted Springfield Twp ahead of Lower Moreland for the fourth and final spot in the District 1 4A Tournament.
“I am so proud of the way our girls played this game,” coach Heather Gehlhaus said. “They never gave up and kept fighting hard to get the win. Our offense was so strong and didn’t let up the entire game.”
The Spartans collected 20 hits, and they went to work early, scoring six runs in the bottom of the second inning. Kayla Parsons drew a leadoff walk, and with one out, Charlotte Drapkin, Emily West (RBI) and McKayla McKeever (RBI) collected consecutive singles. A fly ball to right field for the inning’s second out was followed by singles from Joce Davis (RBI), Taylor Schulz, Ashley Jenkins (RBI) and Parsons (RBI).
The Golden Bears cut that lead in half with three runs in the top of the third to make it a 6-3 game, but the Lions answered with two runs in the fourth. Davis led off with a single, and Schulz smashed a two-run home run to center field that put the Spartans on top 8-3.
Merion Mercy pulled to within two (9-7) in the top of the sixth, but the Spartans scored three in the bottom of the inning. Parsons reached base on an error, and one out later, Drapkin singled. Back-to-back RBI doubles by West and McKeever were followed by an RBI single from Norah Conlin that put the Spartans on top 12-7 on their way to the important win.
“Multiple girls had multiple hits,” Gehlhaus said. “Taylor Schulz was yet again a huge contributor to this win. She was 4-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs.
“Joce Davis pitched well for us. She worked really hard on the mound to help us get the win. Joce was great batting for us, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs. She has really stepped up into her role this week, and we couldn’t be more proud of her.
“McKayla McKeever had an unbelievable game saving catch for the final out of the game. These girls have worked so hard all season and have come a long way. That win was a strong finish to our regular season.”
McKeever’s catch came with two outs, two runs across and the bases loaded.
McKeever was 3-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and three runs scored out of the leadoff spot. Jenkins (2-for-4, 1 RBI), Parsons (2-for-3, RBI, 2R) and Drapkin (2-for-4, 2R) also had multi-hit games.
Springfield Twp (10-10, 7-9 SOL) will find out its schedule when the District 1 4A bracket is finalized.
Merion Mercy 003 013 2 9-13-2
Springfield Twp 060 213 x 12-20-3
NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 13, MORRISVILLE 2 (5 innings)
Amalie Marino and Emily Wilson combined for a two-hitter in Thursday’s abbreviated non-league contest, and the Lions gave them plenty of run support.
NH-S took a 1-0 lead in the first without collecting a hit and then added two runs in the second. Anna Cornwall, who walked, scored on a passed ball, and Kaylee Harris lined a triple to right field to plate a run that put the Lions on top 3-0.
A four-run third inning upped the Lions’ lead to 7-0 and featured singles by Jackie Herbert, Ella Dudick (RBI), and Harris (2 RBIs). They added six more runs over the next two innings to bring an early end to the game.
Herbert led the Lions with a 3-for-4 effort that included a double, one RBI and three runs scored. Harris had a big day at the plate out of the leadoff spot, finishing 2-for-3 with a triple and three RBIs.
All told, the Lions managed just six hits, but they benefitted from 14 walks.
Marino earned the win, allowing one hit and one run in three innings while striking out two and walking four. Wilson threw the final two innings, allowing one hit and one run (unearned) while striking out two and walking one.
New Hope-Solebury closed out the regular season with a 3-15 record overall. They were 2-14 in the SOL.
New Hope-Solebury 124 24 13-6-1
Morrisville 010 01 2-2-3
MOUNT ST JOSEPH ACADEMY 4, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 3 (8 innings)
The Bucks kept their playoff hopes alive with a big win over Souderton on Wednesday, and only a non-league win over the Mount in Thursday’s regular season finale stood between West and a berth in the District 1 6A Tournament.
West took a 3-2 lead into the seventh inning only to see the Mount tie it and then win it with a run in the top of the eighth, bringing the Bucks’ season to a heartbreaking end. The Bucks were 25th in the final district power rankings, one spot away from the 24-team tournament field.
In the top of the first, the Magic bunched four hits to score two runs. The Bucks got one of them back in the second when Laila Murray, who was safe on an error to open the inning, scored on Taylor Hooven’s clutch two-out single.
In the bottom of the third, Chloe Dryden led off with a single, and she moved up to third when Molly Gibson lined a one-out single to center field. Dryden scored the tying run when Julia Thomas hit a sac fly to right field.
Avery Rubenstein led off the fourth with a double to center field but never got any further. In the fifth inning, the Bucks scored the go-ahead run, but it could have been more had the Mount not turned a double play after they put their first two runners on board with back-to-back singles. Gibson, who singled, scored on a single by Murray to put the Bucks on top 3-2.
The Mount plated an unearned run in the top of the seventh. In the bottom of the inning, the Bucks put a pair of runners on board when Thomas and Murray collected back-to-back singles with two outs. A popup to second for the inning’s final out ended that threat.
In the top of the eighth, the Magic capitalized on a leadoff triple to score a run that turned out to be the game-winner.
Gibson (3-for-4, 1R) and Murray (3-for-4, RBI, 1R) led the Bucks 12-hit attack.
Central Bucks West closed out its season with a 9-11 record, 7-9 in the SOL.
Mount St. Joseph 200 000 11 4-10-1
Central Bucks West 011 010 00 3-12-3
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