Four SOL teams – North Penn, Central Bucks South, Pennsbury and Hatboro-Horsham – will compete in Monday’s opening round of the PIAA Class AAAA Tournament.
At the end of every postgame huddle, North Penn’s players and coaches form a circle and part with the one-word cheer, ‘Family.’ According to Alexa Gable, that’s not just lip service.
“We really mean it,” the Maidens’ junior leftfielder said. “We are such a family, we’ve become so close, and we’ve worked so hard together.”
That hard work and camaraderie have led to remarkable results for a Maiden squad that stumbled out of the gate to an 0-2 start and had decidedly modest expectations entering the District One AAAA Tournament.
“I kind of knew we would make it to our cursed spot (in the second round) where we lost every single year,” senior Jess Mower said with a laugh. “But when we were actually coming into playoffs, I knew there was a good chance we would get past that curse.”
The Maidens got past the curse and then some, surprising even themselves with a run that culminated with Thursday’s 2-1 win over Bishop Shanahan in the district title game. It was their program’s first district championship since 1985.
“I’m still in shock a little bit,” junior Michelle Holweger admitted three days after the Maidens clinched the district crown. “We overcame things this season like our first couple of losses.
“That Souderton game (a 10-9 win in a game the Maidens trailed 9-0) helped build our confidence – just getting all those hits. Our hitting came a long way since how it was at the beginning of the season.
“We changed our batting order, and I feel like if you shake the little things up, put people in different spots, it gives a new face to the team.”
On the subject of new faces, no one has played a bigger role in the Maidens’ turnaround this season than freshman hurler Jackie Bilotti.
“I give a lot of the kudos to Jackie Bilotti,” said Gable, whose sixth-inning triple was the big blow in the Maidens’ win over Shanahan. “She’s incredible. She’s done it every single game for us – come out and given her heart. She doesn’t show any fear at all. It’s amazing.”
Bilotti credits Mower, her batterymate, for making her varsity debut such a smooth transition.
“Oh my gosh, we talk all the time,” Bilotti said. “She’s one of my best friends, and I love pitching to her. She cares so much about the game and about me and about the team.”
While Bilotti and Mower – the team’s lone senior – regularly find themselves in the spotlight, Mower insisted this district crown was a team effort.
“I give all of these girls credit,” she said. “There’s not one girl out here that deserves it more than the other. We all deserve it just as equal. We have such a great team playing together, and it’s just so much fun being with them.”
Coach Rick Torresani gave all the credit for the Maidens’ district run to the players.
“They came out and played,” the Maidens’ coach said. “The coaches really didn’t do anything, other than I call pitches. They’re the ones that have to come out here and hit the ball, pitch the ball and catch the ball, and they just did it.
“For a team with one senior and the outside pressure they’ve been under since the beginning of the year – it just made them grow, and they’re just unbelievable.”
The Maidens face another daunting task in the opening round of the PIAA Class AAAA Tournament when they take on a Lower Dauphin squad that was seeded first entering the District 3 Tournament but was upset by Central Dauphin in the semifinals.
“I haven’t heard anything about them, but I like that not knowing a team when you go in there,” Holweger said. “If you know about a pitcher, you might freak out a little, but if you don’t, you can go in relaxed and see what happens.
“We’re just playing right now, and everything is working right now. There’s no pressure.”
The district champions will face Lower Dauphin on Monday at Spring-Ford High School at 5:30 p.m.
(1-1) North Penn vs. (3-3) Lower Dauphin at Spring-Ford, 5:30 p.m.
North Penn
- 18-7 overall, 9-5 SOL
- Finished third to Central Bucks South and Hatboro-Horsham in Continental Conference
- Won 9 of 12 games to close out regular season and nine of last 10 games
- Defeated 23rd-seeded Ridley 5-0 in opening round district game and downed #7 Downingtown West 4-2 in the second round. In the Maidens’ win over Downingtown West, senior Jess Mower was a perfect 4-for-4 with two doubles, and freshman Jackie Bilotti earned the win on the mound.
- Eked out a 1-0 win over conference rival Central Bucks East in Friday’s quarterfinal. Bilotti tossed a shutout, and another freshman – Becky Christoffers - delivered a sacrifice fly to plate the game winner in the seventh.
- The Maidens jumped on top 2-0 in the first inning and never lost their lead en route to a 4-3 win over sixth-seeded Central Bucks South in the district semifinals. Freshman Jackie Bilotti earned the win on the mound. Vicky Tumasz and Jess Mower led the offense with two hits each.
- The 10th-seeded Maidens captured their program’s first district title since 1985 by coming from behind to defeat Bishop Shanahan 2-1. Alexa Gable delivered the game’s big blow, a booming RBI triple in the sixth. Jackie Bilotti allowed just two hits and no earned runs.
- North Penn is making its first state playoff appearance since 1985.
Players to watch: Jess Mower (Sr., catcher), Michelle Holweger (Jr., second baseman), Alexa Gable (Jr., leftfielder), Erin Maher (Soph., centerfielder), Jackie Bilotti (Fr., pitcher)
Lower Dauphin*
- 24-2 overall, 12-0 Mid-Penn League
- Mid-Penn Keystone Division champions
- Captured Mid-Penn Conference championship
- Top-seeded team entering District 3 Tournament but upset by Central Dauphin 2-1 in district semifinals
- Meghan Donlan and Katie Moosic split duties on the mound – both earned first team all-league honors
- Led by all-everything shortstop Casey Alcorn, who earned first team all-league honors after batting .525 during the regular season and committing zero errors. As a junior, the East Carolina-bound senior hit .604 and struck out only twice the entire season. One of top two candidates for Gatorade PA Softball Player of the Year.
- Sophomore first baseman Madison Kotchey, also a first team all-league selection, was Lower Dauphin’s leading hitter during the regular season. She hit .567 with 25 RBIs and eight triples.
- Centerfielder Elaine Gross is also a first team all-league selection
*Information as reported on PennLive.com.
(1-3) CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH vs. (11-1) LIBERTY at Pates Park, 6 p.m.
Central Bucks South
- 18-4 overall, 12-2 SOL
- Continental Conference co-champions with Hatboro-Horsham
- Defeated #11Wissahickon 4-0 in second round district game. The Titans were led by the four-hit, nine-strikeout effort of Haileigh Stocks and the two-hit, two-RBI performance of Hallie Bilker.
- The Titans pounded out nine hits and benefitted from three errors (resulting in three unearned runs) to earn an 8-0 win over third-seeded Spring-Ford in the quarterfinals. Lauren Klepchick led the Titans with a 3-for-4 day while Hallie Bilker drove in three runs with a bases-clearing triple. Haileigh Stocks allowed just two hits in the shutout.
- Titans never led in their 4-3 loss to North Penn in last Tuesday’s district semifinal. Morgan Decker led the Titans with a pair of hits.
- Rolled to a 9-1 win over top-seeded Pennsbury in last Thursday’s third place game. Freshman Maddie Decker’s two-run double highlighted a six-run uprising in the fourth inning. Haileigh Stocks not only earned the win on the mound, the senior hurler also was 3-for-3 with a double to lead a 15-hit Titan attack.
Players to watch: Haileigh Stocks (Sr., pitcher), Morgan Decker (Sr., third baseman), Lauren Klepchick (Sr., catcher), Hallie Bilker (Jr., rightfielder)
Liberty*
- 20-4 overall, set a school record for wins
- Fell to Bethlehem Catholic 8-6 in Lehigh Valley Conference title game
- Defeated Emmaus 4-0 to capture its first District 11 AAAA softball title, ending a 19-year championship drought. Senior Erin Wilson tossed a three-hit shutout to earn her 50th career victory. Ashley Malek hit her first career homer, a two-run shot in the second. Lauren Epsaro was 2-for-2. Leftfielder Mariah Kondravy hit an RBI double. It was her 17th extra-base hit of the season and her 38th RBI. The sophomore is hitting over .500 for the season (43-for-84).
- First ever trip to PIAA Tournament for Liberty
*Information as reported on LehighValleyLive.com.
(1-4) PENNSBURY vs. (4-1) WILLIAMSPORT at Bloomsburg University, 12 noon
Pennsbury
- 20-4 overall, 13-1 SOL
- National Conference co-champions with Neshaminy
- Defending district and state runner-up
- Only losses came at hands of Immaculate Heart Academy (April 14) and Neshaminy (May 16)
- Defeated Pennridge 1-0 in second round in a contest that saw Val Buehler toss a three-hit shutout and freshman Dani Litwin deliver the game-winning hit.
- Needed eight innings to defeat ninth-seeded Methacton 2-1 in Friday’s quarterfinal. Suzanne Swanicke, just back after a bout with bronchitis, delivered a two-out double in the eighth and then scored the winning run when Michelle George delivered a clutch single.
- Managed just one hit – an infield single by Suzanne Swanicke with two outs in the seventh – in Tuesday’s 4-0 semifinal loss to Bishop Shanahan.
- Fell to Central Bucks South 9-1 in district third place game.
Players to watch: Val Buehler (Jr., pitcher), Mackenzie Obert (Jr., shortstop), Jess Greenwald (Jr., second baseman), Christina Bascara (Jr., third baseman), Suzanne Swanicke (Jr., first baseman), Michelle George (Jr., centerfielder), Farryl Groder (Soph., rightfielder)
Williamsport
- 18-3 overall
- Central Penn League champions for second consecutive year
- Led by senior pitcher Alexis Bower, who also is her team’s top hitter and is a candidate for Gatorade PA State Player of the Year. Bower tossed a perfect game against Bald Eagle Area on April 18, striking out 11 and retiring all 21 batters she faced.
- The Millionaires defended their District 4 crown with 1-0 win over Hazleton in the title game. Bower retired the first 15 batters she faced – 10 by strikeout – before allowing a single in sixth. She finished with a one-hitter. Williamsport managed just two hits in the win and scored game-winning run on a bunt with the bases loaded.
- Lost to Hatboro-Horsham 11-0 in six innings in a PIAA Class AAAA quarterfinal game last year.
(1-5) HATBORO-HORSHAM vs (3-1) CENTRAL DAUPHIN at Lebanon Valley College, 5 p.m.
Hatboro-Horsham
- 21-3 overall, 12-2 SOL
- Continental Conference co-champions with Central Bucks South
- Defending district and state champion
- Defeated #13 Upper Darby 3-0 in second round district contest in a game that saw Maggie Shaffer toss a two-hit shutout and sophomore Daria Edwards deliver a two-run homerun.
- The Hatters managed just one hit as they fell to fifth-seeded Bishop Shanahan 1-0 in the quarterfinals. Eagles’ mound ace Kate Poppe fanned 17 and drove in the winning run.
- Regrouped to rout Methacton 13-0 in an abbreviated five-inning game in last Tuesday’s playback. Val Sadowl (double, home run, three RBIs), Chrissy James and Nicole D’Andrea (2 RBIs) each collected two hits for the Hatters, who pounded out 14 hits. Maggie Shaffer tossed the abbreviated shutout.
- Hatters rolled to an 8-1 win over third-seeded Spring-Ford in last Thursday’s playback game. Maria Spinosa’s grand slam in the fourth inning put the Hatters on top 6-1. Chrissy James and Heather Lutz delivered solo homers. Lutz was a perfect 3-for-3 to lead the Hatters. Maggie Shaffer earned the win on the mound.
Players to watch: Maggie Shaffer (Sr., pitcher), Val Sadowl (Sr., shortstop), Jackie DiPietro (Sr., centerfielder), Chrissy James (Sr., second baseman), Nicole D’Andrea (Sr., designated hitter), Heather Lutz (Jr., rightfielder), Nicole Casagrand (Jr., first baseman) Maria Spinosa (Jr., third baseman), Daria Edwards (Jr., catcher), Jenn Cader (Fr., leftfielder)
Central Dauphin
- 21-4 overall, 11-1 Mid-Penn Conference
- Mid-Penn Commonwealth Conference champions
- Led by University of Pittsburgh-bound Taylor Henry, one of top two candidates for Gatorade PA Softball Player of the Year. Through 22 games, boasted 1.12 ERA with 192 strikeouts and a batting average of .511 with 26 RBIs and 27 runs scored.
- Upset top-seeded Lower Dauphin 2-1 in District 3 semifinals.
- Defeated Dallastown 7-6 in District 3 title game. Taylor Henry won the game with a solo home run in the seventh inning. Drexel-bound catcher Karli Boyer was 2-for-4.
- Henry, Boyer and first baseman Katie Foran were first team Mid-Penn Commonwealth Conference All-Stars.
- Lost to Souderton 2-1 in eight innings in opening round of PIAA Class AAAA Tournament last year. Liz Parkins allowed just three hits while earning the win on the mound.
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