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WARMINSTER – William Tennent had just completed the first game of Saturday’s twinbill against defending National Conference champion Pennsbury when coach Biz Keeney looked across the diamond and saw Neshaminy waiting in the wings for the second game of the double header.
“We don’t duck anyone,” the Panthers’ coach said. “We play the big ones back-to-back.”
And they don’t get much bigger than a pair of teams that are arguably two of the district’s best, but the Panthers battled gamely before falling 4-3 to the Falcons and then dropping a 5-0 decision to the Redskins in the second game.
“The first game was a winnable game,” Keeney said. “Not that the second wasn’t, but it takes a lot out of you.
“You’re out here for four straight hours, and then to lose a heartbreaker like that in the first game. There was little or no recovery time, but you have to be pleased. We’re still hitting the last inning. I thought the effort was there, and that’s all you can ask for.”
If you’re counting, the Panthers played three games in less than 24 hours – they fell to Council Rock North 7-6 on Friday afternoon. Sophomore Kelly Hendrickson saw action on the mound in all three.
“Kelly did gut it out, and that’s all we ask of her,” Keeney said. “She’s always around the plate. For her, location is critical.
“If they’re going to hit her, they’re going to hit her. That’s the thing about Kelly – she’ll challenge everybody. She doesn’t walk people – she doesn’t lengthen the game. She’s very productive with her pitches.”
Hendrickson, who worked a total of 14 innings in three games, threw all seven in the final game against Neshaminy.
“It’s stressful and makes my arm sore, but ice helps,” the sophomore hurler said. “It was a challenge, but we really motivated each other to try and pick each other up.
“I thought we did really well in the first game.”
PENNSBURY 4, WILLIAM TENNENT 3
For the briefest period of time, William Tennent entertained hopes of playing the role of giant killer on Saturday.
In the sixth inning of Saturday’s opener against the Falcons, the Panthers used singles by Ashley Alden, Deanna Myers and Kirsten Dougherty (RBI) as well as a costly error on a ball hit by Kelly Hendrickson to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead. Myers (triple) and Doherty (RBI single) also accounted for Tennent’s fourth inning run.
“I was getting nervous, but I’m confident in our pitcher, confident in our defense,” Pennsbury’s Alyssa Becker said. “We just had to get our minds together, and that’s what we did. We came back strong.”
D’Anna Devine got things started with a one-out bunt single in the top of the seventh, and then Becker turned a potential sacrifice bunt into a base hit, setting the stage for the heart of the Falcons’ batting order.
“We know she’s fast,” senior Lauren Rossi said of Becker. “We have a good feeling she’s going to get on, and then me and Kirby (Groves) are right behind.”
And the dangerous duo has been money for the Falcons more often than not. It certainly was on Saturday.
Rossi, who had an RBI triple in a two-run first that plated Becker, delivered an RBI double and then Groves drove in the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly as the Falcons came back to earn the 4-3 win.
“They really played tough,” Pennsbury coach Frank McSherry said of the Panthers. “They brought their ‘A’ game today.
“It was a good plan to throw both pitchers (Hendrickson and Ashley Alden) against us to give us different looks. That was real good. Their team came to play. They wanted this game.
“We made some mental and physical mistakes, and we told the kids – that’s going to happen to every single team. The sign of a good team is – don’t put your heads down, but let’s go. It’s business.
“We were proud of the way they came back in the seventh inning. We did a number of good things.”
NESHAMINY 5, WILLIAM TENNENT 0
Neshaminy coach Kathleen Houser wanted to take some of the pressure off of leadoff batter Samantha Creamer.
The solution?
The Redskins’ coach moved Creamer to the number seven spot in the batting order. If early results are worth anything, the move looks like a stroke of genius.
In the Redskins’ 5-0 win over the Panthers, Creamer contributed a pair of hits, including a triple, two RBIs and two runs scored.
“It feels good,” she said. “Lately, I feel like I moved down because I needed to get the hang of things. I just haven’t been in the swing of things.
“Now that I’ve moved down, they’re giving me more pitches to hit, so I’ve been hitting better. It’s just given me so much more confidence. Before I was hitting it right to people, but now, I’m finding the holes.”
While Creamer was finding her stride at the plate, pitcher Sarah McGowan continued to dazzle on the mound. The sophomore mound ace scattered four singles and struck out nine – eight in the first three innings. She did not walk a batter and was in complete command from the outset.
“We knew this was a big game,” Redskin coach Kathleen Houser said. “I hate games when we’re not in our normal routine, but the weather was so nice, and it was perfect playing on Saturday.
“I was hoping we would hit her better than we did, but as far as the game is concerned, I’m absolutely pleased.”
The Redskins got on the scoreboard in the second. Christina Udris got things started with a bloop single to shallow right, and she advanced on Kelsey Ryan’s sacrifice bunt. It looked as though the Panthers might escape unscathed after Hendrickson coaxed a fly ball to center out of the next batter she faced, but Creamer had other ideas.
The Redskins’ centerfielder grounded an RBI single up the middle, and she scored when McGowan helped her own cause by ripping a double down the left field line to put Neshaminy on top 2-0.
In the fifth, Courtney Clee roped a two-out double to deep center field, and she scored on a rare Tennent error.
With McGowan cruising on the mound, the Panthers’ fate was sealed when the Redskins plated two more runs in the sixth. Ryan legged out a bunt single to open the inning, and one out later, Creamer lined a triple to deep right.
“That is what she’s capable of, that’s what we’ve been waiting for,” Houser said. “I think for her it’s a confidence thing.
“She has so much power, and she’s capable of getting the big hit, so we moved her down so she can get that confidence back. I’m excited for her.”
Creamer scored the game’s final run on a groundout by McGowan for a 5-0 lead.
“This was big,” Creamer said. “Since we only have one loss in the league and Pennsbury only has one loss, we have to take every league game seriously, and we can’t afford to lose, especially if we want to win the SOL.”
THE BIG SHOWDOWN
Samantha Creamer could not contain her excitement when the subject of Tuesday’s showdown against Neshaminy came up in conversation.
“I am so excited, and I can say that every since person on this team is excited,” she said. “Not only is it for the league title, but it’s Neshaminy and Pennsbury.
“Neshaminy and Pennsbury – the rivalry is so intense, and it makes it even better.”
The ending to the SOL season couldn’t have been scripted any better.
The Falcons and Redskins – after Saturday’s wins – share the top spot in the National Conference standings with identical 10-1 records.
The archrivals and perennial softball powers will square off in a showdown for the National Conference crown at Bristol Memorial Park on Tuesday at 8 p.m.
Talk about perfect endings – this is it.
“It gives me chills,” Pennsbury’s Alyssa Becker said. “It really does. It makes me so excited. I’m ecstatic.”
“It’s going to be exciting, it’s going to be tough, but I know it’s going to be a good game,” teammate Lauren Rossi said.
The Falcons benefitted from three unearned runs to win the initial meeting between the two teams 4-1. Twenty-four hours later, Pennsbury was upset by Abington.
“We were hoping it would be this type of situation,” Houser said. “You can’t get any more exciting than what’s going to happen.
“It’s for first place, it’s the finish. We’re hoping to get them this time, especially since they beat us the first time. It’s for all the marbles, it’s a revenge game, and it’s preparing us for the playoffs.”
Fasten your seatbelts. It should be a most interesting ride to the finish line.
PENNSBURY 4, WILLIAM TENNENT 3
Pennsbury 200 000 2-4
Willliam Tennent 000 102 0-3
Multiple Hits: Alyssa Becker 2-for-4, 2 runs scored, Lauren Rossi, 2-for-3, double, triple, 2 RBIs, Kirby Groves 2-for-3, 1 RBI, Ashley Alden 2-for-3, Deanna Myers 2-for-3, triple, Kirsten Doherty, 2-for-2.
NESHAMINY 5, WILLIAM TENNENT 0
Neshaminy: Courtney Clee 2b 4 1 2 0, Alexa Bell rf 4 0 0 0, Erin Quense 4 0 0 0; Christina Udris ss 4 1 1 0, Kelsey Ryan 3b 3 0 2 0, Brianna Guidos 1b 3 1 0 0, Samantha Creamer cf 3 2 2 2, Sarah McGowan p 3 0 1 2, Brittany Guidos 1b, 2 0 0 0, Sam Bender ph 0 0 0 0. TOTALS 30 5 8 4.
Tennent: Deanna Schneiderreit ss 3 0 0 0; Gina Tyson cf 2 0 0 0; Julia Kipnis ph 1 0 0 0; Ashley Alden 1b 3 0 1 0; Deanna Myers c 3 0 0 0; Sam Schultz 3b 3 0 1 0; Kirsten Doherty rf 3 0 1 0; Melanie Grillone 2b 2 0 1 0; Dana Ballantine lf 2 0 0 0; Kelly Hendrickson p 2 0 0 0. TOTALS 26 0 4 0.
Neshaminy 020 012 0-5
Tennent 000 000 0-0
E-Tennent 2, Neshaminy 0. DP-Neshaminy 1. LOB-Neshaminy 6, Tennent 3. 2B-McGowan, Clee. 3B-Creamer. SAC-Ryan.
IP H R ER BB SO
Neshaminy
McGowan (W) 7 4 0 0 0 9
Tennent
Hendrickson (L) 7 8 5 4 1 1
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