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PHILADELPHIA – Heather Boyer is thrilled with the pitchers on her SOL American-Continental roster.
And why not?
Her trio of pitchers – Quakertown’s Justyna Pepkowski, North Penn’s Steph Kulp and Wissahickon’s Katie Ziegler - combined to win a pair of games in Tuesday’s opening day of Carpenter Cup competition.
“There’s a good balance between the three of them,” the Upper Dublin coach said.
The SOL American-Continental rolled to an 11-3 win over the Inter-Ac in its opener on Tuesday morning and came back to down Chester County 8-3 later that afternoon. The squad was in the top of the third inning of its third game of the day when it was suspended because of lightening. Play will resume at 9 a.m. on Wednesday.
“It’s still really early,” Boyer said. “We still have five at-bats left. We scored 19 runs in two games, so I’m not too worried.”
The SOL American-Continental pounded out 22 hits in its first two games combined. North Penn sophomore Jess Mower was 5-for-9 with two runs scored and two RBIs in the two games. North Penn freshman Michelle Holweger was 4-for-6, including a triple, with three runs scored and three RBIs. Maiden junior Taylor Marchozzi was 4-for-7 with a double, two runs scored and one RBI.
“This group is very quiet, but they’re very focused,” Boyer said of her squad. “They go out there, they work hard. There are really no egos out there. They’re all there to enjoy the game and play it the way it’s supposed to be played. They work well together.”
The fun started early for the SOL in its opening round game against the Inter-Ac.
After a one-two-three first, the SOL plated four second-inning runs. Marchozzi got things started with a one-out single, and when Dinolfi’s sacrifice bunt was misplayed, the SOL had runners on second and third. A walk to Pepkowski loaded the bases, and the game’s first run crossed the plate when Quakertown’s Rachel Rice drew a walk.
Norristown’s Sammi Kidd delivered the game’s big blow – a booming triple to right center that plated three more runs.
The Inter-Ac scored a single run in the third, but the SOL added four more runs in the fourth. Highlights of the inning included singles by Springfield’s Taylor Delmonte, Holweger and Norristown’s Gina Pellechio (2 RBIs) as well as three costly Inter-Ac errors.
Pepkowski earned the win on the mound, allowing just two hits and no earned runs in three strong innings.
“I was a little nervous about pitching the first time, but the defense really helped me out,” Pepkowski said. “In the beginning, I didn’t know how we would act as a team, but once we were out there, we all got along really well. We cheered each other on. It was pretty easy to get along.”
In its win over Chester County, the SOL jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Highlights included singles by Mower and Ziegler (two RBIs) as well as a two-run triple to right by Holweger.
That lead grew to 6-0 in the third, thanks to a two-run single by Upper Moreland’s Katie Costello.
Chester County got two of those runs back in the top of the fourth, but the SOL – thanks to singles by Marchozzi and Holweger (RBI) – made it a 7-2 game in the bottom of the inning. The two teams exchanged runs in the fifth for the 8-3 final.
After playing first base in the her team’s first game, Ziegler threw the first four innings to earn the win, allowing four hits and one earned run while striking out four and walking one.
The Trojan sophomore acknowledged it didn’t take long to develop confidence in her new teammates.
“I love it,” she said. “I can count on my defense for every play, and even if they mess up, I know they’re going to pick their heads up and make the next play.
“(Winning) today definitely brings up my confidence, and it’s cool because we get to play again tomorrow.”
Ziegler has enjoyed her first Carpenter Cup experience.
“It’s a great experience,” she said. “I get to meet new girls and also have new coaches I haven’t had experience with, so I think it’s a really cool thing.
“There are no problems, and it’s fun to play with girls you never met, and you become really close in the end.”
Pepkowski followed Ziegler and worked two innings – this despite taking a nasty line drive on her right (non-throwing) arm by the first batter she faced.
“She got herself together and got out of that inning with one run and settled down and had a really quick sixth inning,” Boyer said. “To get hit like she did on a ball up the middle and then to settle in and get six outs was good.”
“I’m the kind of person who likes to keep going,” Pepkowski said. “So I made sure that I was going to keep pitching.”
Pepkowski acknowledged that she’s still feeling a bit sore.
“It’s getting better,” she said. “I keep putting ice on it.”
Kulp closed it out with a one-two-three seventh.
SOL AMERICAN-CONTINENTAL 11, INTER-AC 3
SOL American-Continental (11) – Katie Ziegler 1b 2 0 0 0; Michelle Holweger 1b 3 1 2 0; Cassandra Zanolini c 2 0 0 0; Jennifer Toland 3b 1 2 0 0; Jessica Mower ss 5 1 2 2; Stephanie Kulp cf 5 1 1 1; Taylor Marchozzi 3b 5 1 3 1; Stephanie Dinolfi 2b 2 1 1 0; Gina Pellechio 2b 3 0 1 2; Justyna Pepkowski p 1 1 0 0; Ashleigh Sharp cf 1 0 0 0; Rachel Rice lf 0 1 0 0; Katie Costello lf 3 0 1 0; Sammi Kidd rf 1 0 1 3; Taylor Delmonte rf 2 2 1 0. TOTALS 36 11 13 10
Inter-Ac (3) – Danielle Sienko ss 2 0 0 0; Aly Markey 3b 2 0 0 0; Alexandra Lucas lf 1 0 0 0; Alexis Giovinazzo lf 3 1 1 1; Mackenzie Kramer 3b 4 1 1 0; Gab Ceritano 1b 4 0 2 2; Amanda Logan cf 1 0 0 0; Elisa Novak cf 0 0 0 0; Stephanie Wolfson p 2 0 0 0; Kelly McNulty p 1 0 0 0; Sarah McKay c 1 0 0 0; Michelle Cybularz c 2 0 1 0; Nikki Pepe 2b 1 0 0 0; Katie McCollum 2b 2 0 1 0; Tessa Logan rf 0 1 0 0; Taylor Lord rf 2 0 1 0. TOTALS 28 3 7 3.
SOL American-Continental 040 420 1 11-13-3
Inter-Ac 001 000 2 3-7-9
IP H R ER BB SO
SOL American-Continental
Pepkowski (W) 3 2 1 0 1 4
Kulp 4 5 2 0 1 2
Inter-Ac
Wolfson (L) 4 5 4 2 2 0
Cybularz 1 6 6 3 3 3
McNulty 2 2 1 1 1 0
SOL AMERICAN-CONTINENTAL 8, CHESTER COUNTY 3
Chester County (3) – Jamie Smith ss 2 0 1 0; Rachel Borrell ss 1 0 0 0; Taylor Kelly 2b 3 0 1 0; Kelsey McWilliams 3b 0 0 0 0; Taylor Shultz rf 4 1 2 0; Alexis Vaszily 1b 1 0 0 0; Alex Gustaltis 1b 2 0 0 0; Allyson Rupple 3b 2 0 0 0; Tori Marcavage 3b 2 0 1 0; Kira Gleason c 1 0 0 0; Lauren Mehok c 3 0 0 1; Casey Herring p 2 1 1 0; Kircher cf 1 0 0 0; Wieber lf 0 0 0 0; Carlson lf 2 0 0 0; McGowan cf 2 1 1 1; White lf 1 0 0 0. TOTALS 29 3 7 2.
SOL American-Continental (8) – Cassandra Zanolini c 2 0 0 0; Taylor Marchozzi c 2 1 1 0; Stephanie Dinolfi 2b 1 1 0 0; Gina Pellechio 2b 2 0 0 0; Jessica Mower ss 4 1 3 0; Michelle Holweger 1b 3 2 2 3; Jennifer Toland 3b 2 2 0 0; Katie Ziegler p 2 0 1 2; Justyna Pepkowski p 1 0 0 0; Sammi Kidd rf 1 0 0 0; Taylor Delmonte rf 1 1 1 0; Katie Costello lf 2 0 1 2; Rachel Rice lf 1 0 0 0; Ashleigh Sharp cf 2 0 0 0; Stephanie Kulp cf 1 0 0 0. TOTALS 27 8 9 9 7.
Chester County 000 210 0 3-7-1
SOL American-Continental 402 110 x 8-9-2
IP H R ER BB SO
Chester County
Wieber (L) 1/3 2 4 4 2 0
Herring 3 2/3 5 3 0 3 5
Marcavage 2 2 1 0 0 2
SOL American-Continental
Ziegler (W) 4 4 2 1 1 4
Pepkowski 2 3 1 1 1 1
Kulp 1 0 0 0 0 0
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