Check out the recaps for SOL baseball/softball teams in action Saturday.
Baseball
SOL National Conference
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 5, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 1
The Golden Hawks erupted for four runs in the sixth inning, breaking a 1-1 tie and going on to win by a 5-1 score. Drew LaPolice earned the win, allowing three hits and one run in four strong innings. He struck out eight and walked one. Michael Rabayda closed out the game, allowing one hit in three shutout innings. He struck out four and walked one.
Their combined stats are impressive – the duo allowed four hits and one run while striking out 12 and walking two.
“Great team win today,” coach Ted Kirner said. “We had a phenomenal one-two punch on the mound in LaPolice and Rabayda today.
“Timely hitting and great defense led the winning cause. Two big games remain.”
In the pivotal four-run sixth, the Golden Hawks managed just two hits – singles by Jon Pinciotti and Jack O’Neill (RBI). Jared Ennis, who reached base on a leadoff walk and stole second, scored on a passed ball. Trey Obarowski drew a bases-loaded walk, and the Golden Hawks also benefitted on a Rock North miscue.
Earlier, Rock North took a 1-0 lead in the fourth when Andrew Mancini, who singled, scored on a double by Eric Woodhead. The Golden Hawks got that run back in the top of the fifth. They had runners on the corners after singles by Bennett Bobrin and Emilio Pallante. Bobrin scored the equalizer on Obarowski’s groundout.
Bobrin’s 2-for-4 effort with two runs scored led the Golden Hawks. Obarowski had a pair of RBIs.
For the Indians, Woodhead and Pat Kusters both had doubles.
Council Rock South (10-5, 6-5 SOL) will host Harry S Truman on Monday, and Council Rock North (6-13, 3-9) will be on the road at Steinert (Hamilton, NJ) on Saturday.
Council Rock South 000 014 0 5-7-0
Council Rock North 000 100 0 1-4-1
Softball
SOL National Conference
BENSALEM 7, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 3
The Owls – who pounded out 12 hits – jumped out to a 5-0 lead after three innings. Maggie Formichelli and Dani Sharpe protected that lead, combining to allow just four hits in the conference win.
“We are a team – it’s a good group,” coach Dan Schram said. “Maggie pitches a good game, and Dani Sharpe got the save.
“Different people step up all the time. It’s a very unselfish group.”
In the first inning, Jessica Klein and Chloe Munyon opened the frame with back-to-back singles, and both scored on Maddie Buechner’s double. One out later, Allison Goodman singled, and Buechner scored on Maggie Formichelli’s RBI groundout.
With two outs in the third inning, Haley Keenan smashed a solo home run to left field. Goodman, who followed with a double, scored on an RBI single by Formichelli.
The Golden Hawks – who were once again without ace Danielle Walters (injury) – got on the board in the fifth when Ally Kirschner, who had doubled, scored on a single by Despirito. An RBI single by Dani Sharpe in the bottom of the inning gave the Owls a 6-1 lead. The Golden Hawks scored two runs in the top of the sixth and the Owls got one back in the sixth to close out the scoring.
Klein (2-for-4, 2 runs), Munyon (2-for-4, run), Buechner (2-for-4, 2B, 3 RBIs, run), Goodman (2-for-3, 2B, run) and Formichelli (2-for-3, 2 RBIs) led the Owls’ attack.
In the circle, Formichelli, who earned the win, threw 5.1 innings, allowing four hits and three runs (two earned) while striking out two and walking four. Sharpe did not allow a hit in the final 1.2 innings.
Bensalem (10-7, 4-7 SOL) will close out its regular season on Wednesday at Council Rock North. Council Rock South (6-11, 3-8) will host Gwynedd Mercy in a non-league game Monday.
Council Rock South 000 012 0 3-4-1
Bensalem 302 011 x 7-12-1
Non-league
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 9, WEST SCRANTON 0
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 7, HOLY CROSS 0
The Indians made their road trip to Scranton Saturday worth their while, winning a pair of games to move within one game of .500. More importantly, the wins vaulted the Indians to 24th in the latest District 1 6A power rankings.
“We started the week 4-9, losing five in a row and having CB South up,” coach John Engelhardt said. “Beating them gave the girls hope and then we played well against Bensalem, and here we are 24th in the playoff (seedings) when I didn’t think there was a chance we could get into the playoffs.
“I’m just proud that the kids fought. I was waiting for this to happen all year to turn the tide, and it happened. There was just more energy in the dugout. I was hoping that we would get back into the hunt where there would be that natural energy. We’ve treated every game like a playoff game since we beat CB South, and the same will go for next week when we have three games. It was exciting to see. We played well.”
Pitching was the name of the game for the Indians on Saturday. Lauren Begg and Jenna Khantzian combined for a pair of shutouts, allowing a total of five hits in the two games combined. In the win over West Scranton, Begg got the start and threw five shutout innings, striking out four. Khantzian – just recently cleared to play after being sidelined with concussion symptoms – closed it out with two scoreless innings, fanning three.
In the win over Holy Cross, Khantzian, who earned the win, got the starting nod and allowed one hit while striking out seven in four shutout innings. She fanned the last four batters she faced. Begg allowed two hits and struck out one in three innings to close it out.
“We got incredible pitching from Jenna and from Lauren,” Engelhardt said. “Jenna’s curveball was filthy. An umpire said, ‘I’ve been an umpire for 20 years. I haven’t seen that type of curveball in I can’t tell you how long.’ Jenna was really, really dialed in.
“They both had really good movement on their ball, and they complement each other so well because righty-lefty, the ball’s spinning in a different direction. One’s a drop ball pitcher, and the other’s got some rise. They did a nice job splitting the games, and we backed it up at the plate.”
In the win over West Scranton, five of Rock North’s runs were scored with two outs, including three in a four-run second that all but put the game out of reach. Begg’s two-run triple was the big blow.
Begg (3-for-5, 3B, 2 RBIs) and Khantzian (3-for-3, 3 runs) also led the Indians at the plate. Rachel Lorence was 2-for-5 with a pair of RBIs, and Yoder was 2-for-2 with two RBIs.
In the Holy Cross win, the Indians took a 2-0 lead into the fifth when they scored three runs. Katheryn Hastings doubled in a pair of runs in the frame. Holy Cross, according to Engelhardt, did not pitch ace Jenna Bradley, saving her for Neshaminy.
For the game, Abby Seiple was 2-for-3 with two RBIs, and Hastings was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Alyssa Booth was 1-for-3 for with an RBI.
Council Rock North (8-9, 2-8 SOL) will host Central Bucks West on Monday.
Council Rock North 041 010 3 9-13-1
West Scranton 000 000 0 0-2-2
Council Rock North 011 030 2 7-8-2
Holy Cross 000 000 0 0-3-2
NESHAMINY 16, MID VALLEY 4 (5 innings)
NESHAMINY 5, HOLY CROSS 3
The Redskins joined Council Rock North in Scranton and also swept a pair of games. Their game against Mid Valley didn’t pose much of a challenge as the Redskins scored early and often.
Their win over Holy Cross was another story as they rallied from a 3-1 deficit against University of Massachusetts-bound Jenna Bradley, who – during one remarkable week in mid-April – retired 39 of 41 batters she faced, striking out 31 and allowing just one hit.
Kennedie Ruth outdueled the highly regarded pitcher to earn the complete game win. The freshman hurler allowed just three hits and three runs (two earned) while striking out 13.
The Redskins got on the board in the fourth when Kylee Jones hit a solo home run, but Holy Family answered with three runs in the fifth. In the sixth, Asia Barnard led off with a triple, and Olivia Fee legged out an infield single, setting the stage for a three-run blast by Liana Jones. The Redskins tacked on an insurance run, thanks to singles by Rachel Kohler and Ruth (RBI).
Barnard, Fee and Ruth each had two hits off of Bradley, who gave up nine hits in the loss. She fanned 11 and allowed four earned runs.
“Going away, playing in an unfamiliar atmosphere, traveling from a hotel – when we surrendered the lead to Holy Cross, we could have easily given up,” coach Dave Chichilitti said. “They didn’t give an inch. I’m very proud of the way we responded today and played TEAM softball.”
In the win over Mid Valley, the Redskins scored all the runs Ruth would need in a three-run first. They took a 7-2 lead into the fourth when they exploded for nine runs.
All told, the Redskins pounded out 17 hits. Contributing multiple hits for the Redskins were Bernard (3-for-5, 2B), Kaylee Jones (3-for-5, 2 2B), Liana Jones (2-for-4), Ruth (2-for-4, 2B), Kiley Gurysh (2-for-4, 2B) and Emily Siwek (2-for-3).
Ruth threw two innings and notched the win. She struck out four.
Neshaminy (16-3, 10-1 SOL) will play Pennsbury on Lower Bucks Softball Night Tuesday in Bristol with the SOL National Conference title at stake.
Neshaminy 313 91 16-17-0
Mid Valley 020 2 4-5-3
Neshaminy 000 104 0 5-9-2
Holy Cross 000 030 0 3-3-2
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