Nine SOL teams will see District One Tournament action on Wednesday. Check out the preview capsules.
#17 PENNRIDGE at #1 PENNSBURY
Pennsbury
- 18-2 overall, 13-1 SOL
- National Conference co-champions with Neshaminy
- Defending district and state runner-up
- Split season series with second-seeded Neshaminy
- Only losses came at hands of Immaculate Heart Academy (April 14) and Neshaminy (May 16)
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)
Coach Frank McSherry says: “We told them today what we tell them every single day – ‘Play like it’s your last game. Don’t give away an at-bat, don’t give away a ground ball, don’t give away a fly ball. Don’t give anything away.’ We know that any team that beat Hatboro is a good team, that’s for sure. Pennridge has been playing well, they won a first round game, so they’re going to come in fired up and ready to go. No game is easy.
Pennridge
- 12-9 overall, 8-6 SOL
- Finished fourth in Continental Conference behind Central Bucks South, Hatboro-Horsham and North Penn
- 4-7 after 11 games to start season
- Won five straight to close out regular season, including 6-3 win over conference co-champion Hatboro-Horsham on May 3
- Swept season series with 18th-seeded Central Bucks East
- Defeated Boyertown 8-1 in Monday’s opening round district game.
Players to watch: Emily Hofmann (Sr., catcher), Paige DeCew (Jr., pitcher), Brooke Labs (Jr., third baseman), Emily Mayhew (Soph., leftfielder), Haley Taylor (Soph., second baseman), Alison Horne (Soph., outfielder), Bridget Casey (Soph., centerfielder), Lisa Bahmueller (Fr., shortstop), Morgan Labs (Fr., first baseman)
Coach Paul Koehler says: “We’re excited to go down and take on Pennsbury. You love to go after the top dogs. All the pressure is on them. We’re just a lowly 17 seed. The girls are absolutely tickled to death. They’re so excited about this whole thing. It really came about because we stopped talking about getting there and just started talking about taking care of the game and playing the game. When it got toward the end, I finally said, ‘Is this district thing really important to you because if it is we have to start winning games and putting things together because we’re really that close.’ They just really picked up the level of their play. It’s fun to watch.”
#18 CENTRAL BUCKS EAST at #2 NESHAMINY
Neshaminy
- 18-1 overall, 13-1 SOL
- National Conference co-champions with Pennsbury
- Split season series with Pennsbury, winning final regular season game 4-3 in eight innings
- Suffered only loss at hands of Pennsbury on May 1 (1-0 in nine innings)
Players to watch: Laura Altenburger (Sr., shortstop), Dana Knapp (Sr., rightfielder), Diana LaPalombara (Jr., centerfielder), Julia McGovern (Jr., third baseman), Lauren Quense (Jr., pitcher), Lauren Creamer (Jr., designated player), Anna Luff (Jr., second baseman), Carly Coleman (Soph., leftfielder), Sam Offenback (Fr., catcher), Sarah Snider-Leonhauser (Fr., first baseman)
Coach Dave Chichilitti says: “We have to continue to play solid defense behind Lauren Quense. We have been improving defensively every game, and if we can continue to improve through this game, it will be very difficult for our opponent to get something going offensively, which can be very frustrating. We also need to execute the small things - the things that may be overlooked in a game, like moving runners over or not allowing runners to take an extra base. Any time you play a playoff game, it boils down to execution. Our last couple of games have been like playoff games, so I know we will come out and be prepared to play a great game.”
Central Bucks East
- 11-9 overall, 7-7 SOL
- Fifth place team from the Continental Conference
- Lost four of six games to start season
- 7-2 in final nine games of regular season
- Split season series with 10th-seeded North Penn, defeating the Maidens 5-1 on April 26 after falling 10-0 in the initial meeting between the two teams.
- Defeated 15th-seeded West Chester Henderson 4-1 in district opener Monday
Players to watch: Jayme Ziegler (Jr., pitcher), Julia Schoenewald (Jr., catcher), Jess Haug (Jr., shortstop), Allie Chase (Jr., centerfielder), Caroline Schoenewald (Soph., second baseman)
#13 UPPER DARBY at #4 HATBORO-HORSHAM
Hatboro-Horsham
- 18-2 overall, 12-2 SOL
- Continental Conference co-champions with Central Bucks South
- Defending district and state champion
- Split season series with CB South, winning second game 8-6 after losing the first 9-2
- Swept season series with 10th-seeded North Penn and 18th-seeded Central Bucks East and split series with 17th-seeded Pennridge
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)
Coach Joe DiFilippo says: “We played Upper Darby last year in our first district game, and they gave us a very good game and almost beat us as we won 5-4. Once again this year, we have to take it one game at a time. You cannot overlook anyone. Anyone can sneak up and beat you. It will be tough overcoming injuries to two of our starters, Kelsey Koelzer and Emily Wrenn (both are out with knee injuries), but we will give it our best and take one day at a time.”
Upper Darby
- 15-6 overall
- Lost first three games but won next seven
- Split season series with 22nd-seeded Garnet Valley, a team Hatboro-Horsham defeated 13-0 on April 27
- Winners of seven straight, including a 7-6 win over Owen J Roberts in Monday’s opening round
#11 WISSAHICKON at #6 CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH
Central Bucks South
- 18-2 overall, 12-2 SOL
- Continental Conference co-champions with Hatboro-Horsham
- Split season series with Hatboro, winning the first 9-2 and losing the second 8-6
- Swept season series with 10th-seeded North Penn, 17th-seeded Pennridge and 18th-seeded Central Bucks East
- Defeated Wissahickon 12-0 on April 13
Players to watch: Haileigh Stocks (Sr., pitcher), Morgan Decker (Sr., third baseman), Lauren Klepchick (Sr., catcher)
Coach Dan Hayes says: “We will bank on Haileigh Stocks throwing her usual game. We played better defense against Quakertown in our final regular season game versus Quakertown, and we have to continue not giving any team we play extra outs. The middle of our lineup (Stocks, Decker, Klepchick) has been outstanding all year. We played Wissahickon earlier this year, but that game really doesn’t matter. Our game against Wissahickon starts another season for us.”
Wissahickon
- 16-2 overall, 11-1 SOL
- American Conference champions
- 12-game winning streak snapped with last Thursday’s 1-0 loss to Plymouth Whitemarsh, a loss that cost the Trojans a perfect league season
- Defeated 22nd-seeded Garnet Valley 3-1 in Monday’s opening round
- Lost to sixth-seeded Central Bucks South 12-0 on April 13
Players to watch: Katie Ziegler (Sr., pitcher), Alex Comonitski (Jr., shortstop), Rebecca Marinucci (Sr., second baseman)
Coach John Bilella says: “I told them at practice today to forget what happened before (in an early season loss to CB South). That was our (fourth) game of the season, and we had four or five errors in that game. Were they 12-0 better than us? They were better than us that day – maybe 5-0 or 6-0 but nothing like 12-0. I think we came a long way since then, and I’m sure they have too. Our kids have improved 100 percent. I told them, ‘It’s a new season, it’s a new team, forget what happened the last time and go out and play the way you’ve been playing all year, and let the balls fall where they may.’ This is further than these girls ever went before, and I think they’re a little star struck by it, but we had a great practice today. The kids are really relaxed. I told them, ‘Go out there and play them like you never saw them before and just play the way you’ve been playing.’”
#10 NORTH PENN at #8 DOWNINGTOWN WEST
North Penn
- 12-7 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
- Rallied from 9-0 deficit after four innings to defeat Souderton 10-9 for most dramatic win of season
- Swept season series with 17th-seeded Pennridge, split season series with 18th-seeded Central Bucks East
- Lost to Downingtown West 5-1 on March 30
- Defeated 23rd-seeded Ridley 5-0 in opening round district game
Players to watch: Jess Mower (Sr., catcher), Michelle Holweger (Jr., second baseman), Alexa Gable (Jr., leftfielder), Erin Maher (Soph., centerfielder), Jackie Bilotti (Fr., pitcher)
Coach Rick Torresani says: “Jackie Bilotti faced Downingtown West in her first game ever pitching, but this is a completely different team, and she’s a completely different pitcher. It was early in the season. We lost three of our first five games because I didn’t know who was going to play where. The kids were coming back from basketball, so I knew it was going to be tough in the beginning. We were hopeful as I got to know the team and the coaches got to know the team that we would be able to put the players where they should be. We’re excited to go up and play them.”
Downingtown West
- 16-4 overall
- Opened season with a seven-game winning streak
- Dropped a pair to fifth-seeded Bishop Shanahan
- Split season series with 15th-seeded West Chester Henderson
- Defeated North Penn 5-1 on March 30
CLASS AAA
#9 UPPER MORELAND at #8 PHOENIXVILLE
Upper Moreland
- 6-14 overall, 4-8 SOL
- Won six of nine games to close out season after an 0-11 start
- Notched a pair of wins over Upper Merion as well as wins over Class AAAA schools PW and Upper Dublin
- Lost to Phoenixville 10-0 in opening game of season on March 23
Phoenixville
- 6-13 overall, 5-13 PAC-10
- Defeated Upper Moreland 10-0 in opening game of season on March 23
- Lost five straight before defeating Upper Perk 2-0 in final game of season
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