SOL District Softball Preview (5-23-16)

Five SOL softball teams will be in action in Monday’s opening round of the District One AAAA Tournament.

Numbers. It all comes down to numbers.

Gone are the days when coaches sat in a room discussing the merits of this team and that team. It all comes down to the power ranking numbers, and the numbers weren’t very kind to the SOL National Conference, which has just two teams in the tournament – third-seeded Neshaminy and 13^th-seeded Council Rock North. The Redskins have an opening round bye while William Tennent (#27), Council Rock South (#28) and Pennsbury (#29) are on the outside looking in.

The SOL Continental Conference is once again well represented with six teams in the 23-team field, including three squads that have opening round byes – #5 Quakertown, #7 Central Bucks East and #8 Souderton. Twelfth-seeded Central Bucks South will host a North Penn squad that is seeded 21^st but earned a pair of regular season wins over the Titans to propel itself into the tournament. Hatboro-Horsham also earned a spot as the 14^th seed.

In the American Conference, champion Upper Merion earned the second seed in Class AAA while second place Upper Moreland is the third seed. Plymouth Whitemarsh snuck into the 23^rd and final spot in Class AAAA.

“At the start of the season, we knew we had some decent players who had played together, so they knew seamlessly how things would work with each other,” coach Dana Moyer said. “I had some girls playing out of position because of girls we already had.

“At the beginning, it was a little bit shaky getting that all together, but once it came together they saw what they were capable of doing. They kept riding it from there. They’re a very tight-knit team. Girls that didn’t know each other before the season started – they play for each other, and they have this wonderful never-say-die attitude.”

It promises to be an interesting tournament with a bracket that’s created its share of controversy before the first pitch is thrown.

Stay tuned.

#21 NORTH PENN at #12 CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH
Central Bucks South

13-7 overall
7-7 SOL Continental Conference three-way tie for fourth place
Won all six non-league games
Young squad has just one senior on its roster
Led by St. Joseph’s commit Taylor Marinelli, a first team all-league selection as a sophomore
Lost to #21 North Penn twice during regular season – 4-3 on April 26 and 7-2 on March 30
Swept season series with #14 Hatboro-Horsham (5-7 & 7-2) and split season series with #7 CB East (3-2 & 0-18) and #9 Souderton (3-1 & 3-7).
Sophomore Alexis McConomy leads a young pitching staff

North Penn

10-10 overall
7-7 SOL Continental Conference three-way tie for fourth place
Defeated #12 CB South twice during regular season
Philadelphia University-bound senior Jovanna Alfonsi – sidelined with an injury late in the season – leads a young squad.
Earned a regular season win over #15 Haverford (4-3) and split regular season series with #5 Quakertown (3-0 & 2-8) and #7 CB East (3-0, 2-8).
Junior Bri Battavio is the Maidens’ mound ace

#20 METHACTON at #13 COUNCIL ROCK NORTH
Council Rock North

15-4 overall
12-2 SOL National Conference second place
Only two conference losses at hands of third-seeded Neshaminy
Regular season win over #20 North Penn (7-0)
Pitching duties shared by senior Amanda Camp and freshman Jenna Khantzian
Potent lineup includes Colgate-bound senior shortstop Nicole Rounsavill

Methacton

12-8 overall
11-7 PAC-10 three-way tie for third place
Lost out on a chance to compete in the PAC-10 Tournament because of 0-2 record against Boyertown
Regular season wins over #4 Perk Valley (6-3), #11 Spring-Ford (6-1 & 12-11) and #17 Owen J Roberts (5-2)
Led offensively by sophomore La Salle commit Aubrey Seal, a first team all-PAC-10 selection at DP last year
Veteran team returns seven of nine starters from last year’s squad.
Senior Megan Stauffer is a workhorse in the circle

#19 WEST CHESTER EAST at #14 HATBORO-HORSHAM
Hatboro-Horsham

13-7 overall
7-7 Continental Conference three-way tie for fourth place
Swept season series with #20 North Penn (7-0 & 8-2) and split with #7 Central Bucks East (1-0 & 1-3)
Regular season wins over #20 Methacton (5-2) and Class AAA top-seeded Villa Maria (4-0)
Young squad has just three seniors, including two-time first team all-league selection Dee Moyer
Lost senior Bridget Schaeffer to a late-season injury
Senior Kaeli Simmons and junior Taylor Sciubba share pitching duties

West Chester East

12-8 overall
10-8 Ches-Mont National Division fifth place
Split season series with #9 Downingtown West (2-4 & 10-2) and #18 West Chester Henderson (4-5 & 4-3) and defeated #15 Haverford (3-1)
Senior Kristen Fuertes, who will continue her softball career at Washington & Jefferson, handles the pitching duties
Led by seniors Olivia Francomano (Boston University), Kyra Bond (Messiah College), Danielle Latare (Stevenson) and Maddy Iswalt (Eastern University)

#23 PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH at #10 DOWNINGTOWN WEST

Plymouth Whitemarsh

11-5 overall
9-5 SOL American Conference third place
Seniors Elena Iannuzzelli and Ashley Yeager lead a young Colonial squad
First trip to districts under coach Dana Moyer

Downingtown West

14-5 overall
14-5 Ches-Mont National Division third place
Split season series with #2 Avon Grove (4-3 & 2-6), #18 West Chester Henderson (3-7 & 6-2) and 19 West Chester East (4-2 & 2-10)
Senior Emily Williams handles pitching duties
Leadoff batter Caitlyn Coker ignites high-scoring offense that has put up 132 runs.