Three of the four teams playing in Tuesday’s District One AAAA softball semifinals are from the SOL. Five of the eight teams still alive are from the SOL. Check out the preview capsules below.
It’s been an unpredictable District One AAAA Tournament this year.
Second-seeded Neshaminy threw the bracket wide open when the Redskins were sent packing in their first game. Third-seeded Spring-Ford and fourth-seeded Hatboro-Horsham also were upset victims and are fighting for their playoff lives.
Only one quadrant of the bracket has gone according to seed, and that is at the top of the bracket where Pennsbury, the tournament’s number one seed, is the only team of the top four still playing in the winner’s bracket. The Falcons, behind pitcher Val Buehler, have allowed just one run in two games. On the flip side, they’ve scored just three.
Bishop Shanahan, the tournament’s fifth seed, sent fourth-seeded Hatboro-Horsham to the loser’s bracket as a result of Friday’s 1-0 win over the Hatters. Shanahan senior Kate Poppe – the owner of a 60-plus MPH fastball - turned in the pitching performance of the tournament, allowing just one hit while striking out 17. For good measure, she drove in the game’s only run in the first inning. Poppe is bound for Villanova University, the recipient of a full softball scholarship. And, yes, she looked that good against Hatboro.
When the Hatters put the ball in play against Poppe, the Eagles were vulnerable, committing errors on back-to-back plays and allowing the Hatters to load the bases in the fifth. That being said, when Poppe needed an out, the Eagles’ mound ace went for the strikeout and got it. For those who are counting, Poppe has 32 strikeouts in two playoff games.
Central Bucks South, the tournament’s six seed, made easy business of third-seeded Spring-Ford in Friday’s quarterfinal round. The Rams never could solve the mystery of South pitcher Haileigh Stocks, collecting just two hits. Beyond that, they committed three errors that resulted in three unearned runs. Take away those errors, and it would have been a 0-0 game after five innings. As it was, the Titans led 3-0.
The Titans, who pounded out nine hits off a duo of Ram hurlers, exploded for five runs in the sixth inning, and they earned all of those runs. Hallie Bilker, who has been making her presence felt at the plate, delivered a three-run triple in the inning. Catcher Lauren Klepchick led the Titans with a 3-for-4 day at the plate.
While South and Shanahan pulled minor upsets to earn their spots in the district semis, North Penn is the biggest surprise. The Maidens – expecting a date against second-seeeded Neshaminy in last Friday’s quarterfinal – found themselves playing Central Bucks East instead after the 18th-seeded Patriots pulled off the upset of the tournament by sending Neshaminy home in Wednesday’s second round.
The Patriots proved that wasn’t a fluke, extending the Maidens to the limit before allowing a seventh inning run that propelled North Penn to a 1-0 win. Freshman Jackie Bilotti continued to work her magic on the mound, tossing her second shutout of the district tournament. Melissa Fasick led off the seventh with a double and scored the game winner when freshman Becky Christoffers delivered a sacrifice fly. The Maidens boast just one senior in their lineup – catcher Jess Mower.
While Pennsbury, CB South and North Penn have earned spots in the state tournament and are vying for the big prize – a district title, Hatboro and CB East are two of four teams fighting for the district’s final state berth.
Here’s a quick breakdown of Tuesday’s games.
#1 PENNSBURY vs. #5 BISHOP SHANAHAN @ Norristown High School, 4 p.m.
Pennsbury
- 20-2 overall, 13-1 SOL
- National Conference co-champions with Neshaminy
- Defending district and state runner-up
- Only losses came at hands of Immaculate Heart Academy (April 14) and Neshaminy (May 16)
- Defeated Pennridge 1-0 in second round in a contest that saw Val Buehler toss a three-hit shutout and freshman Dani Litwin deliver the game-winning hit.
- Needed eight innings to defeat ninth-seeded Methacton 2-1 in Friday’s quarterfinal. Suzanne Swanicke, just back after a bout with bronchitis, delivered a two-out double in the eighth and then scored the winning run when Michelle George delivered a clutch single.
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)
Bishop Shanahan
- 19-3 overall
- Opened season with 10 straight wins
- Won 17 of 18 before dropping a pair of games to close out the regular season
- Defeated #12 Perkiomen Valley 5-1 in second round in a game that featured a whole lot of pitcher Kate Poppe, who fanned 15 and helped her own cause with a two-run home run. Alyssa Lewis and Erica Slamm also hit home runs.
- Shanahan’s 1-0 win over fourth-seeded Hatboro-Horsham on Friday also was the Kate Poppe show. The Villanova-bound hurler struck out 17 and allowed just one hit.
#6 CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH vs. #10 NORTH PENN at William Tennent, 4 p.m.
Central Bucks South
- 20-2 overall, 12-2 SOL
- Continental Conference co-champions with Hatboro-Horsham
- Swept season series with 10th-seeded North Penn, eking out a pair of 3-1 wins in tightly-contested games
- Defeated #11 Wissahickon 4-0 in last Wednesday’s second round. The Titans were led by the four-hit, nine-strikeout effort of Haileigh Stocks and the two-hit, two-RBI performance of Hallie Bilker.
- The Titans pounded out nine hits and benefitted from three errors (resulting in three unearned runs) to earn an 8-0 win over third-seeded Spring-Ford in the quarterfinals. Lauren Klepchick led the Titans with a 3-for-4 day while Hallie Bilker drove in three runs with a bases-clearing triple. Haileigh Stocks allowed just two hits in the shutout.
- Won four in a row and six of last seven games.
Players to watch: Haileigh Stocks (Sr., pitcher), Morgan Decker (Sr., third baseman), Lauren Klepchick (Sr., catcher), Hallie Bilker (Jr., rightfielder)
North Penn
- 15-7 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
- Defeated 23rd-seeded Ridley 5-0 in opening round district game and downed #7 Downingtown West 4-2 in the second round. In the Maidens’ win over Downingtown West, senior Jess Mower was a perfect 4-for-4 with two doubles, and freshman Jackie Bilotti earned the win on the mound.
- Eked out a 1-0 win over conference rival Central Bucks East in Friday’s quarterfinal. Bilotti tossed a shutout, and another freshman – Becky Christoffers - delivered a sacrifice fly to plate the game winner in the seventh.
- North Penn has earned its first state playoff appearance since 1985.
- Won four in a row and six of last seven games.
Players to watch: Jess Mower (Sr., catcher), Michelle Holweger (Jr., second baseman), Alexa Gable (Jr., leftfielder), Erin Maher (Soph., centerfielder), Jackie Bilotti (Fr., pitcher)
#18 CENTRAL BUCKS EAST at #3 SPRING-FORD, 4 p.m.
Central Bucks East
- 12-10 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
- Defeated 15th-seeded West Chester Henderson 4-1 in district opener last Monday and then pulled the upset of the tournament by defeating #2 Neshaminy 3-1 in Wednesday’s second round. Jayme Ziegler earned the win, and junior catcher Julie Schoenefeld had a pair of hits, including a solo home run.
- Fell to 10th-seeded North Penn 1-0 in Friday’s quarterfinals.
Players to watch: Jayme Ziegler (Jr., pitcher), Julia Schoenewald (Jr., catcher), Jess Haug (Jr., shortstop), Allie Chase (Jr., centerfielder), Caroline Schoenewald (Soph., second baseman)
Spring-Ford
- 18-3 overall, 16-2 PAC-10
- PAC-10 regular season champion
- Lost to #12 Perkiomen Valley in PAC-10 Tournament
- Defeated #14 West Chester East in second round, sparked by the five-hit shutout of Haleigh Williams and Bri Kofer’s RBI single in the first inning. Williams also had a pair of hits in a game that saw the Rams twice leave the bases loaded.
- The Rams turned in an uncharacteristically shaky performance in Friday’s 8-0 quarterfinal loss to CB South, committing three errors and collecting just two hits.
- Lost three of last five games
#9 METHACTON at #4 HATBORO-HORSHAM
Methacton
- 18-7 overall, 14-4 PAC-10
- Finished second to Spring-Ford in PAC-10 standings
- Swept third-seeded Spring-Ford during regular season
- Defeated #24 Interboro (3-0) and #8 Downingtown East (4-0) in the opening rounds of districts with pitcher Maddy Lowery tossing back-to-back shutouts.
- Gave the top-seeded Falcons all they could handle before falling 2-1 in eight innings in Friday’s district quarterfinal.
- Warriors are winners of eight of their last 10 games.
Hatboro-Horsham
- 19-2 overall, 12-2 SOL
- Continental Conference co-champions with Central Bucks South
- Defending district and state champion
- Defeated #13 Upper Darby 3-0 in second round in a game that saw Maggie Shaffer toss a two-hit shutout and sophomore Daria Edwards deliver a two-run homerun.
- The Hatters managed just one hit as they fell to fifth-seeded Bishop Shanahan 1-0 in Friday’s quarterfinals. Eagles’ mound ace Kate Poppe fanned 17 and drove in the winning run.
- Won nine of 10 before falling to Shanahan on Friday.
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)
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