Four of five SOL teams notched wins in Monday’s opening round games of the District One AAAA Tournament. To view photos of the North Penn/Ridley game, please visit the photo gallery.
It was quite a day for the SOL on Monday.
Four of the league’s five teams in action – including a pair of underdogs – earned wins in the opening round of the District One AAAA Tournament. Tenth-seeded North Penn sent 23rd-seeded Ridley home for the season, thanks to the Maidens’ 5-0 win. Eleventh-seeded Wissahickon’s game against 22nd-ranked Garnet Valley also followed seed with the Trojans scoring three runs in the sixth to earn the 3-1 win.
Pennridge, the tournaments 17th seed, defeated Boyertown 8-1 in a battle of the 16-17 seeds, and 18th-seeded Central Bucks East defeated 15th-seeded West Chester Henderson 4-1. The only SOL team to see its season end was 19th-seeded Harry S Truman, which fell to 14th-seeded West Chester East 5-2.
Three of the winners were from the Continental Conference with the conference’s third, fourth and fifth place teams all earning convincing wins.
#10 NORTH PENN 5, #23 RIDLEY 0
Jackie Bilotti admits she was nervous before her first district playoff game on Monday. When she stepped onto the mound, those nerves were nowhere to be found as the Maidens’ rookie hurler was in complete command, tossing a no-hitter while issuing just one walk and fanning five.
“I was a little nervous because it’s a district playoff game, but the defense has been awesome,” Bilotti said.
The secret to her success, she insisted, was simple.
“Mostly my location and my fastball,” Bilotti said.
All told, the Raiders had three base runners but never came close to scoring in a game that belonged to Bilotti from start to finish.
“She went out there and just did her thing – kept them off balance and didn’t really give up anything hard even for an out,” coach Rick Torresani said. “She just pitched a great game for a freshman. I’m just so proud of that kid.”
While Bilotti was doing her thing on the mound, North Penn’s batters were delivering the big hits at the plate, erasing memories of last week’s 2-0 loss to Hatboro-Horsham that saw the Maidens strand 10 base runners.
“That was so frustrating, especially when you’re up to bat – you’re so mad at yourself, and you want to come up and hit again,” junior Melissa Fasick said. “We did a lot better today. We had more solid contact.”
Fasick led the Maidens’ 10-hit attack with a 3-for-3 performance at the plate out of the number five spot. Erin Maher – hitting out of the two hole – had a pair of hits, and Jess Mower also had two hits.
“We moved the lineup all around,” Torresani said. “We wanted Jess back in the top for playoffs, and Melissa has been hitting the ball so we moved her down to five behind Michelle (Holweger).
“Melissa got three good hits and hit the ball hard every time. She’s just a pure hitter, and Erin Maher – who we moved from five to two – is a pure two hitter.”
The lineup changes paid immediate dividends.
Fasick, who singled to lead off the second, scored the game’s first run, crossing the plate when Hannah Sheehan roped a double to right center. The Maidens led 2-0 after plating an unearned run in the second, thanks to a pair of Ridley errors and a sacrifice fly to left by Alexa Gable.
Bilotti, meanwhile, was rolling along on the mound, retiring the first 12 batters she faced before Carolyn Kroll reached first on an error to lead off the fifth. A two-out walk - Bilotti’s only walk of the game - put a pair of runners on board, but that would be as close as the Raiders would get to generating a threat.
Ridley never had a base runner reach third, and the game was officially out of reach after the Maidens exploded for three runs in the fifth, benefitting from doubles from both Maher and Vicky Tumasz (RBI) as well as singles by Gable and Fasick (RBI) and a sacrifice fly from Holweger.
“We played these guys last year, and it’s the same pitcher,” Torresani said. “We worked on getting over top of the ball, hitting it hard on the ground and hitting the gaps.
“These kids are so used to CB South (Haileigh Stocks) and (Maggie) Shaffer who throw the ball hard, and it takes a while to get used to this, but I was really happy when they finally did. They hit the ball hard, and that’s all I can ask for – hit the ball hard and see what happens.”
Fasick acknowledged that the slower speed necessitated some adjustments in the batter’s box.
“There’s definitely a difference from a faster pitcher,” Fasick added. “Coach told us we had to sit back, wait and drive it. That’s what we tried to focus on doing, and we did a pretty good job.”
Bilotti retired six of seven to close out the game – not a bad playoff debut for a young player who wasn’t expecting to play varsity this year.
“I thought this year I would be ready to pitch at all times but not starting,” she said.
Bilotti was thrust into a starting role when projected starter – Vicky Tumasz – was sidelined with an injury. The rest is history.
“Jackie (Bilotti) is such a surprise this year,” Torresani said. “I’m very lucky to have her.”
The Maidens will travel to Downingtown West for a second round game against the eighth-seeded Whippets.
“This is so much fun – the best experience of my life,” Fasick said. “Hopefully, we’ll keep going.”
#11 WISSAHICKON 3, #22 GARNET VALLEY 1
John Bilella didn’t need to ask his players how much Monday’s win meant to them. One look at their faces told the story.
“Their eyes were just bulging out of their heads – they were so excited,” the first-year coach said. “They even wanted to have practice in the rain tomorrow because they know we’re playing a tough team.
“The excitement in their eyes was so fulfilling to me. It was just great.”
The defining moment in the game came in the bottom of the sixth when – with two outs and Trojan runners on second and third – the Jaguars elected to issue an intentional pass to Meredith Byrne to load the bases.
That brought freshman Donna Intintolo to the plate for the biggest at-bat of her young career.
“I was stressed with two outs and the bases loaded,” the Trojans’ rookie third baseman said. “Everything was running through my head at the time, and I just wanted that perfect pitch. Once I had a fullcount, it just came to me.”
Intintolo knew exactly what to do with it, hitting a gapper to deep right field that emptied the bases.
“Everybody was running, everybody was moving with the pitch, and it was a true triple,” Bilella said. “It was in the gap over everybody’s head.”
Intintolo says she knew she’d hit paydirt the moment her bat hit the ball.
“The pitch was just right down the middle, and I just sent it out to right field,” she said. “Everything was just rushing through me, and I just wanted to keep running. When I saw it go over the rightfielder’s head, I knew I had to keep going.”
The Jaguars plated a run in the top of the seventh on a solo home run, but this game belonged to the Trojans.
“It was an exciting game,” Bilella said. “Some of the defensive plays were phenomenal from both teams.
“Their shortstop dove for a ball and got a force out at second base with a flip, and if she didn’t do that, we would have scored two runs early. She did a real nice job.
“Our centerfielder (Kellie Gilman) made a Willie Mays catch over her head and did a real nice job.”
Senior Katie Ziegler earned the win on the mound, allowing just three hits and two walks while striking out six.
The Trojans – who improved to 16-2 – will travel to Central Bucks South for a date with the sixth-seeded Titans. Whatever the outcome, it’s already been quite a ride for the Trojans, who were eliminated in the first round of districts in each of the last three years.
“It’s really exciting,” Intintolo said. “I never thought it would be this big of an experience until it’s actually happened.
“I’m getting a lot of experience. All the upperclassmen are helping me and giving me advice, especially our shortstop – Alex Comonitski. She’s been giving me advice throughout the season.”
#17 PENNRIDGE 8, #16 BOYERTOWN 1
The Rams apparently saved their best to last, upping their winning streak to six straight games with Monday’s big playoff win. Not bad for a team that was 4-7 out of the gate and was perched atop the bubble when district seeding time rolled around.
“The kids are really playing the game like it’s supposed to be played,” coach Paul Koehler said. “They’re enjoying it, they’re talking to each other, they help each other, and they’re very disciplined at the plate. It’s contagious, and they just feed off of each other.
“You hear about all those successful teams that when everything starts going right, everyone catches fire, and that’s really happening with them right now.”
Junior Brooke Labs had a simple explanation for the Rams’ turnaround.
“I think it’s our determination,” she said. “We really, really want this, and we know if we stick together we really can accomplish anything after our Hatboro game (a 6-3 Pennridge win). I think it’s our determination to do what we know we can.”
The Rams blew Monday’s game open with a five-run scoring explosion in the fourth inning. The big blow of the inning was a bases-loaded triple by Morgan Labs with one out. The stage was set for the big blast, thanks to consecutive singles by Brooke Labs, Haley Taylor and Paige DeCew.
Allison Horne followed with an RBI single, and when Emily Mayhew delivered an RBI single, the Rams led 5-0.
“After we get through our lineup one time, it’s just awesome to hear the talk amongst the players – they’re adjusting at the plate, and they’re making changes to what they do and making things happen,” Koehler said. “It’s exciting to see.”
The Rams added a single run in the sixth, thanks to a Morgan Labs double and Horne’s RBI single. If they needed insurance, the Rams got it in the sixth inning when Brooke Labs – after a Lisa Bahmueller double – delivered a two-run home run.
Boyertown plated its lone run in the bottom of the sixth. By that time, the Rams were in complete command. It was an impressive showing on the road on a damp and dreary day.
“I think that’s actually what drove us,” Brooke Labs said. “We knew we could do it. We knew what we could do when we actually pulled together and believed in ourselves. After we got our offense going, you really couldn’t stop us. It was one after the other.”
Brooke Labs, Morgan Labs and Horne led the Rams with two hits each. All told, the Rams pounded out 13 hits.
On the mound, DeCew scattered four hits to earn the first postseason win for the Rams in more than a decade.
“They’re just doing everything right,” Koehler said. “We scored 57 runs in the last five games. That’s a lot of runs.
“They’re thrilled. The girls are absolutely thrilled to death about this whole thing.”
The Rams, who improved to 12-9, will travel to Pennsbury to face the top-seeded Falcons in a second round game Wednesday.
“We really don’t have anything to lose,” Brooke Labs said. “We know that we’re the underdogs going into this, but we’ve played it so many years and so many games, so we can just play like we know how.
“This is a lot of fun because we have a good time together. We grew up together, so we know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. We just feed off of each other, and it’s a good time.”
To read Drew Markol’s complete game story, please click on the following PhillyBurbs.com link: http://www.phillyburbs.com/my_town/pennridge/rams-thump-boyertown-in-district-opener/article_c825499a-056f-567d-96da-7273b49e07f5.html
#18 CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 4, #15 WEST CHESTER HENDERSON 1
A week ago, the Patriots were holding their breath, hoping to earn a spot in the district tournament when the seeding committee met on Thursday night. Four days after hearing the news that they’d received an invitation to the big dance, the Patriots went out and proved they belonged.
“We had no idea if we would get in because we were in fifth place, but luckily our league is so strong, and five teams got in,” junior Jess Haug said. “Since we barely got into the playoffs, we knew we had to prove ourselves and show we belonged in the playoffs.
“We just had to come out strong, and we did. We had good pitching and good defense, and our hitting came around.”
The Warriors actually took a 1-0 lead in the third inning, but the Patriots answered with a run of their own in the fourth. Allie Chase and Haug got things started with back-to-back singles, and Julia Schoenewald delivered an RBI single to plate the tying run.
In the fifth, the Patriots added two more runs. Sarah Decker opened the inning with a single, and Danielle Marzetti reached base on an error. Caroline Schoenewald’s double plated the go-ahead run, and the Patriots led 3-1 after Kerry Schulz’s RBI groundout.
Haug led off the sixth inning with a double, and one out later, Carla Ruscio and Kaylynn Johnson delivered back-to-back singles with Haug racing home on Johnson’s base hit.
“I knew we could win this game,” coach Erin Scott said. “I didn’t want to be overly confident, but I knew that our league and our position seeding-wise might not necessarily reflect the talent we had and the season we’ve had.
“I communicated that to the girls. They knew they could compete. Most of them had been in the playoffs before, so there weren’t a lot of first-game jitters. They were ready to play. They had a solid game, and they did what they needed to do to win the game.”
The Patriots’ big win came just five days after their 10-0 loss to Pennridge in six innings.
“We just had to forget about it and know it was only one game out of our season,” Haug said. “We knew we couldn’t let it affect us because that was one of our worst games. We just had to move on from that.”
The players, according to Haug, knew that they had been battle tested after facing a steady diet of tough competition during their league season.
“When we play other teams that are the higher seed, they think we’ll get knocked off,” she said, “but because our league is so strong and we play such competitive games throughout the whole season, we were up for the competition so we can handle it.
Jayme Ziegler tossed a gem on the mound, allowing just four hits.
“I did a little bit of research on Henderson and knew some of their good players,” Scott said. “Jayme pitched a really good game. She was pretty on point. We knew what batters to be careful about and all that sort of thing.
“It was just a solid game.”
The Patriots will take to the road on Wednesday to face second-seeded Neshaminy in a second round game.
To read Bill Keen’s complete game story, please click on the following PhillyBurbs.com link: http://www.phillyburbs.com/my_town/doylestown/east-beats-henderson-neshaminy-next/article_aa40dd2e-794b-52e5-9ded-39aa6292eb7b.html
#14 WEST CHESTER EAST 5, #19 HARRY S TRUMAN 2
It took just one hour for East and Truman to complete Monday’s playoff opener.
“Both pitchers – no one really went deep into any counts,” coach Gretchen Cammiso said.
The Tigers never could generate any offense, collecting just two hits.
“We only had one strikeout, so we put the ball in play,” Cammiso said. “They made the plays.”
East scored four runs in the third inning and added a single run in the sixth. The Tigers scored both of their runs in the sixth inning with both crossing the plate on a passed ball.
“We hit a couple of line drives that were right at people,” Cammiso said. “We put the ball in play, but none of them fell.
“We definitely showed up to play today. It wasn’t like we lost the game – they won the game.”
The Tigers closed out the year with a 9-13 record.
To read Rick Woelfel’s complete game story, please click on the following PhillyBurbs.com link: http://www.phillyburbs.com/my_town/bristol/truman-s-season-ends-in-first-round-of-playoffs/article_d81dd782-bab7-5ead-9f57-4c64196b5b34.html
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