Upper Merion and Springfield Township saw their seasons end in district play on Tuesday. To view photos of the Springfield/Dock game, please visit the Photo Gallery.
CLASS AAA
#1-3 VILLA MARIA 5, #1-2 UPPER MERION 4
The Vikings saw a special season come to an end in Tuesday’s District One AAA semifinal game at Harriton High School.
“They had a great year,” coach John Whitney said of his squad. “I know they were disappointed. They wanted to go further as I did.
“My goal was to get the kids to states. It didn’t happen. It’s tough.”
The Vikings took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Dez Kandy, who walked and stole second, scored on a single up the middle by Abby Volpe. The Hurricanes erased that one-run deficit with a four-run uprising in the third inning.
“We helped them in that inning,” Whitney said. “We had a couple of errors, and then they got a couple of base hits.”
The Vikings responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the third. Kandy and Olivia Sblorlini both collected base hits, and Volpe cleared the bases with one swing of the bat, delivering a two-run triple. An errant pick-off attempt allowed Volpe to score from third, and the two teams were deadlocked 4-4.
That tie stood until the seventh when the Hurricanes scored a single run.
The Vikings managed just four hits with Kandy collecting two of those.
“Their pitcher was struggling a little bit today – I thought we were going to get to her,” Whitney said of Villa ace Maddie Abbott.
Villa’s win avenged a 3-0 regular season loss at the hands of the Vikings, but Whitney wasn’t buying into the philosophy that it’s tough to beat the same team twice.
“That really didn’t bother me,” he said. “I still think we’re the better team, but we didn’t prove it today.
“If we would have fielded the ball and gotten out of that one inning, I think we would have been fine. I told the kids – you can’t make errors in certain situations, and we did, but it was a great season.”
Upper Merion closed out its season with a 13-1 mark and an SOL American Conference championship. The Vikings were 18-4 overall.
Villa Maria 004 000 1 5
Upper Merion 103 000 0 4
CLASS AA
#1-1 CHRISTOPHER DOCK 10, #1-4 SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 3
During the regular season, Christopher Dock needed just five innings to defeat Springfield Township. The Spartans forced the Pioneers to play seven full innings in Tuesday’s District One AA semifinal game at Upper Dublin, but the Pioneers once again emerged the winner.
The Spartans plated a single run in the top of the first when Jewell Ringgold, who walked and then stole second, scored on a double by Jen Hammons. The Pioneers answered with five runs in the bottom of the inning. Dock tacked on two runs in the third and one more in the fourth to go on top 8-1 before the Spartans scored two runs in the top of the sixth. Ringgold and Brianna Littlepage both singled, setting the stage for a two-run double by Hammons, who finished the day 2-for-3 with two doubles and three RBIs. The Pioneers got those runs back in the bottom of the inning.
Dock held an 11-6 advantage in hits with Jill Bolton leading the way with a 3-for-4 day that included a home run and two RBIs. Mattasyn Shisler was 2-for-3 with a triple and four RBIs.
Jen Hammons absorbed the loss in the circle for the Spartans (9-8, 8-6 SOL).
Springfield Township 100 002 0 3-6-0
Christopher Dock 502 102 x 10-11-0
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