Nine SOL teams will be competing in the opening round of the District One 6A Tournament on Monday. Lower Moreland will be in action in the Class 4A Tournament on Tuesday. Check back for previews of the four teams that earned opening round byes. Photo provided courtesy of Jon Sklut (https://solsports.zenfolio.com/p183056131)
Class 6A
#22 PERK VALLEY at #11 NESHAMINY
The Redskins finished second to top-seeded Pennsbury in the SOL Patriot Division while the Vikings (10-10) were fifth in the six-team PAC Liberty Division. Neshaminy was also the 11th seed last year and rode that seed all the way to the District One 6A title game where the Redskins fell to Spring-Ford, 5-0.
Neshaminy
- 15-5 overall, 12-4 SOL
- Led offensively by Meryn Bellacima (shortstop), Lindsey Gorka (designated player/first base), Amanda Slabicki (pitcher and center field) and Carena Barr (left field).
- Kennedie Ruth and Amanda Slabicki handle the pitching duties and have combined for a team WHIP of .81 and ERA of 1.68.
Senior Meryn Bellacima says: “This is pretty exciting since it’s my last year and my last chance to make it as far as possible. We definitely want to win, but I definitely want to have fun in the process. I feel as if we’re winning but we’re not having fun – it’s not as rewarding. The key will definitely be communication – we need communication in the dugout and on the field.”
#18 SOUDERTON at #15 PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH
This all-SOL battle features a pair of teams that are battle tested. The Colonials finished third in the SOL Liberty behind a pair of the district’s top-seeded teams – #6 Hatboro-Horsham and #7 Quakertown. The Indians were second behind runaway SOL Colonial champion North Penn, the district’s #3 seed. Monday’s opening round game is a rematch of last year’s opening round game that saw the Indians edge the Colonials 2-1 in the 16-17 game with Souderton the 16 seed and the home team.
Plymouth Whitemarsh
- 14-6 overall, 11-5 SOL
- The Colonials have just one senior on their roster, but she’s a very good one – Saint Francis University commit Lauryn Kane, who is the Colonials’ statistical and emotional leader. The senior third baseman hit .408 with an OPS of 1.384 and had five doubles, five triples and seven home runs with 28 RBIs and 28 runs scored. “She’s the heart and soul of this team…we go as she goes,” PW coach Mike Perez said.
- Junior pitcher Molly Moore boasts a 10-6 record with a 2.36 ERA and 120 strikeouts in 91.2 innings pitched. “She’s a bulldog for us in the circle and tends to rise to the occasion for big games,” Perez said.
- Sophomore outfielder Sam Skivo hit .390 with 13 RBIS. “She has had some big moments at the plate for us this season, hitting for both average and power,” Perez said.
- Sophomore shortstop Marissa Perez hit .351 with 13 RBIs and 15 runs scored. “She is the anchor of our defense up the middle,” Perez said. “She’s also come up big at the plate, batting .588 w runners in scoring position.”
- Two freshmen – outfielder Kalina Childers (.340, 1.040 OPS) and DP Rian Reed (.380, 1.136 OPS) – have both been a pleasant surprise in their first year on varsity. “I’ve watched them both play a lot since they were younger, so I knew the potential…I’m just happy to see them shining this season,” Perez said.
- Junior first baseman Grace Carney, along with sophomores Caelin Kosvitch (C) 2B Haylie Lindley (2b) & RF Julie Price (RF) round out the starting lineup.
Senior Lauryn Kane says: “(Being the only senior) was a little difficult at first just because our team was basically new. We only have three returning starters from last year, but it made me realize I had to step into a leadership role because I have a lot of experience from not only high school but travel ball too. I felt like I had to take the team under my wing, help them out and just kind of be another coach on the field.
“I feel confident in our team. We’ve played a lot of strong teams, and we have big wins. I know we’re going to see good pitching with Souderton, but we’ve seen good pitching this year a lot, so it’s not going to be a surprise. I’m excited. We’ve never had a home playoff game before, so that’s exciting.”
Souderton
- 12-8 overall, 9-7 SOL
- Riley York carries a big bat in the cleanup spot with a team-high 8 home runs, 28 RBIs and 22 runs scored. The St. Joseph’s University bound senior batted .413 with an OPS of 1.491 and a .984 slugging percentage.
- Senior Abby Burns, who will continue her softball and swimming career at Kean University, has been a starter in the circle since she was a freshman. She recently surpassed the 400-strikeout milestone for her career. This year she has struck out 128 in 94 innings and has an earned run average of 2.09. She is batting .275.
- Junior shortstop Kayley York, a Rider University commit, hit 338 with 23 hits, 22 runs scored and 12 RBIs.
- Freshman outfielder Kendell Clemmer batted .339 in an outstanding rookie season.
- Also key for the Indians are catcher Brooke Scotti and first baseman Taylor Nelson.
Senior Riley York says: “This really is different because this feels like our last hurrah as seniors. I don’t really know much about PW, but coach Carol really just tells us to go out and treat every team like they’re the best team and never underestimate anyone.
“We want to put everything on the line because, for the seniors, this is it, and it’s crazy because a lot of our seniors aren’t playing in college, so we really want to leave it all on the field. The key for our team is really to keep our energy high and to stay positive, no matter how the game is going because you never know where a game could go – even if you’re losing by a lot, you could still come back, and we have to really focus on the communication with each other as teammates and support one another.”
Senior Abby Burns says: “I just want to go out good. I want a close game, which they gave us last year when we played them in the playoffs, so I hope we at least get a good game out of this either way. I want to go far this year, but as long as we go out with a bang, I’m good with it. I think we have to play loose and stay positive.”
#17 BENSALEM at #16 COATESVILLE
Coatesville (14-6) was 0-4 after four games but 14-2 the rest of the way with seven straight wins to close out the regular season. The Owls finished third behind Pennsbury and Neshaminy in the SOL Patriot Division. “The Owls have played some great softball this season and have had one of their most successful seasons to date in terms of wins,” Bensalem coach Erin Smith said. “The Owls have a lineup where you never know who is going to step up and have a big hit.”
Bensalem
- 13-7 overall, 10-6 SOL
- Senior Maggie Formichelli has been lights out on both sides of the ball. Offensively she has a .508 Batting average, she’s been superb with runners in scoring position, knocking in 35 RBIs. In the circle, she has tossed 105.3 innings against some tough competition with 116 Ks.
- Sophomore Megan Klein broke the single season hit record with 40 hits. She has a dazzling .580 batting average with 20 stolen bases and 28 runs scored.
- Junior Ayva Knowles has a .368 batting average with 12 stolen bases. Sophomore Lina Sponheimer has a .350 batting average with 21 RBIs. Junior Camryn Pickering has a .328 batting average with 16 RBIs.
Senior Maggie Formichelli says: “As a senior, this is different to a point. There’s the possibility that’ll it’ll be my last high school game ever, but I’m trying to focus more on the upcoming game and staying composed. Throughout my past four years we’ve made in into the playoffs. And to keep this streak going into my senior year is beyond exciting. I really want to go far and end it off with a bang for my last year here
“The key to our team’s success would definitely be the bond we share. Yes, we are a talented group of kids, but there has to be more than just talent to win. They have trust in me which makes me so much more confident on the mound. I love my girls.”
#19 WISSAHICKON at #14 AVON GROVE
The Trojans were tied with Plymouth Whitemarsh for third place in the SOL Liberty Division standings, behind only Hatboro-Horsham and Quakertown. Avon Grove (14-5) was 12-2 in its last 14 games after a 2-3 start.
Wissahickon
- 13-7 overall, 11-5 SOL
- Catcher Gracie Franczyk, a Towson University commit, is batting .500 in league play with four home runs and 26 RBIs. “She’s an excellent catcher- should be all-conference,” coach Mike Borkowski said.
- University of Massachusetts Lowell signee Katelyn Fitzgerald is batting.365 in league play with 19 RBI. “And she’s a terrific first baseman,” Borkowski said.
- Third baseman Emi Fox is batting .333 in league play. “She’s also doing a nice job for us at third base,” Borkowski said.
- Leadoff hitter and West Chester University commit Luca Penna is batting .339 in league play with 20 runs scored. “She’s doing really well for us in center field,” Borkowski said.
- The Trojans will be without senior Danielle Ciliberto (injury). The West Chester University commit was 10-5 in the circle with a 2.54 ERA. She also was the team’s top hitter with a .588 batting average.
Senior Gracie Franczyk says: “This year summed up has been one of the best I’ve experienced. There is so much potential in every single one of the girls. Through the many ups and downs that have happened in the duration of the season, every single one of the girls plays 110 percent of their game every single time they step out onto the field. (Monday) is going to be a great challenge for our team, but I believe we are up for the challenge.”
#20 WILLIAM TENNENT at #13 BOYERTOWN
A young Tennent squad captured its second consecutive SOL Freedom Division title. “We are a young team this year with three freshman starters and no seniors on the team,” Tennent coach Rich Clark said. “It was so nice seeing them come together and repeat what we were able to accomplish last year by going undefeated in our division and winning our second straight division title. The celebration was quite subdued this year as they fully expected this to happen – but without being cocky, and they are all business heading into the playoffs this week. No matter what happens in the playoffs, this group of young girls is only going to get better and continue to be a force for the next several years.”
Boyertown captured the program’s first PAC title since 2011 after handing Spring-Ford its only loss of the season in the semifinals. The Bears’ 2-0 win snapped a 66-game PAC winning streak for the Rams. Boyertown went on to defeat Upper Perkiomen 2-0 in the title game. Sophomore southpaw Ella Hurter fanned 24 in the two shutout wins combined.
William Tennent
- 13-5 overall, 12-4 SOL
- Sophomores Katie LaPlaunt and Carlie Nydick handle the pitching duties for the Panthers. LaPlaunt has struck out 86 in 73 innings and boasts a 1.63 earned run average. Nydick has fanned 45 in 33 innings and has an ERA of 0.85.
- Gigi DeMito is the team’s top run producer. The junior catcher carries a .380 batting average with an OPS of 1.337 and a slugging percentage of .860. She has seven home runs and a team high 25 RBIs to go along with 15 runs scored.
- Freshman shortstop Vicky Colagreco led the team with a .481 batting average, a 1.227 OPS and a team high 26 hits to go along with 14 RBIs and 16 runs scored.
- Also making major offensive contributions are junior Anna Coulter (.346, 1.153 OPS, 13 RBIs), junior Lainey Scotese (.341), freshman Casey Yacovelli (.339, 21 hits, 15 RBIs), freshman Morgan Kocher (.315, 21 runs), junior Olivia Clee (.333, 10 RBIs) and junior Giselle McLaughlin (.279, 10 RBIs, 13 runs).
Sophomore Katie LaPlaunt says: “It was quite obvious at the beginning of the year that we had no seniors, so we knew right off the bat it was going to be a little bit of a different experience without that senior presence on the team. We really, really wanted to come out strong, and as we kept going and as we started to have some success and struggles at the same time, we realized how young we were, and we took the opportunity to build up our strengths. As we’re gathering momentum going into the postseason, we’re also looking to carry it into next season as well when we’ll have six seniors, and we’ll really come out firing.
“I was a freshman last year, so I know our team has twice made it to the playoffs and also won the Freedom Division, so we set that goal at the beginning of the year that we wanted to be undefeated in the Freedom Division and we wanted to make it to the postseason. Last season, we made it to the second round of playoffs, and we still want to match that goal.”
#21 COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH at #12 DOWNINGTOWN EAST
Dan Schram took over the helm of a young team that has 16 freshmen on its roster and turned it from a six-win team to a 10-win team that earned its first trip to the postseason since 2018. “As a team, we pride ourselves on doing the little things right,” Schram said. Downingtown East (15-5) won five of its last six games.
Council Rock South
- 10-8 overall, 8-8 SOL
- Junior shortstop Kaylie Walters is an excellent offensive and defensive player who hit .316 with 25 stolen bases
- Sophomore catcher Grace Stepp boasted a .333 batting average. She threw out seven baserunners and is a force behind the plate.
- Freshman pitcher Lexi Waring was 7-5 with 3.08 ERA. She started in 11 games and has 117 strikeouts.
- Junior centerfielder Ameerah Wheet hit .318 and is a solid all-around player.
Junior Kaylie Walters says: “I knew from the beginning we had it in us if we put in the work to pull out some wins when we needed to. We did a good job competing against hard teams, but at the same time, we had to build a lot of new relationships. Having a young team – 16 freshmen and a new coach, we really worked together and held each other up when we needed it the most.
“I thought we were going to make it to districts, honestly, because of the way we competed against the harder teams. It could have gone either way, but I knew when we were putting in the hard work at practices when other people aren’t practicing on the weekends and we are – I just think we really worked for it. I’m really excited since I didn’t get to go (to districts) before this. I think it’s a really good experience, and I’m just going in all in.”
Sophomore Grace Stepp says: “We’re all learning how to come together and play, and I think (the key has been) doing the little things at the right time. It’s different having younger girls having big roles on the team. I think we’re doing a good job of supporting each other and setting a good example, and we’re playing with other teams that are older than us and learning from those experiences.
“I thought the whole time that we had the right girls who really wanted to come together and make it this far. We’re really excited, and we need to take it game by game and believe we can beat any team and not be scared and go in with an open mindset that it’s our game no matter who we’re playing.”
#23 PENNRIDGE at #10 RIDLEY
Ridley, which competes in the Central League, lost its first three games of the season and has been 15-1 since then. The Green Raiders (15-4) tied with Garnet Valley for second place behind Central League champion Haverford. The Rams finished third in the SOL Colonial behind North Penn and Souderton.
Pennridge
- 9-10 overall, 7-9 SOL
- Senior Catelyn Thrush, a four-year varsity veteran, is a catalyst out of the leadoff spot. The UMBC bound outfielder batted a team high .467 with an OPS of 1.170. She shared the team lead with 23 hits.
- Junior outfield Reagan Bauman also had 23 hits and finished the regular season with a .390 average and a 1.105 OPS. She had a team high five home runs and 16 RBIs with 13 runs scored.
- Freshman Averi Dockery has stepped into the starting pitcher role after Grace Helbling was lost for the season to an injury. In 71 innings, she has struck out 83 and has an earned run average of 2.76. She is also contributing at the plate with a .281 batting average.
- The Rams have also received a huge lift from several freshmen. “Our freshmen have really stepped up,” Pennridge coach Wendy Iadonisi said. “Averi Dockery pitching and Ryleigh Lilly at shortstop – both are swinging the bat well. Olivia Crognale has also been playing a key role at third base.” Lilly is hitting .314 with a .952 OPS.
Senior Catelyn Thrush says: “(Coming down the home stretch of the season), we were just concerned how we would play because you can’t really be concerned how the other teams are doing. Obviously, that’s not in our control, and we were just trying to do everything we could that was in our control. I’m the only senior that’s been on varsity all four years, and the only time we’ve been to playoffs with Wendy as our coach was freshman year, so that was one of the things all the seniors really wanted because none of them had been there before.
“I think the culture changed this year. A few of us leaders really stepped up and set the tone for the first part of the year that we were going to have a certain culture. We decided we were going to play with a lot of heart and give it all we had, and that was what we did. At this point, we’ve accomplished what we wanted to accomplish. It would be nice to get some playoff wins under our belt, but I think we’re all just happy to be here and can continue to play together. Losing our starting pitcher (Grace Helbling) was really hard. Averi Dockery has really stepped up for us – she’s killing it in the circle and at the plate. Just to get here is all we could ask for.”
#24 ABINGTON at #9 GARNET VALLEY
The Ghosts will be playing in the postseason for the first time since 2015, earning the final spot in the 24-team field. Garnet Valley was 11-1 out of the gate and finished its season 16-3.
Abington
- 11-9 overall, 8-8 SOL
- First time in districts since 2015
- Senior Sydney Steiner batted .327 with a team high 15 RBIs while junior first baseman Lauren Everitt hit at a .322 clip with 14 RBIs.
- Freshman Sam Wenhold has been a workhorse in the circle with 91 strikeouts in 116 innings. Freshman Hailey Hernandez (.283) completes the young battery.
- Junior centerfielder Leanna Schenk scored a team high 18 runs. She hit .283 with a .944 slugging percentage and 13 RBIs. Junior outfielder Ella Pierce led the Ghosts with a .381 batting average and eight RBIs.
- Senior second baseman Aneesa Rohrer batted .309 with 11 RBIs and 13 runs scored.
- Anchoring the infield at shortstop is senior Ashley Reilly.
Senior Sydney Steiner says: “All four years I’ve played, I have not been to districts. Me and Aneesa (Rohrer), one of the other seniors on the team – we would refresh PIAA (district web site) constantly to see what place we were in to see if we were 24th. We were really nervous. Some of us were at an awards ceremony together, so we all found out when we were together that we made districts, and it was really fun.
“It is so exciting for us because there’s only a handful of us that play travel, so a lot of it is just raw talent for most of the girls, so it’s exciting for us to be the underdogs. I don’t think any of us really thought we’d make it for sure – except our coaches. They’ve had faith in us the entire time. Most of us are still really in shock and just happy to be there in general. Obviously, we want to win and we’re going to try our hardest, but I don’t think any of us are expecting to win it all. We’re just really happy to be there.”
Class 4A
#4 LOWER MORELAND at #1 VILLA JOSEPH MARIE
The Lions finished third in the SOL Freedom Division behind William Tennent and Upper Moreland. This is the program’s first trip to the postseason as a Class 4A squad. “We’ve been playing solid defense recently, so I think if we bring our bats, we’ll be okay,” LM coach Karen Reese said. “You’ve got to score runs to win, so that’s the name of the game.”
Lower Moreland
- 8-11 overall, 5-11 SOL
- First trip to District One Tournament since moved to Class 4A
- Senior Liz Neeld bats leadoff and boasts an impressive .640 batting average with eight home runs, 25 RBIs and 27 stolen bases. She was intentionally walked seven times. “She can hit a long ball, or she can bunt, and she’s a very good baserunner,” coach Karen Reese said. “She’s my best hitter, but I bat her number one because she gets things going. If she gets on base, she usually scores. She’s also my best defensive player and plays shortstop or she’s my pitcher. Shortstop is her primary position. She can field a ball in a deep hole and make the long throw to first, she can throw from her knees. She does it.”
- Senior catcher Jess Dugo bats second and has 19 bunt singles and 17 stolen bases. She has a .370 batting average. “She is a bunter and speed,” Reese said. “If Liz gets on, she usually steals second base, and Dugo will bunt and move Liz to third. Even though we have her bunting to advance Liz, most of the time she’s safe, and it’s a bunt single.”
- Freshman first baseman Sophia Azzarano bats third for the Lions and finished the season with 17 RBIs and a .236 batting average. “She’s done a really solid job fielding her position and always being able to count her at first base,” Reese said.
- Also key is junior Clare O’Donnell, who will be the starting pitcher on Tuesday.
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