In Class 6A action, Quakertown edged Methacton in a pitcher’s duel, Council Rock North won a slugfest against Souderton, and Central Bucks West edged Owen J. Roberts, winning for the fifth time this season in OT. Upper Moreland defended its home turf in Class 5A.
#1-19 COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 10, #1-14 SOUDERTON 8
Riley Sheehy wasn't ready to go home yet.
Neither was Lauren Begg. Given the chance to make sure they stayed in the postseason field, the one and two hitters in the Indians' order delivered on Monday.
Sheehy's two-out single in the top of the seventh extended a CR North rally while Begg's bouncer up the second base gap provided the go-ahead run and a second on a Souderton error. Begg then shut the door in the pitching circle to finally end a wild, back-and-forth game in the 3A first round.
"We had to focus as a team to come back and put up runs in the following inning," Begg said. "I have complete confidence in my team. I knew that at-bat was very important and I channeled any emotion I had into that because I did not want this to be our last game."
Rock North coach John Engelhardt was thrilled with his team’s showing.
“One of the things we really try to focus on this year is to control what we can control,” the Rock North coach said. “They stayed up for six innings, and it was going to be interesting to see what this team’s character is made of.
“It’s a tie game, and we had just had an 8-3 lead. You become complacent, you become comfortable and start to think, ‘Six outs and we’re moving on.’ Every one of my kids wants to advance. We’re a 19 seed, but there’s not one girl in our dugout that thinks we’re a 19 seed.”
The final inning was a test for Begg, who had been rocked for five runs in the bottom of the sixth that allowed the 14th-seeded Indians to tie the game at 8-8. Once the left-hander ended that frame, she was more confident than anything given the way her team had hit the ball on Monday.
"We tend to jump on the ball early in the count and we were being aggressive the whole game, so I was confident we could get some hits," Begg said.
CR North took a 1-0 lead when Julianna Shields' RBI groundout plated Begg in the top half of the first inning. Souderton came back with two runs on RBIs by Jen Klepfer and Ali Gould for a 2-1 lead that would hold until the fifth inning.
Then things went up a few levels.
CR North erupted for five runs in the top of the fifth with first baseman Abby Seiple's two-run single the break-it-open hit. The first five North hitters got on base to start the fifth and all of them scored as all nine Indians batters went to the plate to take a 6-2 lead.
Seiple had another RBI single the sixth when Rock North tacked on two more runs to put itself up 8-3.
Souderton’s third run, which came in the bottom of the fifth, looked to be a costly one. Starting pitcher Alex Scheeler injured herself running out a ground ball and though her replacement runner scored the run, for a few minutes it looked like Scheeler was finished.
Then the senior wanted back in.
Not only did Scheeler finish the game in the circle, she provided the most dramatic hit of the game for the hosts in their sixth-inning rally. Katie Huber got things going with a solo home run and after Souderton loaded the bases and Klepfer's sac fly brought another run home, Scheeler stepped up to bat.
The senior sent the first pitch over the fence in right-center, clearing the bases for a three-run home run and an 8-8 score.
"She's playing at Moravian next year and I was ready to have her rest and think long-term," Souderton coach Liz Parkins said. "But she's a fighter. She will do anything for this team."
“That kid is an absolute monster,” Engelhardt said of Scheeler. “She hurt herself running down to first, and I didn’t think there was a chance in hell she was coming back.
“She looked like she was in pain, and she was limping around that mound. She came out there and gritted it out. That kid is tough. I have a lot of respect for that kid.”
Madison Tomlinson started CR North's seventh-inning rally with a one-out single.
“It was the bottom of the order that gave us that spark,” Engelhardt said. “Madison is a four-year starter and a senior captain. I went to her and said, ‘You’re going to have to be a flex. We have to make a change, ‘ and she said, ‘I’ll do whatever you need me to do.’
“We made a few changes today, and she was put in the order. She went 2-for-4 today. It was neat when I was writing my stats down – I can’t remember the last time I wrote her name down. She’s a kid who loves the game, and she was the eight hitter that got on with one out, and that run is the winning run. I’m really happy for her.”
Sheehy stepped up with two outs and pinch-runner Carly Yoder on second. She collected a hit for the third straight inning and fourth time in her five at-bats to put runners on the corners.
Begg came through with the go-ahead hit, then got back in the circle and kept Souderton quiet after allowing a leadoff single.
"I just kept telling myself – stay focused and keep the fire in you," Begg said. "We stayed aggressive and just played together as a team. It's nice though, to show that we're able to come through again."
Sheehy ended up 4-for-5 with three runs scored while Begg also scored three runs with two hits. Seiple posted three RBIs on two hits and Tomlinson had two hits for North.
Gould led Souderton with three hits and also had two RBIs. Scheeler added a first-inning single to go with her home run and Klepfer had two RBIs on two hits. Bri Neely had two hits, including a leadoff triple, and Alina Skrzat had singles in her first two at-bats for Souderton.
"I told the players to remember this feeling right now and how far we've come but also how much further we can go," Parkins said. "I told them not to hang their heads but remember the feeling of loss so we can fight and work toward something bigger next year."
The two teams combined for 29 hits – Rock North had 15 and Souderton had 14, including a pair of home runs.
“That team can straight up swing it,” Engelhardt said. “My kids got out school early and took batting practice. Even if we would have walked off and lost, they played with energy, intensity and as a team – and just their character and how they wanted to come out and play together.”
CR North (13-7, 7-5 SOL) travels to third-seeded Avon Grove on Wednesday. Souderton (7-5 SOL) closed its season with a 12-7 record.
Council Rock North 100 052 2 10
Souderton 200 015 0 8
#1-16 CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 3, #1-17 OWEN J ROBERTS 2 (8 innings)
Faith Neary knows all about delivering in big moments.
Earlier this season, with her team trailing by one and two outs in the seventh inning in the Bucks’ non-league game against Archbishop Wood, the junior outfielder, who bats out of the nine hole, delivered a two-out double to plate the tying run. The Bucks went on to win in extra innings.
In Monday’s district opener, the score was deadlocked with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning with a runner on third when Neary stepped into the batter’s box. She delivered yet again, this time poking a single into shallow center that plated Kayla Gallagher – who was safe on a two-base throwing error to open the inning – with the game winner, propelling the Bucks to the walk-off win.
“Sometimes I’m in my head and I get really nervous, but I knew today that we wanted to win, we wanted to move forward, and I knew we could do that,” Neary said.
Angelina Sherba also played a starring role in the win. The Bucks’ senior pitcher allowed four hits in the first four innings, none after that. Still, the visiting Wildcats plated an unearned run in the sixth and another in the seventh to knot the score – all without the benefit of a hit.
Sherba was unfazed.
“We saw when we scored our two runs, their heads went down immediately,” Sherba said. “We know we can’t do that or we’re done.
“We were so determined to win this game. We were going to do whatever, and it didn’t matter what happened to us. In the beginning of the season, we were always in our head or we were getting on each other, but we said. ‘This happened, we have to come back from it. It’s in the past.’”
Sherba struck out seven and did not walk a batter, and her performance impressed Gallagher, who shares pitching duties with the senior hurler. “Amazing, incredible – I’m speechless,” Gallagher said of her teammate’s performance. “Every pitch she was on fire, ready to go. Nothing (got) her down. Even when a runner got on base, it didn’t matter. She continued, played it through, struck them out.”
From the outset, it was clear that runs would be difficult to come by, but the Bucks – who had just one hit through three innings – put two on the board in the fourth inning. Sherba drew a leadoff walk, and Julia Perez roped a double to left center.
With West runners on second and third and a drawn-in infield, Gallagher hit a sharp grounder that was snagged by a diving Jordan Sylvia. The Wildcats’ shortstop didn’t have a play, and a run crossed the plate. West led 2-0 when Perez scored from third on an errant pickoff throw.
The Bucks had a chance to add to their lead in the fifth, loading the bases with one out. Neary opened the inning with a double, and the Bucks also benefitted from a walk and a fielder’s choice. They came up empty.
“It was rough, but I knew we just had to go back out, shut them out the next inning and come back firing,” Neary said.
After the Wildcats rallied to knot the score to send the game into extra innings, the Bucks – who brought a perfect 4-0 record in extra-inning contests into the game – had to like their chances.
They picked up their fifth extra-inning win of the season without a loss with a run in the eighth. Gallagher was safe on a two-base error to lead off the frame. Grace Dryden’s bunt sent Gallagher to third with one out. A walk put a pair on board, but it looked as though the Wildcats might escape unscathed when Sam Walsh came up with a clutch strikeout for the inning’s second out.
Neary – who had a double in the fifth – had other ideas, delivering a hit that plated the game winner.
“I’m just happy for the seniors,” coach Geoff Thompson said. “The seniors have struggled the whole time. The last time West was in states was 2000, and I don’t know the last time it was in the playoffs.”
Central Bucks West (13-7, 5-7 SOL) will travel to Central Bucks South to take on the top-seeded Titans in Wednesday’s second round.
Owen J Roberts 000 001 10 2
Central Bucks West 000 200 01 3
#1-13 QUAKERTOWN 1, #1-20 METHACTON
Fans of those good old-fashioned pitcher’s duels would have loved Monday’s opener at Veterans Park.
“It was an hour-and-15-minute game,” coach Ray Fox said. “No walks in the entire game, one error in the entire game. It was fun, it was exciting.
“I was so excited for the kids. When you get to playoffs, everybody’s good. We said to them, ‘Today’s the day you start on this ride. It’s just like being in an amusement park. How long are you going to stay on the ride?’ We talked about not worrying about our opponent, playing our ‘A’ game, doing our thing, playing our game. We played an A game today.”
Junior Tori Caputo tossed a four-hit gem – striking out four. Her counterpart – La Salle recruit Aubrey Seals – had allowed only one hit through six innings. She gave up just four hits and struck out seven.
“Their pitcher was dynamite,” Fox said. “We had a hit the first inning and she just mowed us down inning after inning.”
The Panthers – displaying a flare for the dramatic – won the game with a run in the bottom of the seventh. Nikki Vanelli led off the inning with a single.
“I was going to bunt her over, and then we got two strikes trying to bunt,” Fox said. “My cleanup hitter (Maddie Moyer) hit a double to right center field to move Nikki to third.
“I was going to try to squeeze that run home, but they got a strike on the batter (Halle Frederick), and I thought, ‘What the heck? There’s no outs. I have two batters to try and get that run in. I’m going to let her hit,’ and Halle smacked a hard single up the middle to win the game.”
The top of the seventh was not without drama when Sam Weil-Kasper delivered a leadoff triple.
“The next two batters in a row popped up to my first baseman,” Fox said. “The third out of the inning was a ground ball to third base, so they stranded her at third base.”
Seal had two of Methacton’s four hits – a single and a double.
Quakertown (15-4, 11-3 SOL) will travel to North Penn for a second round game against the fourth-seeded Knights.
Methacton 000 000 0 0-5-1
Quakertown 000 000 1 1-4-0
CLASS 2A
1-5 UPPER MORELAND 10, #1-12 MERION MERCY 1
Jenna Sadowski tossed an impressive three-hitter, striking out 10 and walking one. The Bears’ junior pitcher allowed an unearned run in the first and then silenced UM’s visitors the rest of the way.
“She had another one of her strong outings,” coach Scott Ludlow said. “She gave up a hit in the first. At one point, she struck out five of seven batters. She pretty much dominated the bottom of the order and had seven strikeouts on the last five batters.”
Prior to Monday’s win, Upper Moreland had not won a home playoff game in at least eight years.
“Making playoffs was a goal that we had,” Ludlow said. “We knew late in the season with a couple of big wins we would put ourselves in a position to get one.
“They certainly earned the right to have one the way they finished out. It was nice to have the fan base there and to really come out and put on a good showing. A new field, a new season – it was nice to have a home game to open it up our first year on the new field.”
UM set the tone for the win with two runs in the first after the visiting Bears scored an unearned run in the top of the first. Jocelyn Baumeister doubled to lead off the inning, and when Brianna Hughes singled, UM had runners on first and third. The tying run crossed the plate on a passed ball. The host Golden Bears had a lead they would not lose when Gianna Fiorenza’s single put the host team on top 2-1.
“It looked like we had a little nerves in the first inning – we gave them one, but to come back was a good bounce back from the top of the first,” Ludlow said.
Chloe Tice was 2-for-3 with a double out of the leadoff spot. Hughes was 3-for-4 with a double, home run, two RBIs and two runs. Sadowski was 2-for-3 with an RBI, and Jen Storbrauck was 2-for-4 with three RBIs. Jackie Martino contributed a double and RBI.
Upper Moreland (13-5, 9-5 SOL) will travel to fourth-seeded Interboro for a second round game on Wednesday.
Merion Mercy 100 000 0 1-3-1
Upper Moreland 201 133 x 10-13-1
Regular season game
NORTH PENN 5, PENNRIDGE 3
It’s official.
North Penn captured a share of the SOL Continental Conference title, and while most of their counterparts were battling it out in the opening round of districts, the Knights were taking care of the not-so-little matter of ensuring themselves a share of the SOL Continental Conference crown by playing their final league game that had been postponed because of inclement weather.
“We had tried hard to get it in, and finally when districts started, we thought, ‘I guess we won’t get it in. Let’s see what they call,’” coach Rick Torresani said. “Finally (SOL executive secretary) Ray Coleman came down and said, ‘If you don’t get it in, we go to a point system,’ and South would have won it outright.
“Pennridge wanted to play it, and obviously, because the league demanded it, we finally were able to get it in today.”
The Knights opened up a 5-0 lead after four innings and then withstood a late comeback that saw the Rams plate three runs in the sixth inning.
“Pennridge is a very, very good team,” Torresani said. “I still can’t figure out how they ended up the way they did. That’s a good hitting team with a good pitcher.”
Leading the Knights at the plate were Victoria Juckniewitz (2-for-4, RBI, run) and Courtney Neal (2-for-3, run).
For the Rams, Morgan Henry was 2-for-2. Skylar Hengeveld pushed three runs across with one swing of the bat when she homered in the sixth inning.
Mady Volpe earned the complete game win, allowing seven hits and three runs while striking out seven and walking two.
North Penn (16-4, 9-3 SOL) will host Quakertown in a second round district game on Wednesday. Pennridge (3-9) closed out its season with a 7-11 record.
North Penn 201 200 0 5-6-0
Pennridge 000 003 0 3-7-5
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