North Penn & Pennsbury were winners in Friday’s District 1 6A quarterfinal round. North Penn/Haverford photos courtesy of Kim Supko. Pennsbury/Neshaminy photos courtesy of John Gleeson. Check back for a gallery of both games. Jesse Garber aslo provided photos of Pennsbury/Neshaminy (https://jsgarber.zenfolio.com/p488761568)
#1-2 NORTH PENN 11, #1-7 HAVERFORD 1 (5 innings)
The Knights are taking care of business, picking up their second lopsided win in as many postseason games. After plating a single run in the first, the Knights put five on the board in the second, all but ensuring themselves a spot in Tuesday’s district semifinal.
“We scored some runs early,” coach Rick Torresani said. “They made a few mistakes, and we capitalized on them.
“The same thing happened last year in our first two games in districts (a 13-2 win over Quakertown and a 10-0 rout of Coatesville). The kids are just playing really well right now. Mady Volpe’s pitching well, and we’re getting the clutch hits. I said it the other night – you play good defense, you get good pitching and you get timely hits, you’re usually going to win, and that’s what has been happening for us.”
Mady Volpe did it all for the Knights. Her leadoff double ignited the five-run second, and she finished the day 3-for-3 with two doubles and four RBIs. In the circle, the sophomore hurler allowed five hits and one run while striking out nine and walking none.
“She’s pitching well, and today she hit really well,” Torresani said of his sophomore ace. “She’s just excited – she’s excited to be here with the team.”
A key to the win for the Knights was the strong showing of the bottom of the order – Jamie Beer (3-for-3, RBI, run), Carley DiGiuseppe (1-for-4, 2 RBIs), Volpe and Lizzy Shark (2-for-3, run). The Knights’ five, six, seven and eight batters combined for nine of the Knights’ 11 hits.
“The bottom of the order came through for us today,” Torresani said. “So far, and it’s hopefully going to continue – when some of the kids aren’t hitting, other kids are picking them up, and today the bottom of the order came through.”
North Penn (20-1, 11-1 SOL) will host Pennsbury in a District 1 6A semifinal game on Tuesday. The Knights have also secured their spot in the state tournament.
“It takes a lot of pressure off the girls – now they know they’re going to states and now we get to play for a district championship without worrying about making states,” Torresani said. “They’ll be looking forward to playing Pennsbury. They’ll be ready.
“Obviously, Pennsbury is playing well. Pennsbury and Neshaminy have a really good tradition as far as being good, and these kids want to go out and show them how good we are.”
Haverford 000 10 1-5-5
North Penn 150 32 10-11-1
#1-3 PENNSBURY 2, #1-6 NESHAMINY 1 (8 innings)
They’ll be talking about this one for a long, long time.
Two neighboring rivals battling it out for a chance to play in the district semifinals and a berth in the state tournament, neither team giving an inch. Two freshman pitchers – Pennsbury’s Ainsley McClure and Neshaminy’s Kennedie Ruth – locked in a classic pitcher’s duel and allowing just 10 hits combined in seven-
plus innings. Each team scoring a run in the seventh inning and then – on a day when a home run into the wind seemed unlikely – Kaylie Capriotti did the unlikely, smashing a home run over the left center field fence to propel the Falcons to the walk-off win.
“You knew it was gone, you knew that ball was so deep – you just knew,” Pennsbury senior Karli Haines said. “We all jumped up and ran out.
“It’s the greatest feeling I’ve experienced. This has been my best Pennsbury experience here so far.”
Capriotti raised her arms in the air as she rounded first and disappeared in a mob of teammates when she reached home plate.
“I knew it was gone, I just knew it,” Capriotti said. “It just felt great. I was rounding second, and I was like, ‘Oh my god.’
“I was on jayvee last year, so I never had this experience before.”
The win vaulted the Falcons into the state tournament for the first time since their state final appearance in 2011.
“There was no thought in my mind this was going to happen, and I’m so grateful it did,” said McClure, who allowed six hits and one run (unearned) while striking out five and walking none. “I’m so grateful to go up against a pitcher like Kennedie because she keeps you on your toes. She’s great, she throws hard – that’s exactly the competition you want.”
The Falcons had a chance to get on the scoreboard in the sixth when – as the result of a walk and an error – they had runners on second and third with one out. A fly ball to left, however, turned into an inning ending double play.
Olivia Fee – admitting she doesn’t mind someone challenging her arm – gunned down the runner tagging at third at the plate.
“Focus on the ball and catching it,” the senior left fielder said of the key to the play. “Catch it on the run and throw it.”
The Redskins put a run on the board in the top of the seventh. With one out, Asia Barnard was safe on an error. She advanced to second on Rachel Kohler’s sacrifice bunt and scored the go-ahead run when Mia Barone ripped a two-out double to left center.
In the bottom of the seventh, Karli Haines collected a leadoff single, and the Falcons were in business.
“Throughout the whole game, we talked about how this is our field and we can’t lose on this field,” Haines
said. “During that last inning, we said, ‘Here we go, this is it. Let’s be loud.’ We had our rally caps on.
“I really wanted to start it off for the team, I wanted to get on so the energy could continue.”
An error on a grounder to the infield was followed by a sacrifice bunt, and pinch runner Drew Liss raced home from third on a wild pitch.
“She’s very quick,” Pennsbury coach Frank McSherry said of Liss. “There would have been no play but that ball hit the backstop and came back, but she slid so hard. She really slid hard, and it’s a tough play.”
Moments later, the apparent winning run was waved off when the runner on third left too soon on a tag play.
One inning later, Capriotti delivered the game-winner. McClure, for one, was confident the Falcons would prevail.
“Not in a cocky way, but it was a solid feeling deep down that you knew these girls could come back from anything,” said the Falcons’ rookie pitcher, who has allowed just one earned run in three games against the Redskins. “We have great chemistry on the field, off the field, and that’s what matters.
“Everyone loves each other, and no one gave up. That’s the most important part to me, no one gave up. There’s no drama, there’s no snipping at each other. It’s nothing but support and love, and it’s overwhelming and amazing.”
Ruth pitched well enough to win on most days, allowing just four hits and one earned run. She also had two of her team’s six hits. Barone also had a pair of hits.
“Great softball game for seven innings,” coach Dave Chichilitti said. “We had a chance to win – we made a little mistake. They had a chance to win – they made a little mistake. It went to extra innings, and the kid got a big hit.”
Pennsbury (18-2, 12-0 SOL) will travel to North Penn for a semifinal contest against the second-seeded Knights. It’s a spot McSherry admits he didn’t envision his team being in.
“There were so many unknowns this season,” the Falcons’ coach said. “The key is pitching, and throughout the season – knock on wood – we’ve played great defense and gotten timely hits.”
Neshaminy (17-5, 10-2) is still alive and in the hunt for a district berth. The Redskins will host Haverford in a playback game Tuesday. The winner will earn a state berth.
“We’re in the same situation (as last year),” Fee said. “Obviously, it sucks losing, but we can’t worry about it. Last year we lost (to Council Rock North), and we made it to the state semis.”
“I just told them – I’m not upset with anyone,” Chichilitti said. “Everyone gave their absolute best effort today.
“I told them – ‘When something like this happens, you need to take a little break from softball, get away. I will figure out Haverford, and tell everybody in your lives that – ‘Prepare to not see me for two weeks because we’re still going on a long run.’ Nobody likes to stand in line to go through the front entrance. We’ll go through the backdoor VIP.”
Neshaminy 000 000 10 1-6-3
Pennsbury 000 000 11 2-4-1
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