North Penn advanced to Thursday’s PIAA 6A title game at Penn State while Pennsbury saw its season come to an end. Pennsbury/Haverford photos provided courtesy of Kim Supko Photography. Check back for a gallery of photos.
PIAA 6A semifinals
#1-5 NORTH PENN 10, #7-2 CANON-McMILLAN 0 (5 innings)
It looked like the second inning was going to be a relatively uneventful one for the Knights in a scoreless state semifinal at Mechanicsburg High School. The first two batters in the inning were retired on a groundout and a popup to the catcher. Not exactly the lead-in to a rally.
But Carley DiGiuseppe lined a two-out single to left, and Sophia Collins smashed a line drive over the left field fence for a two-run home run that gave the Knights momentum they would never lose.
“I didn’t realize it went over until I passed first base,” Collins said of her round tripper. “When I hit it, it felt really good off the bat.”
“In our past few games, usually when we score early – that’s when we start actually getting all those runs in. To start in the second inning was really important, and it felt great that it was me that got it started.”
Collins started it and the rest of the Knights finished it, erupting for eight more runs over the next two innings to bring an early end to a contest that vaulted North Penn into the state title game against Haverford at Penn State University on Thursday.
“It’s so exciting,” Collins said. “Two years ago – the last time we were playing, I was a freshman, and it was definitely a different atmosphere.
“This year we just have a whole new team, and it’s strong all around. It’s exciting to finally make it there.”
Playing a starring role in the Knights’ first trip to the state title game since 1985 is Mady Volpe. The senior ace notched her fifth straight shutout win, recording 12 of 15 outs in the abbreviated game by strikeout. She scattered four hits and walked one.
The win was the fifth without a loss since the Knights fell to Haverford in a District One 6A Tournament quarterfinal contest.
“Coach Torresani got a phrase from the Alabama (softball) team – they always say, ‘Run the table,’ and that’s been our motto ever since that loss,” Collins said. “We’re just running the table all the way to states. We know we can do it, and after that loss, we were like, ‘We have to do it now.’”
The Knights pushed two more runs across in the third inning. Julia Shearer led off the inning with a single, and one out later Annabelle Smink singled. Gianna Cimino’s double to left plated Shearer. Brie Wilmot drew a walk, and the Knights’ fourth run scored on an error. Carley DiGiuseppe’s RBI single put the Knights ahead 5-0.
In the five-run fourth, Shearer led off with a single, and Sarah Sabocsik drew a walk, setting the stage for Volpe’s RBI single. With two outs, Collins drew a walk that pushed a run across, and Rachel Lowery’s bunt single brought another run home. Shearer kept the rally going with an RBI bunt single that put the Knights on top 10-0.
Volpe took care of business in the bottom of the inning, striking out the side to put an exclamation point on the impressive win.
“The girls have just been so focused throughout the playoffs,” coach Rick Torresani said. “They didn’t let the Haverford loss bother them, and they came out today so loose, so ready to play and so excited to play.
“Sophia Collins is our eighth hitter, and she comes up and hits a two-run homer in the second inning. I said, ‘Wow, here we go.’ They just have gone out and felt nothing other than, ‘We’re going to play North Penn softball and doing what we do.’
“When Mady comes out and the kids play defense like they’re doing and getting hits up and down the lineup – we played a lot of small ball today. They just are playing awesome softball right now, and it’s fun to watch.”
Shearer’s 3-for-4 effort led the Knights and included a double, home run, RBI and two runs scored. Smink (2-for-3, RBI, 2 runs) and Cimino (2-for-3, RBI, two runs) also had multi hit games. Collins finished with three RBIs.
“I told the girls at practice, ‘We can get 12 hits, but if we don’t get the timely hit, those 12 hits mean nothing,’” Torresani said. “We can go into a game and get four hits, but if we get the timely hit and win 2-0 or 3-0, that’s all that matters. It’s getting the timely hit when the girls are on base.
“They have fed into it, knowing that Mady is going to keep us close, and when we get a girl on base and we get the clutch hit, that’s what matters.”
North Penn (25-2, 15-1 SOL) will face Haverford in Thursday’s PIAA 6a state title game after another long bus trip to Penn State University.
“I love our team – we have such great people, and on these bus rides, we’re really bonding as a team and just getting really close,” Collins said.
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North Penn 023 5x 10-11-0
#1-3 HAVERFORD 2, #1-6 PENNSBURY 1
Emma Taylor didn’t waste any time, jumping on the first pitch she saw in the bottom of the seventh inning and hitting a shot over the center field fence that propelled the Fords to the walk-off win in Monday’s PIAA 6A semifinal contest at Spring-Ford High School.
“She swung for the fences – I saw her determination, and in the end, they just wanted it, and they went after it,” said junior pitcher Ainsley McClure, who pitched well enough to win on most days.
The Falcons watched in stunned disbelief as the Fords celebrated with a dog pile after Taylor crossed home plate. There was no way to prepare for the sudden ending, and there were plenty of tears and sad farewells as they left the field together for the final time.
“I have no way to say it other than – this is my family,” McClure said. “The seniors have been here every step of the way. Everyone’s played as hard as they can.
“In the beginning, there was no awkward patch while we were all getting to know each other. We all just bonded, and that’s my softball family.”
The Falcons didn’t have to look hard to figure out what went wrong in a contest that saw them strand eight base runners, including four over the final two innings.
“We did have our chances,” coach Frank McSherry said. “We were a little undisciplined at the plate, but you have to give their pitcher credit for that, and we just didn’t get the big hit when we needed it, that’s all. Again, you have to give their pitcher (Emma Taylor) credit for that.”
Taylor issued a pair of one-out walks to Riley Mahony and Rowan Mulholland in the top of the first but struck out the next two batters she faced. After striking out the first two batters of the second inning, Emma Hause collected a bloop single over the infield, but another Taylor strikeout ended that potential threat. The Yale University commit had five of her nine strikeouts in the first two innings.
The Fords used small ball to put a run on the board in the third. Back-to-back bunt singles by Claudia Stuck and Brooke McKeown set the stage for Kerri McCallum’s sacrifice fly to deep left.
In the top of the fourth, the Falcons scored their lone run without the benefit of a hit. Quinn McGonigle drew a leadoff walk, stole second and advanced to third on Sam Raub’s sacrifice bunt. She scored on Ali Charlier’s sharp groundout to the right side, knotting the score 1-1.
The Falcons loaded the bases in the sixth. Jess Rowe legged out a one-out bunt single, and with two outs, Raub drew a walk. An infield single by Charlier loaded the bases, but Taylor coaxed a fly ball to right field for the inning’s final out. The Falcons threatened in the top of the seventh, putting a runner in scoring position, but they came up empty.
Extra innings seemed inevitable, but Taylor had other ideas, bringing an end to the contest with one swing.
“You can’t be a winner if you don’t learn how to lose,” McClure said.
McClure and the Falcons have proven they know how to do both, and it’s a safe bet they will use Monday’s loss as motivation next year when the majority of this year’s squad returns.
“It certainly gives us a lot to look forward to, that’s for sure,” McSherry said. “This was just a great season, very satisfying.”
Pennsbury closed out its season with a 23-4 record. The Falcons were 16-0 on their way to the SOL Patriot Division title.
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Haverford 001 000 1 2-6-2
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