Check out the recaps for SOL softball teams in action Wednesday.
SOL Liberty Division
HATBORO-HORSHAM 15, WISSAHICKON 5 (6 innings)
What a difference a day makes.
Twenty-four hours after losing to Pennsbury 19-0, the Hatters earned a mercy rule win over the visiting Trojans in the SOL opener for both squads.
“Talk about a roller coaster of two games,” HH coach Kelly Krier said. “It’s great to be outside, it’s great to be on our field and it’s great that we bounced back, especially after yesterday. We knew Pennsbury was returning so many great players. They have experience, and we hung with them for a short time and then the wheels came off. To their credit, they took advantage of that
“Today felt a lot better walking away from the field, not just for me. I’m just happy that our team was able to reset the table and come out today – it wasn’t perfect, but we got the job done.”
Initially, Krier was not thrilled at the prospect of playing back-to-back games this week in what promised to be close to wintery conditions.
“After yesterday, I wanted to get out there again,” the Hatters’ coach said. “We have a mixture of veteran players and new players, people in new positions, so just to get out and play – it seems like we’ve been practicing forever, especially practicing inside.
“I was happy that we got right back out there. It didn’t give us time to dwell on things. We didn’t have time to think. We had to play, and that was the message from the start of the game – what kind of team do we want to be? Do we want to be yesterday’s team or today’s team? Coach Rachel Gieringer knew it was there, and it was nice that our girls found it in themselves, showed up and started to have fun again.”
Kendal Leitner had an uncharacteristically rough outing in the circle against Pennsbury, and in Wednesday’s SOL opener, Leitner – who did not pitch – turned in a dazzling performance at the plate, finishing 4-for-4 with a triple, home run, two runs scored and four RBIs.
“I spoke to Kendal early in the day,” Krier said. “I asked her to stop by my room, mainly just to check on her. I wanted to make sure she was okay. We talked about the game, and she was ready.”
Sophomore Alyssa Tooley notched the complete game win, allowing seven hits and five runs (three earned) while striking out five and walking three. The sophomore batted out of the leadoff spot and was a perfect 5-for-5 with a double, two RBIs and four runs scored.
“She did all of that with a head cold,” Krier said. “She too stopped up in my room this morning and she said, ‘I feel worse today than yesterday, but don’t worry – when game time comes, I’ll be ready.’ I said, ‘You better be because you’re going to be leading off and you’re going to be pitching. I want you to get in that mindset,’ and she did.
“Even in our scrimmages, Alyssa has been consistent at bat. We knew we needed to have that spark. She’s only a sophomore, but she had a really great presence throughout our preseason, and she just stepped up. I’m super proud of her. She did what we needed her to do on the mound.”
The Hatters put a run on the board in the first when Tooley – who led off the frame with a double – scored on a single by Leitner. The Trojans put a pair of runs on the board in the third without collecting a hit, and the Hatters answered with two runs in the bottom of the frame to go on top 3-2.
The Trojans took a 5-3 lead with three runs in the top of the fifth inning. The Hatters erupted for nine runs in the bottom of the inning to seize control of the game. After Tooley singled to lead off the frame, Leitner ignited the Hatters when – with one out – she ripped a two-run home run over the right field fence, knotting the score 5-5.
“She wanted to be out there,” Krier said of Leitner. “She just led off the game first inning, got us the run we needed, gave everyone confidence behind her. Then she hit it over the fence, and every single player – they all exhaled too. It was like – here’s the Kendal we know, and you just saw it up and down the lineup, confidence within the team. It was really, really great to see.”
The inning also was highlighted by RBI singles from Tess Kearney, Maddie Karpovich, Tooley and Megan Mills with Leitner capping the frame with an RBI triple that put the Hatters on top 12-5.
The Hatters brought an early end to the game with three more runs in the sixth.
In addition to Tooley and Leitner, Kearney also had a multi-hit game, finishing 2-for-4 with one RBI and two runs scored. All told, the Hatters collected 16 hits off a pair of Trojan pitchers.
For the Trojans, Luca Penna and Grace Franczyk both had two hits with Penna and Danielle Ciliberto each collecting a double.
“Wissahickon had lots of opportunities,” Krier said. “I don’t want to take anything away from them. They played hard. They came out and played us really well.
“Their pitcher, Ciliberto, had us off balance the first couple of times through, and their one through five hitters hit the ball really hard. They had scoring opportunities, and we were able to close the door when we needed to. In the fifth inning, our bats came alive.
“In the craziness of the start of the season, we have the mindset – it’s not where you start, it’s where you end. We’re going to continue to do that, take one day at a time. Last year was last year. This year is a whole new group of players. I’m just very proud of H-H softball today. They made the adjustments. Even within the game when things didn’t go our way, they responded, which from a coaching point of view was good to see.”
Hatboro-Horsham (1-1, 1-0 SOL) will travel to Plymouth Whitemarsh on Wednesday, and Wissahickon (0-2, 0-1) will travel to Harriton for a non-league game on Friday.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 002 030 5-7-2
Hatboro-Horsham 102 003 15-16-1
Non-league
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 9, WILLIAM TENNENT 6
Things did not look promising when the Titans found themselves staring at a 6-1 deficit heading into the bottom of the fourth inning, but they displayed remarkable resiliency, scoring eight unanswered runs to notch the non-league win in the season opener for both squads.
“I was happy with the comeback win – it was a nice way to start the season,” South coach Kevin Rosini said. “We needed it.
“It’s the first game of the season, so there’s a lot of ups and downs, but to come out of it with a win in this weather with the cold and the wind and everything like that – I thought we really hung together as a group, and that’s a great way to start the year. I was happy. The kids are great. They were very excited. It was a good first win for us.”
The Titans took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, but the Panthers knotted the score in the top of the second when Casey Yocovelli, who doubled, scored on a single by Vicky Colagreco. Tennent added a single run in the third and upped that lead to 6-1 with a four-run outburst in the top of the fourth inning. Gigi DeMito delivered the big blow of the inning – a three-run home run to center field.
In the bottom of the inning, the Titans took a lead they would not lose with a six-run outburst. The Panthers could have seen their way out of the inning, but a two-out error allowed a run to cross the plate, and the floodgates were opened. Suzie Williams followed with a two-run double to pull the Titans to within 6-4. Then it was CJ Haney contributing an RBI single, and Allie Franck delivered the big blow – a two-run home run to put the Titans on top 7-6.
In the top of the fifth, the Panthers loaded the bases with nobody out, but the Titans escaped unscathed, thanks to a strikeout, fielder’s choice putout at home plate and another strikeout.
In the bottom of the sixth, Franck gave the Titans some breathing room when she ripped her second two-run home run of the game, this one putting the Titans on top 9-6.
Franck finished the day 2-for-3 with a walk, two home runs and four RBIs. Haney was 4-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI. Marlena Hacker was 2-for-4 with a double. Williams doubled, scored a run and had two RBIs.
Freshman Riley Erb earned the win, throwing 3.2 innings in relief.
“I brought her in, and she gave up a three-run homer to make it 6-1,” Rosini said. “From that point on, she went 3 2/3 innings and didn’t give up another run and no walks.
“That’s her varsity debut. She came in and kind of settled things down after we came back. Maddy Borowski did well too, but it’s early in the season. Riley, who has done well in our scrimmages, shut the door after that home run.
“Early in the game, Allie (Franck) and Ella Brennen turned a nice double play, which was great. When they had the bases loaded, we had the corners in. Someone hit a screamer at Abby Magliaro at first base. She picked it and threw the girl out at home.”
For the Panthers, DeMito was 2-for-4 with a home run, run scored and three RBIs. Yacovelli was 2-for-4 with a double and run scored, and Colegreco was 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Central Bucks South (1-0) will travel to Souderton for Friday’s SOL opener, and William Tennent (0-1) will host Cheltenham in its league opener on Friday.
William Tennent 011 400 0 6-11-3
Central Bucks South 100 602 x 9-12-1
NORTH PENN 10, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 0 (5 innings)
Julia Shearer, according to her coach, is a five-tool player, and then he stopped and reconsidered.
“I don’t know if you can say six-tool because she pitches, but she’s definitely a five-tool player,” North Penn coach Rick Torresani said. “She’s a true Division 1 player.”
In Wednesday’s win, the University of Maryland commit got it done in the circle and at the plate, finishing 2-for-3 with a home run, stolen base and two RBIs. So far on the young season, she is 9-for-12 with four stolen bases.
“Last year she started out the year 10-for-10,” Torresani said. “And she’s been pitching for us and done such a great job.”
Shearer threw a 2-hit shutout in Wednesday’s abbreviated contest, striking out five and walking none. In 15 innings this season, Shearer has not walked a batter.
Shearer jumpstarted the Knights with a solo home run over the right center field fence in the bottom of the first. The Knights added a second run, and that early 2-0 lead was more than enough for Shearer.
A two-run double by Sarah Sabocsik highlighted a three-run second inning that put the Knights on top 5-0. The Knights added a single run in the third and four more in the fourth to bring an early end to the contest.
Brie Wilmot was 2-for-3 with two runs scored, and Gianna Cimino was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. Sabocsik was 1-for-2 with a double and two RBIs.
North Penn (3-0) will host Central Bucks West in Friday’s SOL opener. Council Rock South (0-1) will host Neshaminy in Friday’s league opener.
Council Rock South 000 00 0
North Penn 231 4x 10
ARCHBISHOP WOOD 13, UPPER DUBLIN 2
The visiting Vikings managed just one run through four innings but scored four in the fifth inning and 12 over the final three innings to earn the win.
The Cardinals, meanwhile, managed just four hits off Wood’s Dakota Fanelli, who allowed just one earned run, struck out nine and did not walk a batter.
UD’s Bella Fiore was 2-for-2 with a double and run scored, and Kaelin Penna was 1-for-3 with an RBI double and run scored.
Fanelli also had a productive day at the plate for Wood, finishing 2-for-2 with two doubles and two runs scored. Julia Yogis was 2-for-3 with a double, triple, two RBIs and three runs scored. Maggie Devlin was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI.
Foster absorbed the loss, allowing two hits and five runs (two earned) while striking out seven and walking five in five innings.
Upper Dublin (1-1) will travel to Abington for its SOL opener on Thursday.
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