Check out the recaps for SOL softball teams in action Friday.
SOL Liberty Division
UPPER DUBLIN 2, UPPER MORELAND 0
Kyla Garrison threw her second shutout in as many days, this time tossing a two-hit gem. She struck out 12 and did not walk a batter. In the two games combined, the freshman pitcher allowed six hits and struck out 27 in 14 shutout innings. She hit one batter. The UD defense played flawlessly behind Garrison in both games.
In Friday’s contest, runs weren’t easy to come by for the Cardinals either. They scored the only run Garrison would need when Bella Fiore delivered a clutch two-out RBI single in the third inning that plated Kaaelin Penna, who singled and stole a base.
In the fifth inning, Garrison helped her own cause when she delivered an RBI double that plated Rayla Kratchman – who reached base on an error – with an insurance run.
Kaitlyn Zacharia’s 2-for-3 day at the plate led the Cardinals.
Upper Dublin (4-1, 2-1 SOL) will host Gwynedd Mercy in a non-league game Tuesday, and Upper Moreland (2-3, 2-2) will host MaST Charter School in a non-league game Monday.
Upper Moreland 000 000 0 0-2-3
Upper Dublin 001 010 x 2-6-0
Non-league
QUAKERTOWN 9, NESHAMINY 2
Quakertown picked up its fifth win without a loss, and the tone for this one was set early.
The Panthers scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning and went on to open up a 6-0 lead before the visiting Redskins scored a pair of late runs.
Leah Schwalm delivered the big blow in the first with a three-run blast over the center field fence. The big hit came after Ava Beal led off with a single, and Katie Muller drew a one-out walk.
“It was a good team win,” Quakertown coach Dave Scott said. “We set the tone early by getting out of a jam in the top of the first and then having Leah Schwalm hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the first.”
In the top of the first, the Redskins put a pair of runners on board with one out. Morgan Volgraf led off the inning with a single, and one out later, Lindsey Gorka was safe on an error. Abbey Wagner retired the next batter she faced on a foul popup and then came up with a big strikeout to keep the Redskins off the board.
Quakertown added a pair of unearned runs without the benefit of a hit in the second inning, and in the bottom of the third, Mary Wilkinson delivered an RBI single that plated Grace Baker, who singled and advanced to second on an error.
Neshaminy made it a 6-1 game with a run in the top of the fourth when Morgan Leonhauser, who doubled with one out, scored on a groundout by Olivia Hughes.
In the bottom of the fifth, Schwalm led off with a single, and Carli Maha lined a double to left field. Both runners scored when Baker hit a three-run home run to center field for a 9-1 Panther lead.
The Redskins plated the game’s final run in the top of the sixth. Leonhauser and Hughes opened the inning with back-to-back singles, and Leonhauser scored on Rachel Allen’s fielder’s choice.
Wagner notched the complete game win, allowing seven hits and two runs while striking out four and walking none.
The Panthers’ nine-hit attack was led by the two-hit efforts of Beal (2-for-4, R), Schwalm (2-for-4, HR, 2 RBIs, 2R) and Baker (2-for-3, HR, 3 RBIS, 2R). Maya Hellyer was 1-for-3 with a double.
For the Redskins, Volgraf was 2-for-4 while Leonhauser was 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored.
Quakertown (5-0, 3-0 SOL) will host Central Bucks West in a non-league game Tuesday at 4 p.m. Neshaminy (2-3, 1-2) will host Souderton in a crossover game on Monday.
Neshaminy 000 101 0 2-7-3
Quakertown 321 030 x 9-9-2
NORTH PENN 14, OWEN J ROBERTS 0 (5 innings)
The storyline was a familiar one.
Julia Shearer was all but untouchable in the circle, allowing two hits in the abbreviated shutout while striking out 10 and walking none. She did hit a batter in Friday’s rout. At the plate, Shearer was an impossible out, finishing the day 4-for-4 with a double, three RBIs and four runs scored.
In five wins, the Knights – behind Shearer – have outscored their opponents 48-1. The only team that gave them a game was Cathedral Prep in a 3-0 NP win in Myrtle Beach.
After a one-two-three top of the first, Shearer led off the bottom of the inning with a line drive single to center. Sarah Sabocsik followed with a bunt single that saw both runners advance on an error on the play. Annabelle Smink drove both runners home with a single to center, and then Brie Wilmot lofted a two-run home run over the center field fence.
The Knights weren’t finished yet. Gianna Cimino followed with a single, and one out later, Casey Sokol drew a walk. Bella Nunn lined an RBI single to center, and then it was Cailin Halfpenny and Shearer following with back-to-back RBI singles. Sabocsik’s RBI double to center plated a run that put the Knights on top 9-0.
They added two more runs in the third and three in the fourth to bring an early end to the game.
In addition to Shearer’s 4-4 effort, Sabocsik was 3-for-3 with a double, RBI and two runs. Smink was 2-for-3 with two RBIs, a run scored and a sacrifice bunt. Wilmot was 3-for-4 with a double, home run, five RBIs and a run scored, and Nunn was 2-for-2 with an RBI and run scored. Sophia Orth was 1-for-2 with a walk and two runs scored.
For the game, the Knights collected 18 hits and 13 RBIs on 14 runs.
North Penn (5-0, 2-0 SOL) will host Boyertown in a non-league game Monday.
Owen J Roberts 000 00 0-2-2
North Penn 902 3x 14-18-0
CHELTENHAM 8, LOWER MERION 6
The Aces took an early lead on the Lady Panthers who rallied for the non-league win.
Doubles by Elena Kovach, Syd Grunfield, Noa Richard, and Mariah Cintron all contributed to a 5-1 Lower Merion lead going into the bottom of the fourth.
The Panthers scored a run on an RBI single from Morgan Kelly before loading the bases for what would turn out to be a grand slam for Tabitha Sterman. Sterman’s blast gave the Lady Panthers a 6-5 lead.
The Aces answered in the top of the fifth, drawing three free passes before Keira Gibbons had an RBI single to tie the game.
In the bottom of the sixth, Kendall Nelson, Tabitha Sterman, Keilah Reyes, and Amelia Kopp strung hits together to score two and pull ahead 8-6.
Ava DeBelle and Robin Miller combined for the win in the circle, with Miller striking out the side in the top of the seventh to give the Panthers the win.
Cheltenham (2-2, 0-2 SOL) is off until Tuesday, April 11, when the Lady Panthers will travel to William Tennent.
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 6, VILLA JOSEPH MARIE 5
The Indians notched a dramatic walk-off non-league win when – with two outs in the bottom of the seventh – Molly Sheehy stepped to the plate a smashed a two-run home run to center field. The homer plated Olivia Schlindwein, who hit a one-out single.
Over the course of the game, the Indians trailed by as many as three and needed a late-game rally to escape with the win.
“Nothing seemed to be going right for CR North today,” Rock North coach Susan Yee said. “We struggled to square up the ball, and when we did, we seemed to be hitting right to the defenders. When it seemed like we found a hole, Villa’s defenders did a great job plugging it up, making diving catches and snagging hard hit balls up the middle.
“Villa’s pitcher did a great job keeping our girls off balance, and their defenders played tight defense behind her. They were determined to prevent us from getting any kind of rally going and set that tone right from the start when they stranded two CR North runners in scoring position in the bottom of the first inning.”
In the Indians’ first inning, Schlindwein lined a single to center to lead off the inning, and Zoe Hornstein drew a walk. Both advanced to second and third but both were stranded.
The Indians scored a run in the bottom of the second when Chelsea Seiler, who had walked, scored on a wild pitch for a 1-0 Rock North lead. The Jems scored three in the bottom of the inning and added a run in the fifth to go on top 4-1.
With one out in the sixth inning, Katie Wilkoski and Payton Helsman collected back-to-back singles, and both scored when Taylor Gearhart homered to center field, knotting the score 4-4. The Jems took a 5-4 lead with a run in the top of the seventh, setting the stage of Sheehy’s late-game heroics.
“Despite the struggles, I was really proud of how our girls battled today,” Yee said. “Every team has a day that it seems that nothing can go right, but good teams battle through that and find a way to win, and that’s what our girls did today. This experience should pay huge dividends for us moving forward for future tight games, as we hope to be able to compete with every team on our schedule this year.”
Schlindwein (2.1IP, 2H, 3R, 3ER, 1BB, 5K) and Lucy Mills (4.2IP, 4H, 2R, 2ER, 2BB, 6K) shared time in the circle.
“Once again it was a total team effort,” Yee said. “We scored six earned runs without a single player having a multi-hit game.
“Freshman Ellie Bonn stepped in to fill the role of starting right fielder Kayla Ripper (currently in Colorado competing for the Boardercross National Championship) and made a few key catches in right field to prevent extra base hits, while also reaching base twice offensively.
“Freshman Lucy Mills came in to relieve ace Olivia Schlindwein early and shut down the three-run third inning rally and held Villa’s offense at bay to earn the win.
“Fellow freshman Payton Helsman also came in off the bench to get the sixth inning rally going with a pinch hit single to the left side. The combined efforts of all the girls then set the stage for the heroics of junior captains Taylor Gearhart (three-run homerun to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth) and Molly Sheehy (walk off 2-run homerun in the bottom of the seventh). All in all, I was proud of how each girl battled and contributed to a hard fought win.”
Council Rock North (4-0, 2-0 SOL) will host Council Rock South on Monday.
Villa Joseph Marie 003 010 1 5-6-1
Council Rock North 010 003 2 6-7-0
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