Check out the results for SOL softball teams in action Monday. CR South/Truman photos provided courtesy of John Gleeson. Check back for a gallery of photos.
National Conference
NESHAMINY 2, ABINGTON 1
Runs were at a premium for both sides on Tuesday in a classic National Conference battle, and it was the Redskins plating a single run in the top of the fifth to break a 1-1 tie. Amber Brugger did the rest, silencing the Ghosts’ bats over the final four innings. The junior pitcher also drove in a run that proved to be the game winner.
“We’re playing decent defense, we’re getting good pitching, but the runs aren’t coming yet,” coach Dave Chichilitti said. “You can’t be upset about it.
“We had seven hits, but we’re getting hits with two outs, we’re getting hits at all the wrong times. It’s going to come. It builds character when you can win games like this. When you’re not hitting when you need to – these are good wins.”
The Redskins got on the scoreboard in the top of the second, thanks to an RBI single by Lianna Jones that plated Hunter Hart. The Ghosts answered with a run in their half of the third to knot the score, benefitting from an error and an RBI double to deep right field by Olivia Bernstein.
In the fifth, catcher Rachel Kohler singled and stole second, setting the stage for Brugger’s game winner.
“There are no easy wins,” Chichilitti said. “It’s anybody’s game.”
Brugger – who had two of her team’s hits – allowed just four hits and one run (unearned) while fanning five and walking one.
Neshaminy (4-1, 2-0 SOL) will host William Tennent on Tuesday in a non-league game, and Abington (2-2, 0-2) is off until Tuesday, April 18, when the Ghosts will be on the road at Council Rock North.
Neshaminy 010 010 0 2-7-2
Abington 001 000 0 1-4-2
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 2, BENSALEM 0
The Indians plated two runs in the fourth inning, and they were the only runs Jenna Khantzian would need. The Indians’ sophomore ace allowed just four hits while fanning five in the complete game win. She did, however, receive a major assist from a pair of veterans to preserve the lead in the top of the seventh.
“Nothing comes easy in life,” coach John Engelhardt said. “We very well could have lost, but my two senior co-captains made huge plays.”
With a pair of runners on board, senior catcher Taylor Amazeen picked off the runner at first.
“They were taking big leads at first, and Taylor threw a seed down to first base, and we picked her off,” Engelhardt said.
The Indians weren’t out of the woods yet, and with a pair on board and two outs, center fielder Sabrina Crane delivered a highlight reel catch of a ball in the left center field gap for the game’s final out.
“Their leadoff hitter smashes a ball into the gap, and Sabrina Crane lays out, do or die – I would have bet a lot of money that she was not going to catch this, and it would have made Sports Center’s highlights,” Engelhardt said. “Sabrina sold herself out and made a fantastic play. It was incredible.”
In the Indians’ two-run fourth, Riley Sheehy, who singled and stole second, scored on an RBI single by Sabrina Crane, and Taylor Amazeen’s RBI double put the Indians on top 2-0. It’s all Khantzian would need.
“We played our North-South game on Saturday night, and I knew this would be a tough game because we were flying high with emotion on Saturday,” Engelhardt said. “We had a really good approach at the plate – every single player had a good approach at the plate.
“I knew from the start this would be tough. Dan Schram always has that nitty, gritty team that wants to keep it close and plays really good defense, but we didn’t hit very well today at all.”
The Indians managed just five hits off Bensalem pitcher Dani Sharpe.
“We struggle with a girl that is a little bit slower,” Engelhardt said. “They struggle to keep their hands back to make that adjustment.
“This girl is a competitor, and she throws well, but we put nine runs on Danielle Walters from South. It’s almost like we have two different teams. I think my girls think that if we score one or two runs, that’s enough because Jenna is going to keep us in every game. We expect Jenna to go out and pitch lights out, which isn’t fair. The poor girl goes out and battles her tail off every game.
“We have a very young infield with a lot of girls playing new positions. We have all underclassmen in the infield, and they make some mistakes. We had several errors today, and Jenna kept her composure and just continued to battle.”
Council Rock North (5-1, 4-0 SOL) is off until next Monday when the Indians will be on the road at Central Bucks West for a non-league game. Bensalem (4-3, 0-3) will host Harry S Truman on Tuesday.
Bensalem 000 000 0 0
Council Rock North 000 200 x 2
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 4, HARRY S TRUMAN 2
The visiting Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the first, but the Golden Hawks got that run back in the third, thanks to a two-out rally. Melanie Wilkinson drew a free pass and immediately stole second, scoring the tying run on Sabrina Dobron’s RBI single.
In the fourth inning, the Hawks took a lead they would not lose. Emily Freed singled and moved up to second on a passed ball. Emily Cary – just up from jayvee – had an impressive debut, delivering an RBI single. Cary moved up to second on a passed ball, and Stephanie Andreoli followed with an RBI single. A third run crossed the plate on a fielder’s choice by Mackenzie Marino.
Wilkinson had a pair of hits in a contest that saw the Hawks collect eight hits.
Truman scored a single run in the fifth but would get no closer the rest of the way.
Freshman Danielle Walters earned the win, allowing just three hits while fanning seven and walking five.
Council Rock South (4-1, 2-1 SOL) will travel to Gwynedd Mercy on Tuesday for a non-league contest, and Harry S Truman (0-4, 0-3) will be on the road at Bensalem on Tuesday.
Harry S Truman 100 010 0 2
Council Rock South 001 300 x 4
Continental Conference
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 13, PENNRIDGE 7
The Patriots’ one through four batters combined for nine hits and eight RBIs. Leading the way was Audrey Labouliere, who continued her torrid offensive production with a 3-for-4 effort that included three RBIs and two runs scored.
Hailey Aspinwall had a pair of hits, including a double, one RBI and two runs scored out of the leadoff spot. Cleanup batter Alyssa Catron was 2-for-4 with a triple, three RBIs and a run scored. Tara Harper, who earned the complete game win, helped her own cause out of the two hole, finishing 2-for-4 with one RBI and three runs scored.
Giuliana Ruscio also came up big with a 2-for-3 effort that included a double, RBI and run scored.
The Patriots scored early and often, putting four runs on the board in the bottom of the first. The Rams made it a 4-1 game with a run in the top of the second, but the Patriots scored two in the bottom of the inning. The Rams trimmed East’s lead to 6-3 with a pair of third-inning runs, but again, the Patriots answered, this time scoring four in the bottom of the inning to go on top 10-3. The Rams made it a 10-7 game with two runs in both the fifth and sixth innings, but the Patriots scored three in the sixth.
Grace McGinley led the Rams’ 10-hit attack, going 3-for-4 with a triple, RBI and two runs scored. Sam Harty was 2-for-3 with a triple and two runs scored, and Kiley Watson was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Sara Sztenderowicz had a home run, two RBIs and a run scored.
Central Bucks East (2-2, 2-0 SOL) will host Upper Moreland in a non-league contest on Tuesday, and Pennridge (0-4, 0-2) will host Harry S Truman on Wednesday in a non-league game.
Pennridge 012 022 0 7-10-1
Central Bucks East 424 003 x 13-14-3
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 8, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 1
Kylie Kenney struck out 12 in a two-hit gem for the Titans. The sophomore hurler took a no-hitter into the sixth inning only to see the Bucks break up her no-hit bid with a two-out infield single. Another bloop single in the same inning drove in the Bucks’ only run.
“Kylie had a great game today,” coach Kevin Rosini said. “She got ahead of the hitters, threw strikes, threw any pitch she wanted. She did a really good job.”
The Titans broke a scoreless tie in the fifth when they exploded for all eight of their runs. Taylor Marinelli delivered the big blow – a double with the bases loaded that drove in three runs.
“Taylor Marinelli is a great player,” Rosini said. “It was 1-0 when she got that hit, and that made a 4-0. It let everybody take a deep breath and kind of settled things down a little bit.”
All told, the Titans collected five hits in the inning and also benefitted from five free passes.
Alexa Ortman led the Titans’ eight-hit attack with a 3-for-4 effort at the plate. The Titans were on the receiving end of eight walks.
Central Bucks South (2-2, 2-0 SOL) will be on the road at Archbishop Wood on Wednesday for a non-league game, and Central Bucks West (0-3, 0-2) will travel to Norristown on Tuesday for a non-league game.
Central Bucks South 000 080 0 8
Central Bucks West 000 001 0 1
NORTH PENN 5, WILLIAM TENNENT 2
It had been a long time between games for the Knights, who broke a 2-2 tie with a run in the bottom of the fourth and two more in the fifth to earn the win.
“This was a good game for both teams,” North Penn coach Rick Torresani said. “It was the first game in a week-and-a-half for us, but the defense for both teams was outstanding.
“That’s what I was worried about having not played a game for a while. It was just a great game with timely hitting, and that’s what surprised me. I thought there would be a few errors – overthrows and things like that, but that didn’t happen.”
Bri Battavio got the job done in the circle and at the plate, allowing five hits while
fanning five and walking two to earn the complete game win. She also was a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate with one RBI.
Also for the Knights, Elia Namey was 1-for-2 with two RBIs, Amanda Greaney was 1-for-2 with an RBI, and Jordan Pietgrzykoski was 1-for-3 with an RBI.
“I didn’t know what to expect from my team, and we got some timely hitting and played really good defense,” Torresani said. “That was a really, really positive sign for us because in our first two games – which seem as though it was last year – we didn’t play very good defense. I don’t know if it’s the warmer weather and the kids felt more comfortable.
“It was a typical Continental Conference type game where the team that gets the clutch hit with two outs wins the game. We just happened to be that team today.”
North Penn (2-2, 1-0 SOL) will be on the road at Quakertown for a non-league game on Wednesday, and William Tennent (2-3, 1-1) will travel to Neshaminy for a non-league contest.
William Tennent 100 100 0 2
North Penn 101 120 x 5
American Conference
UPPER DUBLIN 12, WISSAHICKON 9
The visiting Trojans led 7-4 after putting four runs on the board in the top of the fourth inning, and they took a 9-5 lead into the bottom of the fifth when the Flying Cardinals exploded for six runs to take a lead they would not lose.
There were offensive heroes galore in this one. Briana Parker led the Cardinals’ 14-hit attack with a perfect 4-for-4 effort at the plate that included a triple, two RBIs and three runs scored. Jackie McMenamin was 3-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored. Korynn Bischoff (2-for-3, run) and Bela Soriano (2-for-2, double, two runs) joined the Cardinals’ multi-hit parade. Sarah Sharp contributed a two-run single in the second inning, and Erin Gallagher was 1-for-3 with a three-run double in the fifth.
For the Trojans, Ashley Radell was 2-for-4 with five RBIs. Her bases-clearing double highlighted the Trojans’ four-run fourth. Zoe Trumbore was 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Siani Paige-Miller was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored, and Michaela Coleman was 1-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Gallagher earned the win, allowing seven hits and nine runs in five-and-a-third innings. Julia Wolf worked the final inning and two thirds to earn the save, allowing one hit and no runs. Sara Genell absorbed the loss.
Upper Dublin (2-3, 2-0 SOL) will travel to Upper Merion on Tuesday for a non-league game, and Wissahickon (0-4, 0-2) is off until Monday when the Trojans will host Plymouth Whitemarsh.
Wissahickon 003 420 0 9-8-1
Upper Dublin 022 161 x 12-14-1
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 5, SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 0
Allison Beausoleil tossed an impressive two-hit shutout, striking out nine and walking three while going the distance.
The Colonials scored all the runs the sophomore pitcher would need in a two-run first. They added two more in the fifth and a single run in the sixth for the 5-0 final.
Jennifer Byrne led the Colonials’ seven-hit attack, going 2-for-4 with a run scored. Ragan Ebersole was 1-for-3 with an RBI and two runs score. Lauren Fuhrmeister and Sydney Melillo both finished the day 1-for-3 with a run scored. Emma Carney and Josie Tassoni each had one RBI. Kamryn Kropinski had the game’s only extra base hit – a triple. Gianna Fazio was 1-for-2 to round out the Colonials’ attack.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (3-2, 2-1 SOL) will be on the road at Wissahickon on Monday, and Springfield (0-2, 0-1) is off until next Tuesday when the Spartans will travel to Upper Moreland.
Springfield Township 000 000 0 0-2-3
Plymouth Whitemarsh 200 210 x 5-7-3
UPPER MORELAND 8, CHELTENHAM 3
The Golden Bears pounded out 15 hits, and their four-run uprising in the top of the first set the tone for an impressive offensive showing. But it was the stellar outing of Jenna Sadowski that stole the spotlight. The Golden Bears’ pitcher – who allowed five hits and two earned runs – struck out 12 and did not walk a batter.
“She had a little pop today, and she had control,” UM coach Scott Ludlow said. “From the middle of their order down, she really controlled them.
“From their five batter on, she had eight strikeouts and no hits, so all of their hits were from the top of their lineup. She really controlled the bottom, which was really the story of the game. She had good stuff today. It was a nice win.”
In the Golden Bears’ four-run first, Kate Sawick led off with a single. She scored on a single by Maddie Mull, who eventually scored on a throwing error. Singles by Kim Benge and Brianna Byard set the stage for a two-run single by Noelle Woodman, and the Golden Bears had a lead they would not lose.
The Lady Panthers scored an unearned run in the first, and with two outs in the third, Veta Blair-Kraybill hit a solo home run. They added their final run in the fourth when Morgan Gianelle, who led off with a triple, scored on a safety squeeze. Blair-Kraybill had two of her team’s five hits and also scored a pair of runs.
Golden Bears finishing the day with multiple hits were Benge (2-for-4, two runs), Byard (2-for-3, three runs), Woodman (3-for-4, three RBIs) and Sadowski (2-for-4, run, RBI).
Upper Moreland (2-1, 1-0 SOL) will travel to Central Bucks East for a non-league game on Tuesday, and Cheltenham (0-3 SOL) is off until Tuesday, April 18, when the Lady Panthers will be on the road at Quakertown.
Upper Moreland 411 200 0 8
Cheltenham 101 100 0 3
Non-league
PENNSBURY 8, SOUDERTON 1
The Falcons collected 13 hits, and they scored all the runs Alyssa Heilman would need in a four-run first. The Falcons’ junior hurler allowed just three hits while striking out six and walking none. Heilman has not walked a batter in any of her team’s five games this season.
“Five games with no walks – she’s really locating her pitches,” coach Frank McSherry said of his mound ace. “We have been telling her that since she was a freshman – location, location and location.
“That’s what they say in real estate, but that’s what pitchers have to believe – change of speed and location, and that’s going to win a lot of games. You don’t need a ton of pitches, you really don’t.”
Sydney Jakimowicz, Carly Parsons, Mia Pitt and Allison Rose all contributed singles in a four-run first that also included a costly Indian error.
Bri Neely, who reached base on an error, scored the Indians’ only run on an error in the bottom of the first.
Five Falcons collected more than one hit, led by the 3-for-4 effort of Rose, who had a double, two RBIs and three runs scored. Also contributing multiple hits were Arden Rabiger (two doubles, RBI, two runs), Pitt (2-for-4, two RBIs) and Sierra Daley (2-for-3, run). Jen Brady, in her first varsity start, finished 2-for-4 with an RBI.
For the Indians, Naila Neely was 1-for-3 with a triple.
Alex Scheeler – who fanned four and walked none – absorbed the loss for the Indians.
“She had a nice change-up and she kept the ball away from our kids, but our kids really started going with the pitch,” McSherry said.
Pennsbury (4-1, 1-0 SOL) will be on the road at Conwell Egan for a non-league game on Saturday, and Souderton (1-2, 0-1) will be on the road at Lansdale Catholic on Wednesday for a non-league contest.
Pennsbury (4-1, 1-0 SOL)
Pennsbury 401 012 0 8
Souderton 100 000 0 1
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