Check out the recaps for SOL softball teams in action Wednesday.
SOL Colonial Division
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 4, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 1
Sienna Lawson is a gamer.
How else could you describe her gutsy performance in Wednesday’s win.
“Sienna Lawson went home sick yesterday and was really sick,” West coach Mike Daher said. “I was just praying that we would have her today because we didn’t have her or Ana Glemser yesterday, although Laila (Murray) did a great job.
“They were both back today, and Sienna – I cannot say enough good things about her. She was absolutely phenomenal on the mound. To be sick and home in bed the day before and then to come out and do what she did today – she’s an absolute warrior. She just goes after every batter and will keep battling the whole game. To come out the way she did and battle for seven innings was just special.”
Lawson allowed just four hits, and the only run the Titans scored was unearned. She struck out six and walked three in the complete game win.
“The other thing – I don’t think I give her enough credit for – Sienna plays her position extremely well,” Daher said. “They bunted a couple times, and they’re a very strong small ball team. South runs the bases well, they bunt well, and she turned every bunt into an out. She really plays her position extremely well. She’s like having a fifth infielder, and that makes a huge difference when you have someone like that who will make plays as well as pitch.
“Central Bucks South is a really, really good team, and the girl they had on the mound (Riley Theis) threw Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and she battled us the whole game. She did a great job. Both pitchers were outstanding.”
The Bucks managed only five hits, but they were timely.
Heading into the fourth inning, Theis had faced only nine batters. The Bucks’ lone baserunner in the third – Julia Thomas who led off the inning with a single – was erased on a double play.
Jill Boyle led off the fourth with a line single to right field and moved up to second on a wild pitch. She was still on second with two outs, and with a base open, the Titans elected to give Murray an intentional walk. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch, and both scored when Molly Gibson lined a double to right field.
“That was a big hit because really the first three innings we couldn’t get anything going, but we were making contact with the ball, and we were putting the ball in play, so I really felt at some point we could put an inning together,” Daher said.
One inning later, the Bucks loaded the bases with one out, thanks to a pair of walks sandwiched around a single by Ava Mattes. Glemser lined a double to left field that plated a pair and gave the Bucks a 4-0 lead.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Titans scored their only run when Hollie Schaub, who was safe on the game’s only error, scored on a double by Steph Bendziowicz. Lawson closed it out with a scoreless seventh, and the big win was in the books.
“It was a great win,” Daher said. “It was a tough loss yesterday against Souderton. We didn’t know how we were going to come out today, but we came out with a lot of excitement and just played well and just kept battling the whole game and played really, really well defensively and made a lot of strong plays defensively.”
In the circle, Theis allowed five hits and four runs in six innings, and Alexis Griffin closed it out with a scoreless inning in relief.
Schaub had two of the Bucks four hits and also scored a run.
No one had more than one hit for the Bucks.
“I know it’s an old cliché, but it was definitely a team effort today,” Daher said. “Every single player on the field I felt contributed in some way. Molly Gibson had a huge hit that kind of got us going, and Ana Glemser had a big hit and drove in two. To have her come back not feeling well yesterday and to have Sienna come back not feeling well, but there were so many other players.
“Chloe Dryden played great defense the entire game. Julia Thomas had a big hit and also played great defense. Molly Gibson made a great play in center field, taking an extra base hit away. Siena was really fantastic today, but it wasn’t just Sienna. Ava Mattes really did a great job catching Siena and keeping the ball in play the whole time.”
Central Bucks West (3-2, 3-1 SOL) will travel to Council Rock North on Monday for a crossover game, and Central Bucks South (4-4, 3-2) will host Neshaminy in a crossover game Thursday (6 pm).
Central Bucks West 000 220 0 4-5-1
Central Bucks South 000 001 0 1-4-0
SOL Patriot/Colonial crossover
PENNRIDGE 3, HARRY S TRUMAN 2
The Rams have not exactly been lighting up the scoreboard with their run production in the early weeks of the season. As a matter of fact, Wednesday’s three runs – two on solo home runs by Averi Dockery and a solo shot by Ryleigh Lilly – equaled the most they’ve scored in any of their six games.
“First and foremost, we’re seeing a relatively steady improvement, which is great,” Pennridge coach Kristyn Marinelli said. “Especially with last week’s weather and cancellations, we’re four league games in. It’s a struggle across the board for all the teams, so we’re glad to see improvement.
“We’re also starting to string things together, so we’re working a lot in practice with hitting to contact, and now we’re taking it to the next level. We’re happy with what we’re doing thus far and hope to continue along in that trajectory.”
Dockery spotted the Rams an early 1-0 lead when she ripped a solo home run to left field to lead off the bottom of the first. That lead grew to 2-0 when Dockery smashed her second round tripper of the game – this one to center field. One out later, Lilly hit a solo blast to left field, giving the Rams a 3-0 lead.
The Tigers didn’t go down quietly. Jordyn Loy led off the sixth inning with a triple, and she scored on Kaitlyn Erhard’s groundout. Ashley Bottrel hit a two-out single, and she scored when Emily Davis tripled to make it a one-run game. The Tigers had a pair on base after Gabriella Lavertu drew a walk, but Destiny Novashinski retired the next batter she faced on a groundout to end that threat.
Novashinski notched the complete game win in the circle, allowing just three hits and two runs while striking out 11 and walking three in a strong outing.
“I was happy to give Destiny the opportunity, and she really capitalized on it,” Marinelli said. “We have a great group of girls who are all going to capitalize on those opportunities, so to give her that chance was great. She had to battle through some things and faced some adversity, but she was able to get her first high school win, which is great to see.
Dockery led the Rams with a 2-for-3 effort out of the leadoff spot with two home runs, two RBIs and two runs scored. Payton Keyser also was 2-for-3.
For the Tigers, Devin Becker turned in a solid outing in the circle, allowing six hits and three runs while striking out nine and walking one.
“They’re well coached,” Marinelli said of the Tigers.
Pennridge (3-3, 2-2 SOL) will face Quakertown in a non-league battle on Friday (6:30 pm) at Veterans Park. Harry S Truman (3-4, 1-3) will host Souderton on Tuesday in a crossover game.
Harry S Truman 000 002 0 2-3-0
Pennridge 102 000 x 3-6-1
SOL Freedom Division
UPPER MORELAND 18, SPRINGFIELD TWP 12
Hits and runs were in plentiful supply for both sides in Wednesday’s two-and-a-half-hour marathon that saw the two teams combine for 30 runs and 31 hits.
Even more remarkable was the fact that- after six wild innings – the two teams were deadlocked 12-12, and the Golden Bears needed a six-run seventh to earn the win.
“Today’s game was evenly matched, and the score showed it,” UM coach Melanie Martino said. “Games like this are always fun to coach. “We had a good first inning, they answered back and that’s how the game went.”
“It really was a great game all seven innings,” Springfield Twp coach Heather Gehlhaus said. “Our team showed a ton of heart and resiliency. We battled back from six runs two times, and unfortunately, we couldn’t do it a third time in the seventh”
Lianna Adames, who singled to lead off the six-run seventh, led the Golden Bears with a perfect 5-for-5 day at the plate that included two RBIs and two runs scored.
“Lianna Adames had a great game for us today,” Martino said. “Going 5-for-5 and just at the right time was a game changer for us.
“Obviously, both teams scored plenty, so there was a lot of players that hit for us today.”
Adding two hits each were Stephanie Jones, Melissa Torpey, Claire Walton, Joslyn McCellan, Erin Distel and Kelly Bates. Walton’s four RBIs led the Golden Bears while McCellan had three RBIs. Driving in two runs each were Distel, Adames and Bates.
Earning the win in the circle for the Golden Bears was Eowyn Stainback, who threw two scoreless innings to close out the game. She did not allow a hit and struck out one.
For the Spartans, McKayla McKeever’s 3-for-4 effort out the leadoff spot led the way. She also had two RBIs and three runs scored. Also driving in two runs were Joce Davis, Ashley Schulz and Norah Conlin.
“We had multiple girls who had big hits throughout the game, including Ashley Schulz, Joce Davis, and McKayla McKeever,” Gehlhaus said. “Jordyn Serrao battled for six-plus innings. She was able to find the strike zone and do a lot of good things in the circle. I give credit to Upper Moreland for putting the bat on the ball and scoring runs.”
Upper Moreland (6-1, 4-1 SOL) will travel to Abington on Thursday, and Springfield Twp (2-3) will host Upper Dublin on Thursday.
Upper Moreland 603 300 6 18-18-3
Springfield Twp 510 060 0 12-13-2
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