WARRINGTON – Fran Carrullo showed not a trace of emotion as third baseman Morgan Decker fired a strike to first baseman Taylre Stocks for the final out of Wednesday’s 1-0 win over Hatboro-Horsham. The Central Bucks South pitcher – who had just tossed a three-hit gem – was all business as she accepted the congratulatory handshakes of teammates.
But don’t be fooled.
Carrullo was ecstatic and understood exactly how big this early season win was in a battle for supremacy in the Continental Conference. As a matter of fact, she enjoyed nothing more than the challenge of taking on super soph Maggie Shaffer, who had not allowed a run and had been all but untouchable in four games this season.
“I knew she was a good pitcher, and coming into this, we worked our butts off,” Carrulllo said. “We knew we had a great (Hatboro) team coming after us, and you know what – all that hard work definitely paid off.”
The game had the look and feel of a playoff game with one big play after another by both sides. These contests, according to players from both sides, are the games athletes live for.
“We were so excited,” Hatboro’s Jackie DiPietro said. “We were all just pumped up to play and ready to see what was going to happen because it was the first time we saw them play this year.
“These games are really fun, especially against this team. They’ve always been our rival, so it’s a really fun game to play in.”
“Oh my god, it’s so much fun,” Carrulllo said. “Just the adrenalin rush – everybody was so excited the whole day, and we were all so excited to get out on the field and play ball.
“It’s a team effort – just being with the girls, playing the game is the best thing.”
While it was a team effort, the Titans wouldn’t have been celebrating the big win had it not been for the magnificent effort of Carrullo. The hard-throwing junior retired the first 11 batters she faced before Julie Wambold hit a hard shot off the mound for a two-out single in the fourth.
For the game, she allowed three hits – only one left the infield. Carrullo fanned six and did not walk a batter in a superb outing.
“I could not have asked for more from her today as a pitcher,” South coach Jennifer Robinson said. “She just worked at things we talked about. With her already being a good pitcher, you’re asking her to refine things that already were subtleties.
“She did more than I could have asked for.”
All but matching Carrullo pitch for pitch was Shaffer, who fanned six and walked one while allowing two hits in a classic battle between two of the area’s elite squads.
“Central Bucks South has always been a great game for us,” Hatboro coach Kelly Krier said. “I don’t expect anything less than good softball.
“Most importantly, these girls come out on both teams respecting the game and respecting each other. It’s not only good softball, it’s classy softball. They play it the way it should be played.”
The Titans won the game in the fourth when they brought to an end Shaffer’s magical string of scoreless innings.
Haileigh Stocks was the catalyst for the Titans’ rally, opening the inning by roping a 1-0 pitch into deep center field for a triple.
“I was just looking for a good pitch,” Stocks said. “I knew my last at-bat they were all good pitches, so I was just looking for the first one to jump on so I didn’t get behind in the count.
“I just swung at it and ran it out. I thought it was going to be a line drive – I thought she was going to catch it, but I just ran it out.”
It was safe all around when the Hatters elected to hold Stocks on third on Morgan Decker’s grounder to first. Shaffer collected the inning’s first out on a popup to first, but when the Hatters threw to first on a bunt by Karey Fortier, Stocks broke for the plate and slid around the tag.
The Titans had the only run Carrullo would need.
“I knew the game was going to be close, but I didn’t know it was going to be that close,” Stocks said. “Last year it was 6-5 in extra innings, so I knew it was going to be close. I knew if we got a couple of runs, our defense could hold them.”
In the fifth, DiPietro lined a one-out single to center and moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt but was stranded there.
Meg Kelly led off the sixth with an infield single into the shortstop hole, and she advanced to second on Valerie Sadowl’s sacrifice bunt. Carrullo retired the next batter she faced on a harmless popup to second. The inning ended with a huge strikeout.
The Titans’ ace retired the Hatters in order in the seventh, and the big win was in the books.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Stocks said of the tightly-contested game. “The games when you 10-run rule teams – it’s fun because you get to be with your team, and it’s more bonding. The games that are closer – I think everyone likes that, and we don’t want easy games. We want tough games to make us better for the games at the end of the season.
“This is really big. I think it sets the tone for the rest of our season. We’re getting some momentum back.”
The loss was the first of the season for the Hatters (4-1).
“Today a 1-0 game – nothing to hang your heads about,” Krier said. “It wasn’t as a result of not working hard or not being focused. Someone had to win today. Unfortunately, it was the other team, but I’m not taking anything away from my team. They played a great game.”
For her part, Robinson would have liked to have seen her players be a little more aggressive in the batter’s box
“But at the end of the day, I’ll take a win based on teamwork every time,” she said. “It takes a whole team to win a game like this.
“Executing the small plays – that’s the difference between winning (and losing) a close game against a high caliber team like that.”
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 1, HATBORO-HORSHAM 0
Hatboro-Horsham: Meg Kelly cf 3 0 1 0; Valerie Sadowl 2b 2 0 0 0; Julie Wambold ss 3 0 1 0; Chelsea Edwards c 3 0 0 0; Chrissy James 3b 2 0 0 0; Melissa Spinosa rf 1 0 0 0; Kelsey Kolzer ph 1 0 0 0; Jackie DiPietro lf 2 0 1 0; Danielle DiFilippo 1b 1 0 0 0; Heather Lutz dp 2 0 0 0; Maggie Shaffer p 0 0 0 0. TOTAL 20 0 0.
Central Bucks South: Jae Epstein lf 2 0 0 0; Kim Rowe ph 1 0 0 0; Shana Steigerwalt rf 3 0 0 0; Haileigh Stocks 2b 3 1 1 0; Morgan Decker 3b 3 0 0 0; Sami Mac Donald 0 0 0 0; Lauren Klepchick c 3 0 0 0; Karey Fortier dp 2 0 0 1; Michelle Gessner ss 2 0 0 0; Taylre Stocks 1b 3 0 0 0; Tyler Vitelli cf 2 0 1 0. TOTALS 24 1 2 1.
E-CB South 1, Hatboro 2. DP-Hatboro 1. LOB-Hatboro 4, CB South 4. 3B-H.Stocks. SB-MacDonald.
Hatboro-Horsham 000 100 0-1
Central Bucks South 000 000 0-0
IP H R ER BB SO
Central Bucks South
Carrullo (W) 7 3 0 0 0 6
Hatboro-Horsham
Shaffer (L) 6 2 1 1 1 8
Pennsbury 2, Abington 1
The Falcons were without mound ace Kait Schillling in Thursday’s SOL contest against the Ghosts. The senior standout was sidelined with strep throat.
Freshman Val Buehler stepped onto the mound and more than held her own, allowing just one run in five solid innings to earn the win. Senior Tori Kramp worked a scoreless sixth and seventh.
Leading the Falcons – who won the game with a single run in the fourth - offensively was freshman shortstop Mackenzie Obert, who was 2-for-3 with a double.
Souderton 11, Central Bucks West 4
The Indians exploded for 16 hits off a pair of West hurlers. Eight of nine Souderton starters had at least one hit. On the mound, Liz Parkins and Brittany Beebe combined for a two-hitter, allowing just one earned run in seven innings.
Souderton scored a single run in the first and took command of the game with a five-run outburst in the third. They led 8-1 when the Bucks plated three runs in the sixth.
Alycia Stiles paced the Indians’ offensively with a perfect 4-for-4 day at the plate. Mollie Burrell was 3-for-3 while Olivia Shoemaker, Alex Faccenda and Elysha Sowers each had a pair of hits.
The Indians received RBIs from Golden (three), Sowers (two), Shoemaker (2), Faccenda, Burrell, Stiles and Liz Sowers.
Upper Dublin 1, Wissahickon 0
Kristin Ganderton struck out 13 and allowed just two hits in the shutout. Her counterpart, Katie Ziegler, allowed just one hit while striking out 15 in the loss.
“It was a great game,” Upper Dublin coach Heather Boyer said. “Wissahickon is always a local, fun, competitive rivalry.
“The girls are playing very well. They’re playing confident, and they’re playing together. Today Kristin was just really on.”
Ganderton had a no hitter through five innings.
“She went out and did her job,” Boyer said. “She focused on what she needs to do.
“Katie (Ziegler) is a really good pitcher, and she did a fantastic job as well.”
The Flying Cardinals scored the game’s only run in the top of the first. Rachel Mintz drew a base on balls and moved up to second on a passed ball. She scored when Melissa Wolfe grounded a single through the infield that was misplayed in the outfield.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 3, Upper Merion 1
Alycia Sabol struck out five in a complete-game win for the Colonials. Her strong performance negated the solid outing by Upper Merion’s Lacey Schwartz.
Jordan Katz and Alexa Borkowski each drove in a run. Tori Barattucci was 3-for-3 while Corrine Watson was 2-for-2 for the Colonials.
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