Check out Monday’s SOL softball results. To view photos of the Souderton/Pennridge game, please visit the Photo Gallery.
National Conference
BENSALEM 9, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 5
Erin McVicar doesn’t look the part of a freshman.
The Owls’ rookie third baseman played a starring role in both of her team’s four-run innings in Monday’s win over the Indians, delivering a two-run double in the fourth and pushing another run across on her ground rule double to left in the fifth.
“She’s a great ballplayer,” coach Dan Schram said of McVicar. “She’s a delight to coach, and I’m thankful I have her. I can’t wait to watch her play over the next four years.”
The win was the second in as many games for the Owls after an 0-5 start.
“We just came out, and we wanted to win,” McVicar said. “We were sick of losing. Now it’s a whole different mindset. We’re starting to believe in ourselves.”
Making the win especially impressive was the fact that it came after the Indians – thanks to a three-run outburst in the third - opened up a 3-1 lead. In that three-run inning, Nicole Rounsavill got things started with a single up the 
middle, and then Dom Pinto singled in the third base hole for hit number 100 of a stellar four-year varsity career. Hannah Mumber’s double to left plated a run that knotted the score 1-1, and Marketa Kruse, who had four RBIs on the day, ripped a two-run triple to right center, making it a 3-1 game
In the bottom of the fourth, the Owls had an answer, capitalizing on a pair of walks as well as singles by Jackie Morell and Kelly Nolan (RBI) and McVicar’s clutch two-run double that put the Owls on top 5-3.
“I have a saying I say to them – ‘Balance of consistency, balance of energy,’” Schram said. “What we really work on is momentum.
“If we lose an inning and give up a big hit or error, you come back strong the next inning, and when you catch fire, you can’t let go.”
The Owls tacked on four more runs in the fifth. Victoria Hall got things started with a one-out single, and after a walk to Jackie Morell, Lauren Morell singled to center to plate a run. A hit batsman set the stage for Shannon McVicar to deliver a two-run single. Erin McVicar’s ground rule double plated a run to put the Owls on top 9-3.
The Indians scored two runs in the seventh, capitalizing on a walk, a Mumber single and Kruse’s two-run double, but this day belonged to the Owls, who notched the historic win. Bensalem’s days of being a doormat in the conference are little more than a distant memory.
“I remember coming out and watching when I was in middle school,” Erin McVicar said. “It was pretty bad.
“I just knew with the freshmen coming up that we would fill in spots that needed to be filled. It’s going to be a good season.”
Jackie Morell earned the win on the mound while Mumber absorbed the loss. The game was not without its controversy when Mumber, who was lifted for Lisa Miller in the four-run fourth, returned in the fifth inning.
Woodard argued that the Owls had used an illegal substitution the batter before when flex player Tatyana Keshanech entered the game unannounced and was hit by a pitch. Adding insult to injury, Mumber was told she could not warm-up when she re-entered the game, although she was later given the opportunity to do just that.
“I’m not blaming this loss on my team,” coach Hollie Woodard said.
The Owls collected 12 hits, led by the two-hit efforts of McVicar, Hall and Morell. The Indians were led by the three-hit performance of Kruse. Mumber had a pair of hits.
While the Indians fell to 2-3 in the league (2-4 overall), the Owls improved to 2-2 in the league (2-5 overall).
“I’m very pleased,” Schram said. “We have perennially lost to this team. We’ve never beaten Council Rock North, and that’s a tribute to coach (Hollie) Woodard and a very good team and supportive school.
“For us, it’s just a matter of reaching out and getting that win, so I’m very happy for the girls. They’re starting to get a taste of winning. This is a pivotal win for us. This is good for morale. I’m very proud of the girls.”
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Dominique Pinto has been a fixture in Rock North’s lineup since she set foot on the diamond as a freshman. Her dominance at the plate over the last four years is underscored by the fact that she has gone hitless in just seven out of 59 games she has played during that time.
“She’s just a fantastic player,” Woodard said. “She’s not trendy with her swing. She’s not doing the latest and greatest move. She’s literally an athlete, and she makes it look easy.
“To the untrained mind, you’d think she’s not putting everything she has into it because she’s so unbelievably athletic that she just makes hitting look easy. It’s so much fun to watch her hit.”
Pinto’s historic hit came in the third inning on a sharp ground single to left field.
“I would have rather had a win than that any day,” Pinto said. “It’s about our team, and this season is really important to me as a whole, and I know it’s important to my team.
“We’ve been working really hard to get wins, so although this is a nice individual accomplishment, it’s not really making me happy. Bensalem played a good game, but I really wish we could have taken the win.”
WILLIAM TENNENT 7, ABINGTON 0
Nikki Alden did it all for the Panthers. The junior standout struck out 11 while tossing a shutout on the mound to earn the big win. At the plate, Alden was 3-for-4 with a double.
“Nikki is such a competitor,” coach Erika Lee said. “She really found herself on the mound today, and she did a great job.
“They have some good hitters. They’re really good with small ball. They have some power hitters too, so Nikki had to work hard to stay on top of her game. She just pitched really well. She really got in the zone today. Plus, she was 3-for-4. She’s a powerhouse offensively. She’s just so good.”
The win was the first of the conference season for the Panthers.
“Thank goodness,” Lee said. “We had a rough patch.
“Today they came focused, they came ready, and they hit the ball well. They did the things they needed to do to win the game.”
The Panthers scored two runs in the first and added three in the third to go on top 5-0. For good measure, they added single runs in the fifth and sixth.
“We really needed some confidence,” Lee said. “Coming out and scoring in the first inning was really nice.
“We hadn’t really scored many runs the past two weeks, and just having something to work with was big.”
Elise Wood (2-for-4), Sara Keeny (2-for-5) and Amber O’Toole (2-for-2) also came up big offensively for the Panthers.
“The whole game it really was just us stringing hits together, making things happen and putting the ball in play,” Lee said. “Everyone contributed, and it was a good team win.
“My catcher (Amber O’Toole) dug so many balls out of the dirt. She had a diving catch behind the plate and was really great defensively.”
While the Ghosts fell to 2-2 in the league (3-3 overall), the Panthers improved to 1-4 in the league (2-6 overall).
“It’s always fun to win, but it was even nicer that they played their game,” Lee said. “I’m hoping this will jumpstart them. We’re just going to take it one game at a time, one inning at a time and hopefully turn things around.”
NESHAMINY 6, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 1
The Redskins broke a 1-1 tie with four runs in the fourth inning. Sarah Snider-Leonhauser led Neshaminy offensively with a 3-for-4 day and two RBIs. The Redskins held a 9-4 advantage in hits.
Lauren Quense earned the win on the mound, allowing one hit and striking out seven in five innings of work.
The Redskins are 5-0 in the league (6-1 overall) while the Golden Hawks fell to 0-4 in the league (2-4 overall).
PENNSBURY 20, HARRY S TRUMAN 2 (5 innings)
The Falcons exploded for 11 runs in the first inning on their way to the lopsided win. All told, the Falcons pounded out 22 hits. Dani Litwin led the slugfest with a perfect 5-for-5 day at the plate – all singles. Jess Greenewald and Christina Bascara both were 4-for-5 with a double. Mackenzie Obert also was 4-for-5, and she set the tone for the win with a leadoff home run in the first inning.
The Falcons are 5-0 in league play (7-0 overall) while the Tigers fell to 1-3 in the league (1-5 overall).
Continental Conference
SOUDERTON 2, PENNRIDGE 0
Senior Salina Allebach won a classic pitcher’s duel against Pennridge ace Paige DeCew, tossing a six-hit shutout to lead the Indians to the big win.
“Both of them pitched a phenomenal game,” coach Courtney Hughes said. “I think Salina is getting stronger and stronger. She’s feeling more confident, and it’s good for the team because they’re getting more confident behind her.”
Allebach’s first strikeout came on the game’s final out. The seventh inning, according to Hughes, also was highlighted by a pair of running catches by freshman leftfielder Angie Carty.
“The play that probably saved the game was a dying line drive towards the left field line that she dove for to keep Pennridge off the bases,” Hughes said.
Carty also was involved in the Indians’ two-run uprising to win it in the sixth inning. Junior Erelle Sowers got things started with a bunt single. With two outs, Carty was hit by a pitch to end a tough at-bat, and that set the stage for senior Sarah Derstine, whose double in the gap plated Sowers. An infield single by freshman Dayna Shelly pushed a second run across for the Indians.
“I had to keep reminding them that a couple of bounces in some of these games, and we would have a completely different record,” Hughes said. “They needed this win.
“We have a huge week with four games.”
The Rams, who were shut out for the first time all season, were led by the 3-for-3 effort of Morgan Labs, who had a seventh-inning double. Alison Horne also had a hit and, according to coach Paul Koehler, played outstanding defense in right field. In the third inning, Horne caught a fly ball and fired a strike to third base, nailing an Indian base runner attempting to advance.
DeCew, who allowed just four hits, struck out four and walked one.
The Indians improved to 2-3 in league play (4-4 overall) while the Rams fell to 3-2 in the league (6-2 overall).
HATBORO-HORSHAM 2, NORTH PENN 1
Nicole Casagrand limited the Maidens to just three hits while fanning five and walking one, leading the Hatters to the big win.
“It was probably the best game she’s thrown,” coach Joe DiFilippo said. “Everything seemed to be working. She had a little bit more velocity than I have seen too.”
Nothing comes easily in the Continental Conference. That much has been established in the season’s early weeks.
After a week that saw the Hatters defeat Pennridge in extra innings and then fall to Central Bucks South by one run, Hatboro found itself locked in another nail biter.
“We’ve played everyone except Quakertown and CB West, and you know what – every team is good,” DiFilippo said.
The Hatters scored single runs in the fourth and sixth innings before the Maidens plated a single run in the seventh.
Maria Spinosa was 2-for-3 and scored both runs for the Hatters. Carlie Johnson delivered a two-out RBI single with a runner on second to knock in the go-ahead run in the fourth. Daria Edwards also had a hit.
“It feels like it’s somebody different stepping up every game,” DiFilippo said.
The Maidens received one hit each from Michelle Holweger, Meghan Curley and Alexa Gable.
Jackie Bilotti absorbed the loss, allowing just four hits while fanning four and walking one.
The Hatters are 4-1 in league play (6-1 overall) while the Maidens fell to 2-3 in the league (4-3 overall).
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 4, QUAKERTOWN 3
The Panthers threw a scare into the Patriots, opening up a 3-0 lead, but the Patriots – sparked by a dramatic three-run home run from Allie Chase in the sixth inning - battled back for the dramatic win.
The Panthers led 1-0 after Maddie Mulhall hit a solo home run in the second inning. In the third inning, Quakertown’s Emily Scott led off with a single, and a throwing error on Becca Robison’s grounder put a pair of runners on board. With two out, Maddie Calder’s popup just over the infield plated a run, and the Panthers led 3-0 after Emily Reis delivered an RBI single.
The Patriots, who left runners in scoring position early in the game, got on the scoreboard in the fifth when Kerry Schulz led off the inning with a single. With two outs, Caroline Schoenewald delivered an RBI single to make it a 3-1 game.
In the bottom of the sixth, Sierra Huckfeldt hit a one-out single, and with two outs, Schulz singled, setting the stage for Chase’s late-game heroics that gave the Patriots a lead they would not lose.
Freshman Kayla Ventura earned the win on the mound, allowing three hits in four innings of work.
Schulz finished the day a perfect 4-for-4 while Huckfeldt was 3-for-3 with a pair of triples. Chase was 2-for-4 with a home run. Reis was 2-for-4 to lead the Panthers.
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 11, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 1 (5 innings)
Kristyn Marinelli and Ally Horvath both contributed on the mound and at the plate for the Titans. The duo split time on the mound, and both had a single and double. Marinelli finished with three RBIs. Taylor Gallegher also doubled.
The Titans plated six runs in the first and never looked back on their way to a win that upped their league mark to 4-1 (7-2 overall). The Bucks fell to 0-5 in the league (0-9 overall).
American Conference
UPPER MERION 15, WISSAHICKON 5
The Vikings exploded for 11 runs in the last three innings to earn the decisive win over the defending conference champions. The Vikings took a 4-0 lead only to watch the Trojans answer with five runs in the bottom of the fourth to go on top 5-4.
“We helped them along,” Upper Merion coach John Whitney said. “We had a couple of errors, but they did a good job getting the runs in.
“We kept coming back and hitting the ball.”
Upper Merion scored five runs in the fifth, four more in the sixth and two in the seventh to close out the scoring.
“We’ve been on a pretty good roll,” Whitney said. “We’ve won five in a row now.
“The kids are really hitting the ball. From the top of the lineup to the bottom, they can all hit. They just keep getting more and more confident.”
The Vikings – led by senior captains Hannah Blackwood and Sarah Schunder – boast a lineup that includes six freshmen.
“We have a nice mix of the older kids with the younger kids,” Whitney said. “We only have 12 kids on the team, and they can all play.
“Hopefully, we can keep it going. We have Cheltenham on Wednesday, and we heard they can hit the ball a little bit. We’re taking it one game at a time. We started out 0-2, and we weren’t hitting the ball that well. Now it’s starting to pick up, and the kids are a lot more confident. With the warmer weather, everything is starting to click.”
Micaela Ghanayem led the Vikings with four hits, which included two doubles. Sarah Schunder added three hits, including a double and triple, and Olivia Sborlini had a pair of hits – including a two-run home run in the sixth inning.
Nikki Ross earned the win on the mound.
The Vikings are 4-1 in the league (5-2 overall) while the Trojans fell to 3-2 in the league (4-2 overall).
UPPER DUBLIN 5, SPRINGFIELD (MONTCO) 4
The Flying Cardinals found themselves locked in a 4-4 tie heading into the sixth inning of Monday’s contest. Sarah Rosenbaum led off the inning with a single to left field. Pinch runner Alexandra Nathan advanced to second and then third on passed balls, and she scored a run that turned out to be the game winner on Brittany Starzel’s pinch hit single to center field.
The Spartans actually took a 4-0 lead in the first, benefitting from some shaky defense. The Cardinals played solid defense the rest of the way with Rosenbaum pulling the trigger on a pair of double plays. Catcher Rachel Matricardi gunned down a runner attempting to steal late in the game.
Rosenbaum and Kristin Ganderton were both 2-for-3 on the day. Gianna Tino had a double, and Nathan scored two runs.
For the Spartans, Kelsey Schagrin was 2-for-3 with a double, and Brianna Littlepage also hit a double.
Ganderton notched the win on the mound, scattering seven hits while fanning five and walking one. Jen Hammons absorbed the loss, allowing eight hits while striking out six and walking none.
The Flying Cardinals, who share the top spot in the conference standings, improved to 4-1 in the league (4-2 overall) while the Spartans fell to 0-5 in the league (2-5 overall).
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