Check out the recaps for SOL softball teams in action Thursday.
SOL Patriot/Colonial crossover
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 8, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 7
Call it guts, call it fortitude, call it anything you want, but by any name, the Indians come-from-behind win in the bottom of the seventh in Thursday’s crossover game was impressive.
The Indians – after falling in 12-inning and 13-inning heartbreakers this week – had to be running on empty. Determined to avoid their third loss in a row, they staged a remarkable comeback, scoring three runs in the bottom of the seventh to erase a two-run deficit and earn the walk-off win when Zoe Hornstein, who had singled, scored on a wild pitch.
“After back to back one-run loses in 12- and 13-inning games and finding ourselves heading into the bottom of the seventh inning today down by two runs and with no energy left in the tank, our girls straight up refused to be denied and just dug down deeper than most would think possible,” Rock North coach Susan Yee said. “They deserve all the credit in the world for pulling out the come-from-behind win today. It’s a true testament to their level of fortitude.”
The Indians weren’t the only ones that didn’t want extra innings.
“When the umpires walked up today, they said to me ‘Listen, we only want to go seven innings today,’” Yee said. “I said, ‘Believe me, you won’t get any argument from us on that one.’
“Then in the bottom of the seventh when we were down by two, one of the umpires said to me during a stoppage in play ‘0, 1, or 3.’ I said ‘huh?’ He repeated himself. I gave him a confused look, and he said, ‘You can score 0, 1, or 3, but 2 isn’t an option.’ I said, ‘Oh yes! Nobody here wants this to be a two-run inning, we are going for 3 right now.’”
And three they got.
Ellie Bonn led off the seventh with a single, and Olivia Schlindwein walk. Bonn scored on Hornstein’s bunt single, and the bases were loaded when Zoe Hardy singled to right field. The tying run crossed the plate when Molly Sheehy was hit by a pitch, setting the stage for Hornstein to score the game-winner.
“I’m beyond proud of the girls – they left every last little thing they had out on that field,” Yee said. “I gave the girls off tomorrow to recover and they all said “thank god’ in unison. Molly Sheehy actually said to me – referring to her hit-by-pitch to bring in the tying run – ‘I was so tired I couldn’t have moved out of the way if I tried.’”
Early on, the Titans appeared to be in the driver’s seat. They scored four runs in the top of the first. Leadoff batter Kate Muntz was safe on an error, and she moved up to second on a sacrifice. That was followed by three consecutive singles by Ella Wheeler (RBI), Hollie Schaub and Riley Theis (2 RBIs), and with two outs, Addy Murray singled to plate the fourth run.
The Indians cut that led in half with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the second. The Titans upped their lead to 6-2 when Hannah Tracy delivered a two-run single in the top of the third.
The Indians pulled to within 6-4 in the third inning, benefitting from an error and Sierra Klein’s RBI double to plate two more unearned runs.
In the top of the sixth, the Titans upped their lead to 7-4 when Wheeler smashed a solo home run to center field. Chelsea Seiler’s RBI double in the bottom of the sixth made it a 7-5 game, setting the stage for the Indians’ heroic comeback.
“After a crazy week of softball, our team finally played a regulation length game and fought to pull out a much-needed W to end our skid of one-run extra inning losses. It wasn’t a pretty game, and we didn’t play our best – after only one error in the last 25 innings, our defense committed four errors this afternoon to spot CB South three unearned runs. CB South is a very good team, and normally the sloppy mistakes we committed today would cost you the game against them, but the one thing I can say about my girls at CR North, is that this group has grit, and tenacity, and they never give up until the final out is recorded. As a coach, I could not be more proud of how hard these girls fought all week this week.”
For the Indians, Hornstein and Klein both had two hits.
Schaub and Fleming led the Titans with 3-for-4 games. Wheeler was 2-for-4.
Council Rock North (6-4, 3-4 SOL) will travel to Archbishop Ryan for a non-league game Monday, and Central Bucks South (4-4, 3-3) will host Souderton on Saturday at 9 a.m.
Central Bucks South 402 001 0 7-12-2
Council Rock North 022 001 3 8-9-4
PENNSBURY 5, PENNRIDGE 3
(Additional game info will be added when it is received.)
The Falcons – showing no ill effects from their mercy rule loss to North Penn the preceding day – scored a pair of runs in the top of the seventh to break a 3-3 tie and earn the hard-fought crossover road win. The loss snapped a four-game win streak for the Rams.
Early on, runs were hard to come by for both sides. The Falcons loaded the bases with none out in the fourth but came up empty, the result of a strikeout and two popups to third base.
In the fifth, they scored three runs. With one out, Taylor Askey and Presley Foote hit back-to-back singles. Ava Storlazzi collected a bloop double to left that plated a pair. Storlazzi stole third and raced home on an errant throw to third.
The Rams got those three runs back in the bottom of the sixth. Ryleigh Lily hit a leadoff double to center but was thrown out trying to stretch it to a triple. With two outs and the bases empty, Grace Helbling doubled to left, and she scored when Reagan Bauman followed with a double. Sophomore Averi Dockery continued her offensive assault of opponents, hitting yet another home run – this one a two-run shot to center to knot the score.
“She’s real good,” Pennsbury coach Frank McSherry said of Dockery. “In the first inning, she hit one that Taylor Askey robbed her of a home run – she fell over the fence, and there were two runners on base.”
The two teams took the 3-3 tie into the seventh when the Falcons won it with two runs in the top of the frame.
Pennsbury (9-1, 6-1 SOL) will host Souderton on Tuesday, and Pennridge (6-4, 4-3) will travel to Neshaminy on Tuesday.
Pennsbury 000 030 2 5-7-0
Pennridge 000 003 0 3-9-4
SOUDERTON 11, HARRY S TRUMAN 0 (5 innings)
The Indians dedicated the banner for their program’s 2014 PA State championship and then went out and took care of business, pounding out 14 hits and scoring early and often on their way to the win in the abbreviated contest.
“We are definitely a warm weather team,” Souderton coach Carol Atkinson said. “We’ve been focusing a lot at practice on hitting.
“We were down South, and it was warm. Coming back, we got colds. It was a little bit of everything. Now it’s softball weather. We’ve been focusing a lot the last few practices on just our hitting.”
McKenna Schroding turned in a one-hit gem in the abbreviated contest, striking out nine and walking none in the five-inning contest.
“She hit her spots really, really well today,” Atkinson said. “She was throwing really hard. She was just in a really good groove. She’s pitched a lot in the last two days.”
The fun started early for the Indians when Cameron Nadolski led off the bottom of the first with a solo home run. Lilly Ponce followed with a single, and then it was Kayley York’s turn, and she lined a home run to left field that plated a pair to give the Indians a 3-0 lead.
“Cameron had her first varsity home run – she’s had multiple when she was down on jayvee,” Atkinson said. “She’s been hot – she’s been hitting over .500 for us.
“Kayley had a nice home run over the fence today. We had a lot of good hits. Some girls that haven’t been making the greatest contact came through with a lot of things today.”
The Indians added another run in the second when Nadolski, who doubled, stole home on a double steal.
Doubles by Madison Byrwa, Nadolski (RBI) and Ponce (RBI) highlighted the seven-run third. Makayla Mihelcic, York and Kendall Clemmer each had RBI singles in the inning.
Nadolski’s 3-for-3 day with two doubles, three RBIs and two runs scored out of the leadoff spot led the Indians. Ponce was 2-for-3 with a double, RBI and two runs scored, York was 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBIs and two runs scored and Clemmer was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
“We had a little bit of down and came back up,” Atkinson said. “Their bats are really alive. We just hope to keep it going against (Central Bucks) South on Saturday.
Souderton (6-5, 4-3 SOL) will have an early wake-up on Saturday for a 9 a.m. contest at Central Bucks South, and Harry S Truman (0-7) will host Calvary Christian in a non-league game Monday.
Harry S Truman 000 00 0-1-2
Souderton 317 0x 11-14-1
SOL Liberty/Freedom Division crossover
UPPER DUBLIN 3, WILLIAM TENNENT 2
Something had to give in Thursday’s crossover game that saw the two teams battle to a 2-2 tie.
In the top of the seventh, freshman pitcher Kyla Garrison survived a bases-loaded, one-out jam by coming up with back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning.
In the bottom of the inning, freshman Kaitlyn Small ended the suspense in a hurry. After Madden Reilly was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and replaced by courtesy runner Paige Foley, Small stepped to the plate and smoked the first pitch she saw into right center for a double that plated Foley for the dramatic walk-off win.
“Kaitlyn Small came up really big – not just offensively,” UD coach Heather Boyer said. “We had an injury where I had to move her from left field in to third base. I have not practiced her at third base. She came in, she made a couple of good plays and that can be nerveracking.
“She’s only a freshman, so to come in and be in the infield at the hot corner without any practice at all besides the pregame warmups today and maintain good composure, make your plays and then be able to produce at that. I had to move her up into the four hole today – that speaks volumes. I was really proud of her for being able to be clutch both offensively and defensively.”
The highlight of the day was freshman pitcher Kyla Garrison reaching the 100-strikeout milestone just 12 games into her career – according to Boyer, the fastest pitcher in UD recent history to reach the milestone.
“It was fun to watch all the kids be so excited for her, and she didn’t even know,” the UD coach said. “She was at 99 coming in today. I didn’t tell her, and the girls did a great job of keeping it a secret. We had signed a ball for her, and I had it ready for yesterday just in case but knew it was going to come up.
“The first batter of the game was 100, so they’re all cheering really loud, and she’s like – what’s going on? That just speaks to Kyla’s demeanor. She is so unassuming, so humble and just gets out there and works hard. It’s not for any recognition and not for any accolades. It’s just because it’s what she does, so it’s nice to see her be so successful early in her career and even better to see her teammates genuinely rally around her and be excited for her. It’s a fun time in Upper Dublin softball.”
Garrison notched the complete game win, scattering seven hits and allowing two runs while striking out 13 and walking one (intentional).
Boyer also had high praise for Garrison’s batterymate, sophomore catcher Madden Reilly.
“Madden Reilly behind the plate just continues to be unbelievable,” the UD coach said. “For every pitch that Kyla throws, she’s on the receiving end, and she does an unbelievable job. She’s got great composure, she’s very poised as well. She never gets flustered.
“She took a beating back there today – she had foul balls bouncing off her body. She just keeps grinding.”
In the bottom of the first, the Cardinals put a pair of runs on the scoreboard. Garrison had a one-out single and was replaced by courtesy runner Emeline Bell. That was followed by a single by Madden Reilly. After a strikeout, Anna Levin delivered an RBI single to score Bell, followed by another RBI single by Kaitlyn Zacharia to plate Foley, Madden’s courtesy runner.
Tennent answered back in the top of the fifth with two outs when Morgan Kocher singled and later scored on Anna Coulter’s double to right center. Coulter would later score on a single by Victoria Colagreco.
UD loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth after Garrison double, Small singled and an intentional walk was issued to Zacharia. Tennent pitcher Carlie Nydick got out of the inning with her fourth strikeout of the day.
In the top of the seventh, Tennent’s Rachel O’Toole hit a one-out bloop single to right field, followed by a double to the right center gap by Kocher. An intentional walk to Coulter loaded the bases, but Garrison ended the inning with back-to-back strikeouts.
“I’m proud of them for sticking with it coming off of three tough games against PW, (Archbishop) Wood and Hatboro-Horsham and then bouncing back to get two wins this week,” Boyer said. “They’re been playing very well, they’re playing poised, they’re gaining confidence with every game, and they’re clicking well together, which is fun to see.”
The Cardinals seven-hit attack was led by Garrison (2-for-4, 2B) and Small (2-for-3, 2B, RBI). Levin was 1-for-3 with an RBI single, and Zacharia was 1-for-2 with an RBI single. Reilly was 1-for-3.
For the Panthers, Kocher was 3-for-4 with a double and run scored, Coulter was 2-for-3 with a double, RBI and run scored. Colagreco was 2-2-for-3 with a double, RBI and run scored
Upper Dublin (8-4, 5-3 SOL) is off until next Thursday when the Cardinals will travel to Cheltenham, and William Tennent (6-2, 6-1 SOL) will travel to Quakertown on Tuesday.
William Tennent 000 020 0 2-8-1
Upper Dublin 200 000 1 3-7-2
UPPER MORELAND 17, WISSAHICKON 7
The Trojans jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first only to watch the Golden Bears answer with three runs in the bottom of the inning. A six-run second put UM on top 9-2, but Wissahickon scored four runs in the top of the third. The Golden Bears took a 10-7 lead into the bottom of the sixth when they erupted to seven runs to put the game out of reach.
“After a few mistakes in the field by us, Wiss got an early lead in the top of the first,” UM coach Melanie Martino “We knew we would have to answer back with runs right away.
“With Kaylee Brown on base, Liz Santry went yard with an over-the-fence homerun to even up the score. Liz really had an exceptional game today. Joslyn McCellen hit a double with an RBI to make the score 3-2 bottom of the first.
“Overall, it was a joint effort at the plate for us today with multiple players all driving in runs including, Liz Santry, Devyn Kniese, Natalie Walton, Jos McCellan, Ryan Ricchini, Alyssa Wiley and Kayley Brown. Walton, Wiley and Brown all had multiple hits for us today.
Upper Moreland (7-4, 5-3 SOL) will travel to Quakertown on Thursday, and Wissahickon (1-10, 0-7) will host Cheltenham on Tuesday.
Wissahickon 204 010 0 7
Upper Moreland 360 107 x 17
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