Check out the recaps for SOL softball teams in action Saturday. Bensalem/Conwell-Egan photos provided courtesy of Darryl Rule of J&D Photography. Check back for a gallery of photos.
SOL Colonial Division
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 10, SOUDERTON 6
Staring at an early 4-0 deficit in Saturday morning’s Colonial Division battle, the Titans scored eight runs in the bottom of the third, going on to defeat the visiting Indians 10-6.
“Everybody contributed,” South coach Kevin Rosini said of his team’s come-from-behind win. “We had 11 hits, three walks, a hit batter – we put the ball in play. I’ve been preaching – if you put the ball in play, good things will happen, and it did. We put a lot of pressure on them.
“After Thursday when we let that 4-0 lead slip away (in a loss to Council Rock North) – to come back after being down 4-0, this team showed a lot of heart. After Thursday’s loss, I didn’t know what to expect today, and when we got down 4-0, I thought, ‘Oh gosh, this could be a long morning.’ This is a big win for us”
Maddy Borowski gutted out the complete game win in the circle despite being under the weather.
“Maddy was so full of heart on the mound today,” Rosini said. “I was so proud of her and how she gutted it out for seven innings. Once we got the lead, she kept them at bay.
“We had some errors behind her, and she overcame them. I told her after the game – for all the innings and games I’ve seen her pitch in the last three years, that’s the proudest I’ve been of her. With the conditions – we were down, we came back, and she just kept the group together. I couldn’t have asked for more from her today. What a big win for us after Thursday’s disappointment.”
In the eight-run third, the Titans benefitted from four Souderton miscues as well as some timely base hits. Six of the eight runs came with two outs. Maura Fleming opened the inning with a bunt single.
“It just snowballed from there,” Rosini said. ”We just kept putting the ball in play. We had 13 batters to the plate, and we didn’t have a strikeout in that inning.”
Nora Sidorski had an RBI single, and Hannah Tracy picked up an RBI when she was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Maura Fleming’s two-run single broke a 4-4 tie and gave the Titans a lead they would not lose. Ella Wheeler’s two-run single put the Titans on top 8-4.
“(Souderton) helped us, but we got some big clutch hits too,” Rosini said.
The Indians trimmed two runs off that lead in the fifth.
South got one of those runs back in the bottom of the inning when Hollie Schaub delivered an RBI single to put the Titans on top 9-6, and they closed out the scoring with a run in the sixth when Tracy collected an RBI double.
Fleming was 3-for-3 with two RBIs, a sacrifice bunt and two runs scored.
“Two of her singles were bunt singles, really good bunt singles,” Rosini said.
Tracy was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs, and Schaub was 2-for-4 with a double, RBI and run scored. Ella Wheeler was 2-for-4 with two RBIs, a stolen base and two outfield assists.
For the Indians, Cameron Nadolski was 2-for-4 with one RBI, Lily Ponce was 2-for-5 with a run scored, and Kayley York was 2-for-2 with a double, RBI and run scored.
Central Bucks South (5-4, 4-3 SOL) will host Council Rock South on Tuesday, and Souderton (6-6, 4-4) will travel to Pennsbury on Tuesday.
Souderton 013 020 0 6-8-6
Central Bucks South 008 011 x 10-11-2
Non-league
CONWELL-EGAN 6, BENSALEM 5 (10 innings)
The Owls found themselves locked in a classic non-league battle.
Seven innings could not determine a winner, and it looked as though the Owls had the upper hand when they scored three runs in the top of the 10th inning, but the Eagles answered with four in the bottom of the inning to eke out the win in the extra-inning thriller.
Brianna Ryan got her varsity start for the Owls in Saturday’s contest.
“Despite the loss, Bri pitched a great game,” coach Erin Smith said. “We were down two starters today, both outfielders, so we had to piece together a few things, but Bri executed the game plan perfectly.”
Ryan tossed seven innings, allowing only three hits, two walks and two unearned runs.”
Conwell-Egan got on the board in the first, scoring two unearned runs when the Owls defense committed two two-out errors. The Owls were able to settle down defensively and hold the Eagles’ bats in check. The only other threat during regulation came in third when a
leadoff walk followed by an error put two on with no outs, but a fly ball to center and a 6-4-3 double play closed out the inning.
“Egan has a good defense – we were putting balls in play and they were making outs,” Smith said.
The Owls offense was relatively quiet most of the game until the sixth when they put up two runs to tie the game. Megan Klein hit a one-out single and immediately swiped second. Kayla Clarkson then smoked an RBI triple to right. Lina Sponheimer stepped up and executed a perfect squeeze bunt.
“Lina has been swinging the bat amazing, and I think it caught them on their heels,” Smith said. “In her first three at-bats, she ripped three line drives, so you don’t always expect someone like that to drop a bunt.”
The Owls had opportunity in the eighth when Klein singled and Clarkson walked to start the inning, but an outfield assist, a fielder’s choice and a fly ball ended the inning.
Egan had opportunities in the eighth and ninth innings that were both erased with double play balls.
“In the ninth, Clarkson – who entered the game to pitch – laid out on a popped-up bunt attempt to make a SportsCenter-like catch and then doubled the runner off first from her knees,” Smith said.
In the 10th inning, the Owls scored three runs. Courtesy runner Olivia Pachucki was placed on second and scored on a misplayed bunt off the bat of Megan Klein who landed on second.
“On the first pitch, Meg swiped third and then cruised home after a bad throw,” Smith said. “Lina Sponheimer then smashed a solo shot over the left field fence.”
Egan was able to strike back with four runs after a bunt and a single scored one. An intentional walk loaded the bases with no outs. A ground ball to the pitcher got the first out at home and a strikeout had the bases loaded with two outs. A bases-loaded single by Breslin scored two to tie the game, and two batters later, a bases-loaded walk scored the winning run.
Bensalem (3-7, 1-6 SOL) will host Central Bucks West on Tuesday.
Bensalem 000 002 000 3 5-10-3
Conwell-Egan 200 000 000 4 6-10-1
WP: G. Mee. LP: K. Clarkson
B – 3B Clarkson HR – Sponheimer
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