Check out the results for SOL softball teams in action Thursday.
National Conference
ABINGTON 4, PENNSBURY 3 (8 innings)
On March 31, the Ghosts edged the Falcons 8-6 in their league opener to earn their first win over Pennsbury since 2009. In Monday’s rematch, they made it a sweep of the season series with the Falcons, eking out the dramatic win when freshman Olivia Bernstein delivered an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning.
“We started off a little shaky and then we settled down,” coach Ellie White said. “Once we settled down, we made the routine plays.
“These kids just played. It was hailing before the game started, and my kids did not even care. They’re just so excited to play with each other. The team chemistry this year is there, and I think that’s a big difference.”
The Ghosts displayed their resiliency in Thursday’s win, rallying from an early 3-0 deficit to knot the score. Pennsbury scored two runs in the first, collecting three of their six hits in the frame. Bailey Zacarro had a sacrifice fly, and Dani Litwin collected an RBI single in the inning. The Falcons tacked on a single run in the second and took that three-run lead into the bottom of the fourth when the Ghosts got on the scoreboard.
Nikki Ray drew a leadoff walk, and one out later Maddie Malfara drew a free pass. With two outs and runners on second and third, Amy Worek delivered a single that plated a pair to make it a 3-2 game.
In the sixth inning, Ray – who was on the receiving end of three walks – once again drew a leadoff walk, and Jade Sowell turned a sacrifice attempt into a bunt single to put a pair of runners on board. Both runners advanced on Malfara’s sacrifice, and the tying run crossed the plate on a groundout.
In the eighth, Jess Paley was safe on an error to open the inning, and Worek’s sacrifice bunt sent Paley to second, setting the stage for Bernstein’s game winner.
Ray earned the win in the circle, scattering six hits while striking out six and walking just one.
Casey Boltersdorf, who allowed just four hits, absorbed the loss.
Abington upped its record to 5-1 in conference play (7-2 overall) while the Falcons fell to 2-4 in the SOL (4-4 overall).
Pennsbury 210 000 00 3
Abington 000 201 1 4
NESHAMINY 4, BENSALEM 2
The Redskins rebounded from their loss to Council Rock South to defeat the Owls in conditions that were anything but ideal for softball.
“The pitchers were in control of the game for the most part,” coach Dave Chichilitti said. “It was a nasty day.
“You’re playing against a team with a senior pitcher (Jackie Morell) who’s very good in miserable conditions on their field. Following a loss – it was a great feeling to come away with a win today and get back on the right track.”
Neshaminy plated a pair of runs in the second. Alexis Watkins ignited the rally with a leadoff single. Hunter Hart contributed an RBI single.
The Owls cut that lead in half when Erin McVicar delivered a solo home run in the bottom of the inning. The Redskins got that back in the third when Sam Offenback ripped a solo home run of her own to make it a 3-1 game. The two teams exchanged unearned runs to close out the scoring.
Freshman Amber Brugger – who improved to 7-1 on the season – earned the impressive win, scattering four hits while striking out four and walking three. Jackie Morell absorbed the loss, allowing eight hits while striking out six and walking three.
Offenback, Hart and Sophie Beretski led the Redskins offensively with three hits.
Neshaminy is 6-1 in league play (10-1 overall) while the Owls are 3-4 in the league (6-4 overall).
Neshaminy 021 100 0 4-8-1
Bensalem 010 001 0 2-4-2
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 5, WILLIAM TENNENT 1
Ignoring the elements, the Indians scored a pair of runs in both the first and second innings to take early control of their game against the visiting Panthers.
Leading the offense was Sabrina Crane with a pair of doubles and three RBIs. Taylor Briggs had three stolen bases and an RBI.
For the Panthers, Jackie Helm was 2-for-3.
Earning the win in the circle was Elyse McMenamin, who allowed two hits and struck out six in four innings. Amanda Camp threw three scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while fanning seven.
Council Rock North improved to 3-2 in league play (3-3 overall) while the Panthers are 1-5 in the league (2-6 overall).
William Tennent 000 100 0 1
Council Rock North 220 100 x 5
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 6, HARRY S TRUMAN 1
The Golden Hawks got outstanding production from the top of their lineup with their top four hitters – Jackie Schneider, Stephanie Andreoli, Melanie Wilkinson and Mikayla Becker – all finishing the day 2-for-4.
In the top of the first, the Hawks capitalized on three straight bunts by Schneider, Andreoli and Wilkinson – Schneider and Wilkinson for base hits – to plate a single run. Andreoli opened a two-run third with a triple. She scored on a groundout by Amanda Sharp. The Golden Hawks opened up a 6-0 lead before the Tigers plated a single run in the top of the seventh.
Andreoli earned the win, allowing just four hits while walking none and fanning six.
“It was just so cold and damp – like it was in our game against Abington when we didn’t want to play,” coach Greg Heydet said of his team’s 20-5 loss to the Ghosts. “But we came out knowing that every game now is important.”
Council Rock South is 4-2 in conference play (6-3 overall) while the Tigers are 1-6 in the SOL (2-7 overall).
Harry S Truman 000 000 1 1
Council Rock South 102 201 x 6
Continental Conference
QUAKERTOWN 15, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 2 (6 innings)
The Panthers picked up where they left off in Tuesday’s 10-2 win over Pennridge, exploding for 15 runs in Thursday’s game at CB West in a game that was halted after six innings when the mercy rule went into effect. If you’re counting, that’s 25 runs in two games for the Panthers, who had 16 in the five preceding games combined and were shut out twice.
Thursday’s game was a far cry from the initial meeting between the two teams – a 3-2 CB West win.
“We’re finally seeing the ball and hitting, and it’s huge,” coach Rich Scott said. “The first half of the season, we were leaving runners on base. We’re not leaving runners on now, so that’s the difference.
“We’ve done some extra hitting, but their confidence is showing. Now they know they can do it. I told them from the beginning they could. Now, they’re taking over. They see it, and they know.”
Quakertown set the tone for the game with a three-run first. Highlighting the frame was Alyssa Wilkinson’s two-run double.
“It’s always big when you can score runs to start the game,” Scott said.
Sophomore Tara Baglivo led the Panthers’ hit parade with a 3-for-4 effort that included one RBI, four runs scored and two stolen bases. Spenser Gray was 2-for-4 with two RBIs, three runs scored and three stolen bases. Wilkinson was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. Maddie Calder was 2-for-3, and Meghan Klee was 2-for-4.
Wilkinson earned the win in the circle, allowing two runs in four innings of work.
Quakertown is 2-6 in the league (4-6 overall) while CB West is 2-5 in league play (3-7 overall).
Quakertown 303 135 15
Central Bucks West 100 100 2
NORTH PENN 11, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 4
Things changed in a hurry for the Titans when Maddie Decker went down with a knee injury in her team’s game against Quakertown. An MRI confirmed that the senior standout had torn her ACL and will be lost for the season, disappointing news for a CB South squad that shared the top spot in the standings with Souderton.
“I talked to her before the game and after the game,” North Penn coach Rick Torresani said. “Her senior year and the way she was pitching – it’s just horrible. I don’t have words for it. She’s been one of the best players the last four years.”
The Maidens avenged an early season 5-3 loss to the Titans, erasing a 3-0 deficit with a six-run outburst in the fourth. They added three more runs in the fifth and single runs in the sixth and seventh.
“I’m extremely pleased,” Torresani said. “I was upset with them after the Souderton game (a 2-1 loss) because we just didn’t come mentally focused at the plate.
“Jackie (Bilotti) pitched another great game, and we played good defense, but our focus at the plate wasn’t what I expected from them in that game. We had a couple of practices, and because of the rain, we didn’t play Hatboro. The kids really responded. They were looking forward to facing Maddie.”
The Maidens pounded out 17 hits – led by the 4-for-5 effort of Becky Christoffers, who drove in a pair of runs and scored a pair. Courtney Neal had a huge day, finishing the day 3-for-4 with a double, home run, two RBIs and two runs scored.
“She’s a tough little kid,” Torresani said of Neal. “She’s really come on strong.”
Bilotti was 3-for-4 out of the leadoff spot, and Katie Beer was 2-for-5 with two runs scored.
Bilotti earned the win in the circle, allowing eight hits and four runs (three earned) while fanning five and walking none.
For the Titans, Alexis DeLeon was 2-for-4 with a double and RBI.
North Penn upped its record to 5-2 in league play (8-2 overall) while the Titans are 5-2 in the league (6-2 overall).
North Penn 000 631 1 11
Central Bucks South 300 100 0 4
SOUDERTON 5, HATBORO-HORSHAM 3
The Indians opened up a 3-0 lead in the first inning only to watch the Hatters answer with three in the fourth to knot the score. Souderton won it with a two-run sixth.
In the first, the Indians capitalized on back-to-back RBI doubles by Morgan Yoder and Dayna Shelly. Alex Gaydos and Missy Wiley (RBI) followed with back-to-back singles.
The Hatters erupted for five consecutive singles to plate three runs in the fourth. In the sixth, the Indians received a single from Yoder, an RBI double by Shelly and an RBI single by Wiley. They also benefitted from a Hatter error.
The Indians, who collected 11 hits, were led by the two-hit efforts of Angie Carty, Yoder, Shelly and Wiley.
Dee Moyer led the Hatters with a 2-for-3 effort at the plate.
Freshman Alex Scheeler earned the win, allowing eight hits – five in the Hatters’ three-run sixth – while fanning six and walking none.
“One of the things we’ve been working on with our program is talking,” coach Steph Rummel said. “I think the number one thing we improved on today was with the wind and working in those conditions – I really think their communication was key today because you can get very frustrated if you’re Alex on the mound. The ball is moving and the wind is pushing it.
“Katie Kehler and Alex Gaydos kept coming in and cracking a joke and making it light. That’s what we’re trying to do – have each other’s back at all times, and I think they did that really well today.”
Souderton upped it record to 7-1 (8-2 SOL) while the Hatters are 3-4 in the league (5-5 overall).
Hatboro-Horsham 000 300 0 3
Souderton 300 002 x 5
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 3, PENNRIDGE 0 (Wednesday, April 22)
Ignoring the less than ideal conditions, Theresa Haug tossed a one-hit masterpiece, fanning two and walking none to lead the Patriots to the shutout win.
The Patriots scored all the runs Haug would need in the bottom of the first when Darien Dempsey, who had singled, scored on an error. They tacked on two more runs in the sixth, once again capitalizing on a Lady Ram miscue.
Central Bucks South improved to 5-3 in conference play (7-5 overall), and the Lady Rams are 1-7 in the league (3-7 overall).
Pennridge 000 000 0 0
Central Bucks East 100 002 x 3
American Conference
UPPER MERION 12, CHELTENHAM 1 (5 innings)
In a battle of two of the American Conference’s top squads, the Vikings controlled play from start to finish, plating three runs in the top of the first and never looking back.
“I’m just glad we got a game in,” UM coach John Whitney said. “I think a lot of teams are in the same boat. We’re going to have a lot of games in a short period of time.
“The kids really played well today. I was a little nervous with us being inside all week. The last time we played was against Conestoga on Saturday. The kids came out hitting the ball”
Olivia Sborlini allowed just four hits to earn the win in the abbreviated five-inning contest. She struck out four and walked one.
“Liv really pitched well again,” Whitney said. “Liv’s been really consistent for us all season.
“She limited them to four hits, and they’ve got some good hitters. They can score some runs. Ron (Perlstein) does a good job with them.”
Micaela Ghanayem’s two-run triple ignited a three-run first for the Vikings, and Alyssa Adinolfi had a three-run triple in a seven-run second, giving Upper Merion a 10-1 lead after just two innings.
“Alyssa’s hit was right in the middle of the inning and that was big,” Whitney said. “That really broke it open. She hit a shot.”
Ghanayem, Sborlini, Adinolfi and Abby Volpe each had two hits to lead the Vikings’ 10-hit attack.
“Even though Cheltenham had lost a game (in conference play), I told the kids to play the game like we’re down a game – be aggressive, get after them and stay after them,” Whitney said. “The girls listened to what I said. They came out banging and hitting, and our defense was really good.
“I told the girls be ready for next Wednesday (the rematch with Cheltenham). They’re going to be a little angry next week.”
Grace DeRosa, who fanned two and walked five, absorbed the loss.
Upper Merion upped its record to 5-0 in league play (6-2 overall) while the Lady Panthers are 4-2 in the conference (5-3 overall).
Upper Merion 372 00 12
Cheltenham 100 00 1
UPPER MORELAND 7, PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 6
The Golden Bears jumped out to a 5-0 lead and then withstood a late comeback attempt by the Colonials, who scored runs in each of the last four innings.
“They just battled back,” coach Scott Ludlow said. “They were getting timely hits, and we made a mistake or two. They kept chipping away.”
The Colonials actually tied the game 5-5 with a single run in the bottom of the sixth, but the visiting Golden Bears responded with two runs in the top of the seventh when an unlikely hero – pinch hitter Chloe Tice – delivered a clutch two-out, two-run double.
“It was actually a jayvee call up,” Ludlow said. “I grabbed her as she left the jayvee game.
“First varsity at-bat in her first varsity game. She actually had her slides on and was walking past the game, and I said, ‘Put your cleats back on. Let’s go.’ She ended up getting a pinch hit double, knocking in two runs. It definitely worked out all right.”
The Colonials didn’t go down quietly. They got one of those runs back in the bottom of the seventh and left the tying run on second base.
Amber O’Connor, who fanned two and walked six, gutted out the win in the circle.“It was tough day to be a pitcher with the cold weather and the cold hands,” Ludlow said. “It was tough feeling the ball.
“She did a tremendous job keeping us in the game. She got out of a couple of jams, including that last one. She probably deserved a little better than 7-6, but we made a couple of mistakes behind her that cost us a run or two.”
The Golden Bears’ offense was sparked by Alexa Wister (2-for-4), Maddie Mull (2-for-4), Allie Miller (2-for-4) and Destinee Brown (2-for-2, run scored). Miller delivered an RBI triple in the Golden Bears’ two-run fourth.
Upper Moreland improved to 3-1 in league play (3-2 overall) while the Colonials are 0-6.
Upper Moreland 300 200 2 7
Plymouth Whitemarsh 100 211 1 6
UPPER DUBLIN 7, NORRISTOWN 0
UD’s Rebecca Matricardi and Norristown’s Stephanie Orman found themselves locked in a pitcher’s dual. It was a 0-0 game heading into the sixth inning when the visiting Cardinals exploded for six runs to take control of the game on their way to the win.
“It’s good to get a win like this, especially for a young squad so they know, ‘Hey, we can do this,’ ” coach Heather Boyer said. “We’ve lost some close games.
“We lost a wild one to Upper Moreland that we were in striking distance, but we couldn’t make it happen, and then to lose that heartbreaker to Wissahickon on Friday. They’ve been close in a lot of games. To really come out and get a decisive win really helps to build their confidence and hopefully move things in the right direction, especially since we’re turning the corner and looking at the second half of the season.”
Matricardi tossed a gem for the Cardinals, allowing just three hits in a complete game shutout while fanning six and walking two.
Sarah Tannenbaum provided some offensive punch for the Cardinals, finishing the day 2-for-4 with an RBI double in the sixth and a solo home run in the seventh. She scored a pair of runs. Sarah Dennin was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored.
For Norristown, Maria Sinni, Orman and Kat Watson each had a hit.
Orman allowed seven hits and seven runs – only three earned – while walking three and striking out five.
Upper Dublin improved to 3-4 in the league (3-6 overall) while the Eagles fell to 1-5.
Upper Dublin 000 006 1 7
Norristown 000 000 x 0
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