Check out the recaps for SOL softball teams in action Tuesday. Upper Moreland/Cheltenham photos provided courtesy of Kathy Leister Photography. Pennsbury/CR North photos courtesy of John Gleeson. Check back for a gallery of photos.
SOL National Conference
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 8, HARRY S. TRUMAN 0
Danielle Walters was in complete command in the circle for the Golden Hawks while Karly Despirito provided the offensive firepower, hitting a pair of home runs and driving in five runs.
“We had good defense, good hitting and certainly strong pitching,” Rock South coach Frank Marino said. “We’ve had such a break. We had the senior trip – we were idle, we played a couple of games and we had spring break and were idle.
“I wasn’t sure what to expect coming out. We practiced a couple of days last week, we practiced on Saturday, we got a practice in yesterday and still I wasn’t sure. I said to the girls – ‘We’ve had these two weeks off. Season one is over, we finished with a win against William Tennent before spring break. This is season two. We have 11 or 12 games left to play. Anything can happen.’”
Walters made sure that only good things happened with a complete game shutout, allowing just two hits while striking out 10 and walking two.
“Danielle pitched her best game of the season,” Marino said. “That really is vintage Danielle. She’s been frustrated, she’s been working with her instructor. Today she came out and had total command. It was reminiscent of what she’s been doing for the school and program for the last three years. It was nice to see.”
“I think with all the breaks we weren’t really together as a team much,” Walters said. “I think the spring break actually helped us. We got to clear our minds, and we got to have practices and figure out what we needed to do to come back. I think the win before break (over William Tennent) really helped us to keep going forward.”
Despirito ignited a four-run second when she smashed a three-run home run. Setting the stage for Despirito’s blast were Alex Hopko and Kerri Despirito, who were walked and hit by a pitch. Olivia Zoldi also had an RBI single in the inning to plate Kirsti Mendez, who singled and stole second.
The Golden Hawks added a pair of runs in the third inning, benefitting from three walks and a two-run single by Allison Kirschner. In the seventh, Keri Despirito singled to open the inning, and Karly Despirito delivered her second home run of the game, this one a two-run shot.
Karly Despirito led the Golden Hawks with a 2-for-3 effort that included two home runs, five RBIs and two runs. Mendez was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Zoldi was 1-for-3 with an RBI, and Kirschner was 1-for-4 with two RBIs.
“We’re excited,” Marino said. “Obviously, we have a tough opponent coming up Thursday in Neshaminy. We’ll go in and see what happens there, but this was certainly a great win for the girls.”
Council Rock South (3-6, 2-4 SOL) will host Neshaminy Thursday, and Harry S Truman (3-7, 2-5) will travel to Pennridge Wednesday for a non-league game.
Council Rock South 042 000 2 8
Harry S Truman 000 000 0 0
PENNSBURY 10, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 0 (5 innings)
The Falcons won their ninth game without a loss, and they did it in convincing fashion, scoring early and often to defeat the visiting Indians – who had five errors – in the abbreviated contest.
“They gave us some stuff, and we took advantage of some things,” said coach Frank McSherry, whose team had 10 stolen bases. “We can run a little bit – we have some speed.”
The Falcons scored three runs in the first and added four more in the second. Casey Glynn’s two-run double highlighted the four-run second.
Sierra Daly was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Carly Parsons was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI. Riley Mahoney was 2-for-3 and Karissa Turk was 2-for-2.
Ainsley McClure earned the win in the circle, allowing just two hits while striking out five and walking none.
Pennsbury (9-0, 7-0 SOL) will host Central Bucks South in a non-league game Friday, and Council Rock North (4-5, 1-4) will host Harry S Truman on Thursday.
Council Rock North 000 00 0-2-5
Pennsbury 342 1x 10-9-0
NESHAMINY 11, BENSALEM 1 (5 innings)
The Redskins scored five runs in the first, effectively seizing control of Tuesday’s conference game against the visiting Owls. Asia Barnard once again sparked the Redskins, leading off the game with a single and stealing second. One out later, Liana Jones ripped a two-run blast to give the Owls a lead they would not lose.
Also in the first, Rachel Kohler hit a two-out double, and Gianna Pickens was hit by a pitch. Both runners scored when Kennedie Ruth doubled.
In the second inning, Jones smacked another home run that plated Olivia Fee, who had singled.
The Owls scored an unearned run in the fourth to break up Ruth’s shutout bid. In the bottom of the inning, Kaylee Jones collected the Redskins’ third home run of the game – this one a grand slam that gave Neshaminy a commanding 10-1 lead.
The Redskins brought an early end to the game in the fifth when Emily Siwek, who doubled, scored on Fee’s one-out single.
“It was a total team effort,” coach Dave Chichilitti said. “I’m proud of the way we played against a really, really tough Bensalem team.”
Liana Jones led the Redskins with a perfect 2-for-2 effort that included two home runs and four RBIs. Siwek was 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored, and Kohler was 2-for-3 with a double. Barnard was 2-for-4 with two runs, and Fee was 3-for-4. Kaylee Jones was 1-for-3 with a home run and four RBIs.
Ruth notched the win in the circle, allowing three hits and one run (unearned) while fanning five.
Chloe Munyon accounted for two of the Owls’ three hits.
Neshaminy (10-2, 6-1 SOL) will travel to Council Rock South on Thursday, and Bensalem (8-3, 3-3) will host William Tennent on Thursday.
Bensalem 000 10 1-3-1
Neshaminy 420 41 11-13-1
SOL Continental Conference
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 6, CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 0
Kayla Gallagher tossed a complete game no-hitter. Interestingly, she had no idea she’d done it.
“I had no idea,” Gallagher said. “(Coach Geoff Thompson) said, ‘Kayla, come here – everybody hug her and congratulate her. She had a no-hitter.’ I was so shocked – I had no idea.”
The Bucks’ junior ace undoubtedly wasn’t alone as the Patriots had base runners in every inning but the second (when Gallagher struck out the side), and they twice loaded the bases on free passes. Gallagher displayed a knack for getting herself out of jams, and her teammates helped take the pressure off by plating four runs in the top of the first.
The Bucks managed just one hit in the inning – an RBI single by Ella Castronuovo, but they benefitted from four walks and a hit batter with Emma Cooper and Maddie Leatherbarrow both picking up RBIs when they drew bases-loaded walks.
In the bottom of the inning, the Patriots loaded the bases with two outs, but Gallagher picked up her first of five straight strikeouts to end the threat. The Patriots best chance to get on the board came in the fourth when – after striking out the first batter of the inning – Gallagher issued three straight walks. The Bucks’ junior ace never lost her composure.
“I try to hide my emotions,” she said. “I left them slip on a couple (of pitches), but its definitely frustrating when you throw a pitch that you love or you know was a good pitch, and it’s a ball.”
Gallagher – who fanned 12 – came up with a huge strikeout for the inning’s second out.
“She’s been doing that – she has a couple of walks, but she tends to get out of it,” Thompson said.
Hailey Aspinwall came close to breaking up Gallagher’s no-hit and shutout bid with one swing when – with the bases loaded and two outs – she hit a fly ball to shallow right that was snagged by Olivia Durler, who made a nice running catch.
“If that ball would have dropped, it could have been a different game,” Aspinwall said.
As it was, the Patriots never threatened the rest of the way, and the no-hitter was in the books for Gallagher.
“This feels great, especially since they’re our rivals,” Gallagher said. “I think we’ll carry this game on to the rest of the season because we were so pumped and ready.”
For the Patriots, Tuesday’s loss was their 10th in 11 games, but the players remain positive.
“It’s definitely rough,” Aspinwall said. “But even through we’re not having the best season, we’re still getting really close as a team, and personally, that’s the most important thing – working together and all being friends.
“When we’re in the dugout or out in the field, we’re always making sure we’re talking to each other. If someone gets down on themselves, we always have to bring them back up because once one person gets down – that negative energy can run through the whole team, so we make sure we all stay together and stay up. We’re bonding as a team, and that’s what I love about this sport.”
Central Bucks West (7-4, 2-4 SOL) will host Souderton on Thursday, and Central Bucks East (1-10, 0-7) will host Springfield Township Wednesday in a non-league contest.
Central Bucks West 6-4-0
Central Bucks East 0-0-2
QUAKERTOWN 10, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 0 (6 innings)
Revenge was sweet indeed for a Panther squad that took a 12-2 beating at the hands of the Titans in the SOL opener for both squads. Tori Caputo tossed a nifty five-hit shutout, striking out two and walking one, and the Panthers pounded 17 hits off a duo of Titan hurlers.
“We had a rough week last week, and Thursday we played and we were just flat,” coach Dave Scott said of his team’s 9-1 loss to Neshaminy. “It was our third game of three in a row, and we were very flat and out of it. The way they bounced back today was pretty incredible.”
The tone might well have been set in the top of the first when Alexa Ortman, who singled to lead off the inning, found herself on second with one out but was stranded there as Caputo retired the next two batters she faced on harmless fly balls to the outfield.
“That lineup put 12 runs against us the last time we played them,” Scott said. “For Tori to bounce back – the key with Tori is always going to be her location, and today she really focused on keeping low and missing low, and that was really the difference.
“The last time we played them she was up in the strike zone, and every time she was up in the strike zone, they smashed the ball. Today she worked very consistently down low in the strike zone, and that’s why she was successful.”
In the bottom of the inning, LauraRose Morelock and Syd Andrews drew back-to-back walks to open the frame. Kylie Kenney struck out the next two batters she faced, but Maddie Moyer singled to load the bases. Morelock scored on a wild pitch and Andrews scored on an error, giving the Panthers a 2-0 lead.
“We scored two runs, and that built up the confidence of the whole team knowing we would be able to score against them because we had very few hits the first game we played them,” Caputo said. “After the first inning the last time, it was (12-1). When we came back in and they hadn’t scored at all (in the first), everybody came in smiling and saying, ‘Hey, we’re in this. We can compete with these guys.’”
An RBI single by Moyer in the third put the Panthers on top 3-0, and they blew the game wide open with a six-run fifth inning that saw the Panthers bring eight batters to the plate before the Titans collected an out.
Sarah Stofik opened the inning with a single, and after Moyer singled, Halle Frederick drew a walk to load the bases. Four of the next five batters contributed RBI singles – Abby Schwartz, Brianna Lefkoski, Morelock and Andrews. Jenna Blair picked up an RBI when she was hit by a pitch. After back-to-back strikeouts, Moyer delivered an RBI single that put the Panthers on top 9-0.
In the sixth, Schwartz – who tripled to lead off the frame – scored when Andrews hit a two-out single.
Moyer was 4-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored to lead the offensive onslaught.
“Maddie Moyer – I can’t say enough about her,” Scott said. “She has been red hot. I think she started the season 0-for-the-first-three-games, and since then, I think her batting average is close to .500, which is crazy.
“I had her fourth in the lineup, and I don’t know if that affected or if it was just a coincidence. Since the game I moved her down to sixth or seventh, she has absolutely been hitting the cover off the ball. It’s impressive.”
Lefkoski was 3-for-4 with an RBI and run and Andrews was 3-for-3 with two RBIs and a run.
“Syd Andrews is only a freshman, and she continues to impress,” Scott said. “No spot is too big for her.
“This was your typical team win – great pitching, great defense and great pitching. You can’t ask for more than that as a coach. It was a great win.”
Caputo and company have been making a habit of pulling off upsets of some of the SOL’s top teams. Three years ago, they sent a heavily favored North Penn team home for the season with a 2-1 win in districts. Last year, the Panthers earned a regular season win over North Penn, although the Knights returned the favor with a 13-2 rout of the Panthers in a district game.
“We know they’re only high school games, but we know the level of competition and the drive within ourselves,” Caputo said. “We want to put up a good battle. We’re a super small school, and we don’t have as big a pool, and going against the bigger schools in this conference, it’s more exciting to see how we match up against the ‘better’ schools.”
Ortman, who was 2-for-3, was the lone bright spot in the lineup for the Titans. Kenney absorbed the loss, allowing 10 hits and eight runs in four innings.
Quakertown (6-6, 4-4 SOL) will travel to Pennridge on Thursday, and Central Bucks South (5-6, 3-3) will host Central Bucks East on Thursday.
Central Bucks South 000 000 0 0-5-1
Quakertown 201 061 x 10-17-0
NORTH PENN 7, SOUDERTON 1
North Penn continued to look very much like a team on a mission, scoring a pair of runs in both the first and second innings to take control of Tuesday’s game against the Indians.
“It was a good game,” coach Rick Torresani said. “We were off a few days and the girls came out and scored four in the first two innings.”
Victoria Juckniewitz and Jordan Pietrzykoski opened the first with back-to-back singles. One out later, Elia Namey walked to load the bases, setting the stage for a two-run single by Jamie Beer. The Knights tacked on two more runs in the second. The Indians plated an unearned run in the fourth, and Amanda Greaney put the game out of reach with a three-run home run in the sixth.
Mady Volpe turned in another gem for the Knights, allowing just four hits and one unearned run while striking out 13 and walking three.
“Mady pitched another great game,” Torresani said. “She’s pitched 10 games and is up to 115 strikeouts and only 26 walks. For a sophomore and the situation she’s in, she’s done really well.”
Juckniewitz, Pietrzykoski and Greaney each had a pair of hits to lead the Knights. Greaney finished with four RBIs.
Alina Skrzat’s 2-for-3 effort led the Indians. Katie Huber provided the lone RBI with a sacrifice fly in the fourth. Julia Kistler was 1-for-3 with a double while Jess Lepore was 1-for-2 with two walks.
Abby Burns took the loss.
North Penn (12-0, 7-0 SOL) will travel to Central Bucks East on Tuesday, and Souderton (6-4, 3-4) will travel to Central Bucks West Thursday.
North Penn 220 003 0 7-9-2
Souderton 000 100 0 1-4-1
SOL American Conference
SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 7, ABINGTON 2
Springfield fell to Abington 14-3 in its season opener on March 28. On Tuesday – almost a month later, they avenged that loss by notching their first conference win.
“It was just good to get a win,” coach Josh Ringgold said. “A lot of girls are playing in spots they haven’t played in before.
“It’s just a lot of learning on the fly, so it was good to get a ‘W.’ They beat us up pretty good the first game of the season.”
Sam Wynne ignited the Spartans from the leadoff spot, finishing the game 3-for-3 with a double, RBI and run scored. Her RBI double was the big hit in a four-run second inning that also included a sacrifice fly from Mikayla Quinn.
“I’ve been trying to find that perfect leadoff – I had a great leadoff the last few years,” Ringgold said of Mary Kate Smith. “Sam is slowly getting better out of the leadoff spot. She’s able to put the ball in play, not necessarily all the time with the bunt, but she’s able to hit the ball. She’s been coming on the last three games and becoming a pretty good leadoff hitter, and I think it will just get better as the season progresses.”
Gabby Gaskin was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs. Her RBI single in the third gave the Spartans a 5-0 lead. They added two runs in a sixth inning that saw Jessica Kaercher draw a bases-loaded walk.
In the seventh, the Ghosts broke up Hannah Sebenick’s shutout bid. Aneesa Rohrer led off the inning with a single and stole second. Sophie Dupoldt followed with an RBI single, and a second run crossed the plate when Lily Young singled.
Julie Burkhardt had a pair of hits to lead the Ghosts.
Sebenick earned the complete game win, allowing five hits and two runs (one earned) while striking out five and walking none.
“A lot of their hits were at the end – she was pitching a shutout until the seventh inning,” Ringgold said. “That’s the first game she hit her spots really well. If she can do that in the next few games, we should be able to hang in there. I don’t think she’s a great player in the cold. She did good today.”
The Spartans are sixth in the latest District 1 4A power rankings out of eight teams.
“We’re in the bottom of the pack right now,” Ringgold said. “We have some making up to do. We still have to see a lot of the guys in our conference the second time around, so hopefully, we’ll fare a little better.
“We played a good game against Upper Dublin the other day for the first five innings, but we didn’t complete the game. This is the first game we kept our errors down and were able to get some timely hits with runners on base.”
Springfield (1-6 SOL) will travel to Central Bucks East for a non-league game Wednesday, and Abington (3-8, 3-5) will host Upper Moreland on Thursday.
Abington 000 000 2 2-5-4
Springfield Twp 041 002 x 7-9-2
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 3, WISSAHICKON 2
The Colonials remained perfect in conference play, but they needed to dig themselves out of an early 2-0 hole to earn this one. The Trojans scored a single run in both the first and second innings but did not score the rest of the way.
“Our pitcher, Allison Beausoleil, came in and was trying to spin her pitches, and it was taking her a little while to get her pitches where they needed to be and find her change-up,” PW coach Dana Moyer said. “They jumped out and took advantage of that. It wasn’t like an onslaught of hits. It was just a hit here and then another hit. They jumped out and we answered back. We just played solid ‘D.’”
A Siani Pagie-Miller RBI single put the Trojans on the board in the first inning, and Danielle Ciliberto’s RBI double in the second gave the home team a 2-0 lead. The Colonials evened the score in the third inning. Sydney Melillo, who singled and stole second, scored on Kamryn Kropinski’s single. Lauryn Kane’s run-scoring single evened the score.
In the third inning, Carly Rosenberger’s two-out single plated Josee Tassoni, who singled to open the frame.
Kropinski was 3-for-4 with an RBI and run scored out of the leadoff spot. Rosenberger was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Beausoleil earned the complete game win, allowing eight hits and two runs while striking out five and walking one.
“Allison found her pitches and made the pitches where they needed to be, and we made the plays behind her,” Moyer said. “I wish our girls would have made more adjustments on their pitcher.
“A couple of girls did hit shots, but they were right at people. Their second baseman made a nice play on a ball one of our girls hit up the middle. We could have made better adjustments with the bat, but still, we found a way to win it.”
The Trojans were led by the 3-for-4 effort of Harris. Ciliberto (2-for-4, 2B, RBI, run) and Paige-Miller (2-for-4, RBI) also had a pair of hits.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (7-1, 6-0 SOL) will host Springfield Township on Thursday, and Wissahickon (4-6, 4-4) will travel to Dock Mennonite Academy for a non-league game Wednesday.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 002 100 0 3-11-0
Wissahickon 110 000 0 2-8-1
HATBORO-HORSHAM 8, UPPER DUBLIN 3
The Flying Cardinals took a 1-0 lead into the fourth inning when the Hatters plated a pair of runs. It marked the beginning of a pattern for the Hatters, who scored two runs in each of the last four innings.
“It takes us a little time to wake up,” HH coach Joe DiFilippo said. “
Brit Hubler had a big day for the Hatters, finishing 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs. She drove in a run in both the fourth and fifth innings.
“Brit was involved in every inning except the seventh,” DiFilippo said. “As she goes, we go. She’s a great leader.”
Mikayla Fedele was 2-for-3 with a double, RBI and one run. Kristen Myers was 2-for-4 with an RBI, and Maliessa Rapinio was 1-for-3 with an RBI double. Sarah Shegogue was 1-for-2 with two walks and one run.
For the Flying Cardinals, Gretchen Wolpert (1-for-3, 2B, RBI), Megahn Muth (1-for-3, RBI, run) and Lauren Carboni (1-for-3, 2B) led the way.
Grace Daniels earned the complete game win, allowing four hits and three runs with three strikeouts and two walks.
Hatboro-Horsham (7-4, 6-2 SOL) will host Wissahickon on Thursday, and Upper Dublin (7-5, 3-5) will travel to Cheltenham on Thursday.
Hatboro-Horsham 000 222 2 8
Upper Dublin 100 010 1 3
UPPER MORELAND 15, CHELTENHAM 0 (4 innings)
The Golden Bears had just one extra-base hit, but they pounded out plenty of singles to earn a win over the visiting Panthers.
Jenna Sadowski was 2-for-2 with two RBIs, and Chloe Kramer was 2-for-2 with three runs scored and one RBI. A double by Bean Hughes was the Golden Bears only extra base hit.
Jocie Baumeister did not allow a hit in the abbreviated contest, striking out 10 and walking a pair.
Upper Moreland (8-3, 6-0 SOL) will travel to Abington on Thursday, and Cheltenham (0-8, 0-7) will host Upper Dublin on Thursday.
Cheltenham 000 0 0
Upper Moreland 364 2 15
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