Check out the recaps for SOL softball teams in action Monday. CB East/CB South photos provided courtesy of Tracy Valko. Check back for a gallery of photos. All SOS photo galleries for SOFTBALL can be viewed by clicking HERE.
SOL Colonial Division
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 5, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 2
Elise Waddington broke a 2-2 tie in dramatic fashion in the bottom of the sixth, ripping a two-run home run to right field. For good measure, the Patriots tacked on an insurance run and went on to
earn a 5-2 win in Monday’s battle of neighboring rivals.
“It was a complete game from both offense and defense,” East coach Karl Knapp said. “We had good pitching by Elise (Waddington) and Kayla (Mitchell). It was great defense by all. We’re finally cleaning up our error problem from previous games. It was a total team effort.”
Earlier, the Patriots took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Sara Camposano drew a leadoff walk, and Waddington singled to center. Camposano advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on Amelia Funston’s sacrifice fly to center. That 1-0 lead held until the top of the fourth when the Titans scored the equalizer without the benefit of a hit.
South took a 2-1 lead in the fourth when Allie Franck delivered a two-out RBI single. The Patriots evened the score in the bottom of the fifth, benefitting from a South miscue.
In the sixth, Maggie Funston drew a one-out walk, setting the stage for Waddington’s big blow. Amelia Funston followed with a single to right, and Ava Catron walked. Mackenzie Wilson’s single plated Devine, and the Patriots led 5-2, a score that stood until the final out was recorded.
Waddington finished a big day 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs and a run scored. Wilson added a pair of RBIs.
Kayla Mitchell started in the circle and allowed two hits and one run (unearned) while striking out three and walking one. Waddington earned the win in the circle, allowing three hits and one run in three innings while striking out three and walking one.
For the Titans, Franck was 2-for-4 with a run scored, RBI and two stolen bases. Suzie Williams was 1-for-3 with a double, run scored and stolen base.
Central Bucks East (6-3, 3-3 SOL) will travel to Harry S Truman on Tuesday, and Central Bucks South (3-5, 2-4) will be on the road at Pennsbury on Tuesday.
Central Bucks South 000 110 0 2-5-2
Central Bucks East 100 013 x 5-5-2
SOL Liberty Division
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 3, QUAKERTOWN 2
Lauryn Kane doubled, tripled and scored a pair of runs, and Molly Moore allowed just three hits and fanned 11 in the complete game win. The Colonials’ win over the previously undefeated Panthers on their home field was a big one that coach Mike Perez hopes is a preview of things to come.
“I told the girls at the end of the game – ‘This is the beginning. This isn’t the peak of our season – this is the beginning of our season,’ and that’s the way we have to look at it,” Perez said. “We have such a young team. Today we had a freshman and five sophomores starting throughout our lineup. They just need to believe in themselves because they are good. I hope that this can catapult them into believing in themselves, holding each other accountable and knowing what they’re capable of.”
The Colonials might well have set the tone when they plated a run in the first inning. With one out, Lauryn Kane tripled to center field and scored on a successfully executed suicide squeeze bunt by Caelin Kosovitch.
“Right from the beginning – we laid a squeeze down in the first inning because we knew runs would be hard to come by,” Perez said. “Both games last year we lost 3-2 and 2-1 in the seventh inning, so I knew runs would be tough, especially with Sydney (Andrews) pitching, and she did awesome.
“You know you’re going to strike out against her, but you have to string some key hits together, and our girls did. They were unselfish, they laid some bunts down, we had some good situational hitting going to the right side, great baserunning by everybody, and we just took opportunities that were given to us.”
In the bottom of the inning, Katie Muller hit a one-out double to center, but Moore struck out the next batter she faced and picked up the third out on a pop up to first.
In the third inning, Kane led off with a double to left, stole third and scored on a groundout, and the Colonials led 2-0.
“Lauryn is the ideal player,” Perez said. “She’s the biggest cheerleader we have, she’s the hardest worker we have, and she just comes up clutch every time we need her.
“She kept the girls up, she’s great at pre-game speeches. She just does everything you would want your senior captain to do, and the girls just follow her.”
The Panthers evened the score in the bottom of the third when they plated a pair of unearned runs. Emma Hilton led off the inning with a single, and the Panthers had two on board when Cadence Lewis was safe on a PW miscue. Hilton scored on a dropped third strike, and Lewis scored on a sacrifice fly from Maya Hellyer.
The Colonials came right back with a run in the top of the fourth. Marissa Perez singled to open the inning, and then Kalina Childers was safe on a bunt single.
“That was interesting – she did a little push bunt and squeezed it through,” Perez said. “It almost rolled into the outfield. I don’t know if she meant to or if Sydney’s speed just made it jump off. It just flew off her bat.”
Perez scored on a groundout, and the Colonials led 3-2. Moore did the rest, retiring 12 of 14 to close out the game. She walked the leadoff batter in the bottom of the seventh but gunned her down at second on a sacrifice bunt attempt and then coaxed a popup out of the next batter. Moore came up with a strikeout for the game’s final out.
PW’s ace allowed three hits and two runs (both unearned) while striking out 11 and walking one.
“Molly is such a gamer,” Perez said. “She just gets up for these types of games, and she was amazing, and the girls just executed. She held them at bay the best she could, and we made plays we needed to make.
“Grace Carney had a huge catch against the fence in foul territory. For the most part, our outfield made the plays it needed to make.”
Marissa Perez (3-for-3, 1 run), Childers (2-for-3) and Kane (2-for-3, 2B, 3B, 2 runs) led the Colonials’ attack.
Andrews allowed eight hits and three runs (two earned) while striking out 10 and walking none.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (5-3, 5-2 SOL) will travel to William Tennent on Tuesday, and Quakertown (7-1, 6-1) will host Upper Moreland on Tuesday.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 101 100 0 3-8-1
Quakertown 002 000 0 2-3-2
WISSAHICKON 8, ABINGTON 4
Danielle Ciliberto did the job in the circle and at the plate, leading the Trojans to the come-from-behind win.
The Trojans scored a pair of early runs only to see the Ghosts take a 3-2 lead in the second. Wissahickon outscored its hosts 6-0 the rest of the way to earn the win.
“We weren’t as sharp as we usually are,” Wissahickon coach Mike Borkowski said. “Their pitcher (Sam Wenhold) kept us off balance a little bit with her speed, but a win is always good, so I’ll take it.”
It looked as though runs might come easily for the Trojans. Luca Penna led off the first by drawing a walk and then stole second. She moved up to third on a groundout to the right side by Katelyn Fitzgerald and scored when Grace Franczyk doubled to center. Emi Fox’s triple to right spotted the Trojans an early 2-0 lead.
In the second, the Ghosts answered with three runs of their own. The inning included singles by Leanna Schenk, Lauren Everitt, Ella O’Rourke (RBI), Sydney Steiner (RBI) and Ashley Reilly. A third run crossed the plate on Natalie Broskley’s groundout.
“Danielle seemed a little annoyed that she struck out (in the first inning) and let up three runs when she came up leading off the third inning,” Wissahickon coach Mike Borkowski said. “One swing and she tied it with a home run to dead center.”
That 3-3 tie held until the top of the fifth when the Trojans erupted for three runs. They added two more in the seventh when Fitzgerald ripped a two-run home run to right center.
“I told Fitz to step at the pitcher,” Borkowski said. “She was pulling off the ball and losing power.”
The Ghosts scored a run in the bottom of the inning but never could put a dent in the Trojans’ lead.
Ciliberto notched the complete game win, allowing seven hits and four runs (three earned) while striking out nine and walking none.
Ciliberto (3-for-4, 3B, HR, 3 runs, RBI), Franczyk (2-for-4, 2B, 2 runs, 2 RBIs), Emi Fox (2-for-3, 3B, RBI) and Morgan Risnychok (2-for-4) all had multi-hit days for the Trojans.
For the Ghosts, Sydney Steiner was 2-for-3 with a run scored and RBI.
Wissahickon (6-3, 6-1 SOL) will host Cheltenham on Tuesday. Abington (4-4, 3-4) will travel to Springfield Township on Tuesday.
Wissahickon 201 030 2 8
Abington 030 000 1 4
SOL Freedom Division
SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 4, LOWER MORELAND 3
Anna Posluszny delivered a single that plated Kayla Parsons with the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh that turned out to be the game-winner. The Spartans, who trailed 3-2 heading into the seventh, notched their first win of the season in come-from-behind fashion.
“We needed this win,” Spartans’ coach Patty O’Neill said. “We had opportunities prior in two games to win, but we fell apart in the late innings, something that happens with young teams, and we’re a little bit young.
“We have some good potential, so we’re growing and learning and getting better every day. This was much-needed, and we came from behind, which was really exciting for us too.”
Freshman Ashley Schulz turned in a strong effort in the circle, allowing two hits and striking out seven in the complete game win.
“She’s someone that we’ll rely on moving forward the next four years,” O’Neill said of Schulz. “She’s had some pitching experience, but in her travel ball, she’s an outstanding outfielder and hitter, so pitching isn’t something she always does, but she’s developing for us.
“She has a nice repertoire of pitches. Today was a really good day for her. She got ahead in the counts, she minimized walks. We’re still working on that.”
The Spartans took a 1-0 lead in the first, but the Lions scored a pair in the fourth to go on top 2-1 and upped that to 3-1 in the fifth. Springfield got a run back in the sixth and that set the stage for the two-run seventh.
Norah Conlan drew a walk to lead off the seventh.
“Our nine hitter did a very good job – had a very patient at-bat for a walk,” O’Neill said of Conlan. “Our leadoff hitter, Kayla Parsons, had a base hit, and then we had a fielder’s choice and our pitcher, Ashley Schulz, got a nice RBI on that.”
Posluszny’s single drove in the go-ahead run, and when Schulz shut the Lions down in the bottom of the seventh, the win was in the books.
“Lower Moreland played small ball, and they did a really good job defensively,” O’Neill said. “They executed, they were aggressive on the bases, so I give them props – they did a good job.
“I’m proud of our girls. We’ve given up some late inning leads, and we were able to shut them down today. We lost a late inning game against PW, and earlier this season, we lost a late inning game against New Hope-Solebury. I think some of that early season inexperience – we’re starting to grow, we’re starting to believe in each other, we’re starting to trust. We’re becoming a better defensive team. We have things we need to work on, but if you looked at our lineup, I think our kids would say – we can be in every game. There are teams that are better than us, but if we do all the right stuff, we’re going to compete.”
The Spartans held a 7-2 advantage in hits. Parsons was 2-for-3 and scored two runs. Charlotte Hartner was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Freshman designated player Joce Davis was 2-for-2.
“Both teams were pretty evenly matched,” O’Neill said. “We had some similarities. We were pretty similar defensively. Both teams have some work to do on offense.
“We opened the door a little bit in the middle of the game and let them in. Props to Lower Moreland. They made some solid defensive plays. We were aggressive with them, and they responded.
“Their catcher, Jess Dugo, did an outstanding job. She was tough all day – she threw people out running, she blocked balls. She was really a force for them. She did a really nice job defensively and kept them in the game.”
Springfield Township (1-6, 1-5 SOL) will host Abington on Tuesday, and Lower Moreland (4-4, 1-4) will travel to Cheltenham on Wednesday.
Springfield Twp 100 001 2 4
Lower Moreland 000 210 0 3
SOL Liberty/Freedom crossover
HATBORO-HORSHAM 15, UPPER MORELAND 0 (3 innings)
Kendal Leitner proved to be double trouble for the Golden Bears. The senior hurler – who struck out seven – not only retired all nine batters she faced in three perfect innings, she also had a huge day at the plate, driving in five runs.
After back-to-back doubles by Alyssa Tooley and Marissa Rapino, Leiter smoked a three-run home run to center field, and the Hatters were just getting started. Amya Lundy singled, and Abby Waeltz drew a walk. Both runners scored when Tess Kearney ripped a triple to right field, spotting the Hatters an early 5-0 lead.
In a nine-run second inning, Tooley and Rapino led off with back-to-back singles, and both scored when Leitner doubled. Lundy followed and smashed a two-run home run to center field, and the Hatters led 9-0. Megan Mills and Tooley both had RBI doubles in the inning, and by the time it was over, the Hatters led 14-0.
Kearney’s RBI double in the third brought an early end to the contest.
Also for the Hatters, Tooley (3-for-3, 2 2B, 3 runs, RBI), Rapino (3-for-3, 2B, 2 runs, 2 RBIs), Lundy (3-for-3, HR, 3 runs, 2 RBIs) and Kearney (3-for-3, 2B, 3B, run, 3 RBIs) all had huge days at the plate.
“I was very proud of our offensive performance today,” HH coach Kelly Krier said. “We had big hits from almost everyone in the lineup. We had many players with multiple hits and multiple RBIs, and it was great to see that happen.
“Kendal (Leitner) continues to get stronger each start. We are looking forward to building on this momentum with our games this week.”
Hatboro-Horsham (6-3, 6-1 SOL) will travel to New Hope-Solebury on Tuesday, and Upper Moreland (2-6, 1-4) will be on the road at Quakertown on Tuesday.
Upper Moreland 000 0-0-0
Hatboro-Horsham 5-9-1 15-16-0
Non-league
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 5, ARCHBISHOP WOOD 2
A young Golden Hawks squad honored senior Dani Sperling and then went out and won its non-league game over the visiting Vikings.
“It was a really tight game, and Wood is a good team,” Rock South coach Dan Schram said. “We used two pitchers, and they both did a great job.
“We honored our senior, Dani Sperling, who played left field. She had three great at-bats, which included two sacrifices, a walk and an RBI.”
Julia Scannapieco started in the circle and earned the win. Lexi Waring entered the game in the fifth inning. Both pitchers gave up one run.
“There was a lot of heads-up baserunning plays that really shaped the game,” Schram said. “Kaylie Walters and Ameerah Wheet ran the bags and did a beautiful job.”
The Golden Hawks broke a 1-1 tie with a run in the bottom of the third, but the Vikings came back to knot the score in the top of the fifth. The Golden Hawks answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning.
“The big hit of the game was Gabby Bloom when she rocked an RBI triple in the fifth,” Schram said. “She then got in a rundown at third and scored. The kids are working hard.”
Kaylie Walters had a huge day out of the leadoff spot. She was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and three stolen bases.
Council Rock South (4-4, 2-3 SOL) will travel to Pennridge on Tuesday for a 6:30 p.m. contest.
Archbishop Wood 001 010 0 2
Council Rock South 011 021 x 5
HARRY S TRUMAN 10, ST. HUBERT’S 0 (5 innings)
Kylee Thomas tossed a no-hitter in Monday’s abbreviated non-league game that was halted in the bottom of the fifth inning for the mercy rule. She struck out four and did not walk a batter.
The Tigers put a run on the board in the second inning when Amariah McKnight doubled to center field, plating Emma Olsen who had walked.
In the third inning, they upped their lead to 4-0. Teyana Towner led off the inning with a bunt single and Emily Davis was hit by a pitch. Hannah Smith’s single loaded the bases with none out. Towner was out at home on a forceout, but Davis scored on a groundout, and a pair of runs crossed the plate when Ava Kilner singled.
A three-run third was highlighted by doubles from Towner and Smith (RBI). The Tigers added three runs in the fifth, benefitting from a pair of errors as well as a two-run single by Towner that put the mercy rule into effect.
Towner was 3-for-3 with a double, one run scored and two RBIs out of the leadoff spot. Smith was 3-for-3 with a double, two runs and one RBI.
“Teyana Towner had a few hits and sets up our offense,” Truman coach Rick Palmer said. “Hannah Smith had a great bat today.
“Kylee threw a no-hitter, and our defense was much better.”
Harry S Truman (3-6, 2-6 SOL) will host Central Bucks East on Tuesday.
St. Hubert’s 000 00 0-0-3
Harry S Truman 013 33 10-10-2
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