Check out the recaps for SOL softball teams in action on Thursday. Neshaminy/Bensalem photo provided courtesy of Jesse Garber (http://JSGarber.zenfolio.com/). Abington/Pennsbury photo provided courtesy of John Marasheski. 
Thursday night’s twinbill at Northampton Recreation Center pitting Abington against Pennsbury and – in the nightcap – Council Rock North versus Council Rock South was about a whole lot more than softball. It was the second annual ALS Charity softball doubleheader to bring awareness and raise funds for a disease that Abington assistant coach Greg Heydet has been battling since 2009.
Between games, Cindi Heydet shared a speech that underscored the fight her husband faces as he tries to stay one step ahead of ALS, a terminal illness. 
“Softball is a game that we all love,” she said. “Greg loved and played competitive fast pitch softball for over 30 years, most of them as a pitcher. His talents made him a winner, but dealing with ALS right now, there’s no way he can win, but believe me, he’s putting up one hell of a fight.
“ALS messed with the wrong person. ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects the motor neurons reaching from the brain to the spinal chord. These neurons control muscles throughout the body. Over time, the brain loses its ability to control muscle movement due to the death of these motor neurons.
“It first takes away the ability to walk, use your arms, hands and then your speech. It then takes away your ability to sit up, eat, swallow and then breathe. The progression of this disease differs among patients, and doctors don’t understand why.
“Every 90 minutes, someone is diagnosed with ALS. One third of those patients die within two years. Over 50 percent live more than three years, 20 percent live past five years, only 10 percent live past 10 years and only five percent will live past 20 years.
“This is a very ugly and painful disease for both patients and family members. Greg says he wouldn’t wish this disease on anyone. He thanks God the he was chosen to have this disease instead of you. He remains strong and positive. Greg has been diagnosed with ALS in October of 2009 and wants to be here next year.”
Proceeds from the night – which included food stands, 50/50 raffles – will go towards finding a cure for ALS.
SOL National Conference
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 6, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 5
Things didn’t look promising for the Golden Hawks in Thursday’s night’s rivalry game at Northampton Recreation Center. Rock North’s Riley Sheehy led off the game with an inside the park home run, and after just two innings, the Hawks found themselves on the short end of a 5-1 score.
But things changed in a hurry. A four-run fourth inning gave the Hawks a 6-5 lead, and Danielle Walters – who fanned eight and walked two – had found some kind of groove in the circle, retiring 16 of 17 batters she faced to close out the game.
“Once we got out of the second inning, she just found another level and was just really dealing,” coach Frank Marino said.
Thursday’s win was the fifth in six games for the suddenly streaking Golden Hawks.
“Obviously, being that North is one of our biggest rivals, it was a big game under the lights,” Marino said. “It was great.
“We’ve been playing loose, and that’s kind of been the message – let’s take it one game at a time and see what we can do, one inning at a time, one pitch at a time but not lose track and focus of why we’re there and that’s really just to have fun playing the game. We’ve been trying to play loose. They’ve been doing it. They’re responded. This was a big game under the lights against a strong team.”
The Golden Hawks’ five-run fourth was highlighted by a leadoff single from Ally Kirschner, a two-run triple by Walters and a sacrifice bunt that plated a run by Mackenzie Marino.
The Golden Hawks were led by Marino (2-for-2, RBI), Makenna Diamond (2-for-3, 3B) and Marissa ‘Shorty’ Thompson (2-for-4, 2 runs).
Council Rock South (7-3, 4-2 SOL) will host William Tennent on Monday, and Council Rock North (7-5, 3-4) will host Bensalem on Tuesday.
Council Rock North 140 000 0 5
Council Rock South 200 400 x 6
PENNSBURY 6, ABINGTON 1
The Falcons are on a bit of a roll after a slow start to their season, and in Thursday’s opening game of the annual ALS Charity doubleheader, they rode a four-run second inning to the important win.
“We had what we thought was a clunker at Truman when they really did hit and we didn’t, so give them credit,” said coach Frank McSherry of his team’s only loss in the last five games. “After an 0-7 start, we won four of the last five, so we’re happy, but in order to see postseason, we have to go on a run.”
Karli Haines broke Thursday’s game open with one swing of the bat, blasting a grand slam to right center that gave the Falcons a lead they would not lose in the second. Setting the stage for the Haines’ blast were singles by Casey Glynn, Alyssa Hileman and Olivia Mauro (infield).
If the Falcons needed insurance, they got it in the fourth when the plated two more runs. Carly Parsons and Sierra Daley both singled and scored in the frame with Arden Rabiger collecting the inning’s only RBI.
The Ghosts plated their only run on Tori Brandenburger’s RBI double in the sixth. She had two of her team’s six hits.
In a contest that saw each team commit just one error, Pennsbury shortstop Syd Jakimowicz stole the spotlight defensively.
“Syd made some unbelievable plays at shortstop,” McSherry said. “They have a kid who’s real fast, and she tried stealing. Allie Rose threw a strike to Syd, and the ball and the kid got there at the same time. It was a big-time collision, and Syd hung onto the ball. She really had a great game defensively.”
Leading the Falcons at the plate were Glynn, Hileman and Haines with all three finishing the game 2-for-3.
HIleman earned the complete game win, allowing six hits while striking out four and walking one.
Pennsbury (4-8, 4-3 SOL) will host Central Bucks South in a non-league game on Friday, and Abington (3-6, 1-6) will host North Penn in a non-league game on Friday.
Abington 000 001 0 1
Pennsbury 040 200 x 6
NESHAMINY 10, BENSALEM 0 (5 innings)
The Redskins continued to roll, riding the two-hit effort of pitcher Amber Brugger to earn the convincing win in the abbreviated contest.
The Redskins scored all the runs Brugger would need in a three-run second and put the game out of reach with five runs in the third.
Alexis Watkins led the Redskins’ 12-hit attack with a perfect 3-for-3 day at the plate that included a pair of RBIs. Hallie Duffy was 2-for-3 with an RBI, and Natalie Rios and Liana Jones were also 2-for-3.
Neshaminy is third in the latest District One 6A power rankings.
Neshaminy (13-1, 7-0 SOL) will travel to Abington on Tuesday, and Bensalem (4-8, 1-7) will be on the road at Archbishop Ryan on Saturday for a non-league game at 4 p.m.
Bensalem 000 00 0-2-2
Neshaminy 035 2x 10-12-0
SOL Continental Conference
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 7, PENNRIDGE 6
The Titans and Rams have faced each other twice this season. One run separated the teams in both games. Both kept fans on the edge of their seats until the final out.
“Oh my gosh, what a game,” South coach Kevin Rosini said. “I said to (coach) Carol (Atkinson) after the game –‘You guys are just relentless. It’s ridiculous,’ but we beat them twice, so good for us. That was a big win for us.”
There were early indications that this would be another classic battle. In the top of the third, Alexa Ortman broke a scoreless tie with a two-run home run. Not to be outdone, Kylie Watson hit a solo round tripper for the Rams in the bottom of the frame.
The Rams loaded the bases with none out in the bottom of the fourth, and a bases-loaded walk pushed the tying run across. Kylie Kenney retired the next three batters she faced to avert further damage.
“It went pop out to right – the girl didn’t tag, a ground ball back to the mound – we got the out at home and then a ground ball to second, so we got out of that with just one run,” Rosini said.
With two outs and nobody on in the top of the fifth, Ortman, Tara Tumasz and Maddie Rowley collected back-to-back-to-back singles to load the bases, setting the stage for a bases-clearing double by Alex DeLeon that put the Titans on top 5-2.
In the bottom of the sixth, Watson stepped to the plate with a pair on board, and with one swing of the bat, she knotted the score 5-5 with a three-run home run.
In the top of the seventh, Ortman was hit by a pitch to open the inning, and she moved up to second on a sacrifice by Tumasz. With two outs, DeLeon hit the first pitch she saw over the fence for a two-run home run that put the Titans on top 7-5.
Things got real interesting when Morgan Henry led off the bottom of the seventh with a solo home run. The Rams put the tying run on board with none out, but Kenney retired the next three batters she faced to give the Titans the heartstopping win.
“That was a game right there – wow,” Rosini said. “Alex (DeLeon) had five RBIs – all with two outs, monster, and Lex (Ortman) with the two-run homer. We bunted people over. We did some big things.
“Kylie (Kenney) hung in there and hung in there and got the outs. When they had the bases loaded in the fourth and only got one run, that was huge. She hung in there. That’s why she’s such a good pitcher. They hit her a little bit, but so what. She got the outs when she needed to.”
DeLeon (2-for-4, 2B, HR, 5 RBIs) and Ortman (2-for-3, HR, 2 RBIs, 3 runs) had huge days for the Titans.
For the Rams, Watson (2-for-4, 2 HR, 4 RBIs, 2 runs) and Henry (3-for-3, 2B, HR, RBI, run) both came up big.
Kenney struck out seven in the winning effort.
The Titans own the top spot in the latest District One 6A power rankings while Pennridge is 11th.
Central Bucks South (9-2, 5-2 SOL) will be on the road at Pennsbury on Friday, and Pennridge (6-4, 3-3) will travel to Avon Grove on Saturday for a non-league game at 11 a.m.
Central Bucks South 002 030 2 7
Pennridge 001 103 1 6
SOUDERTON 13, CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 6
The Indians took out any frustrations they may have had after Tuesday’s 1-0 shutout loss to Central Bucks South on the unsuspecting Patriots, pounding out 18 hits – five for extra bases – and scoring 13 runs.
“Yesterday at practice we did work a lot on hitting because we weren’t successful against South on Tuesday,” coach Liz Parkins said. “We worked on hitting hard line drives and hitting the ball on the ground because in addition to the strikeouts we had against South – we popped up a lot.
“I think we only popped out maybe four or five times today, so it was nice that whenever we do have a tough game like South we have that day of practice to see what we need to work on, we work on it and then to see it pan out during the game the next day.”
After the Patriots plated a pair in the top of the first, Bri Neely led off the bottom of the inning with an inside-the-park home run to right center.
“It went to the fence, and she’s just so fast she flies around the bases,” Parkins said. “There was a play at home – she did not get it standing up. Had East gotten her out – it was such a huge momentum shift one way or the other. Luckily, she was safe, and it set the tone for the rest of the game.”
With two outs and two on, Emma Hallman delivered a two-run single that gave the Indians a 3-2 lead.
“Had we not scored those three it would have been a completely different game,” Parkins said.
The Indians all but put the game out of reach with seven more runs in the second.
There were offensive heroes galore on both sides. For the Indians, Bri Neely (2-for-5, HR, 3 RBIs), Jess Lepore (2-for-5, RBI), Jen Klepfer (3-for-4, 2B), Emma Hallman (3-for-4, 2B, 4 RBIs), Alina Skrzat (2-for-4, 2B, RBI) and Megan Hamilton (3-for-4, 2 RBIs) all had multiple hits. Alex Scheeler (1-for-2, RBI) and Julia Kistler (1-for-3) also joined the Indians’ hit parade.
For the Patriots, Hailey Aspinwall (2-for-3, 2B, RBI), Kaitlyn Lipa (2-for-2, RBI) and Bailey Schellhorn (2-for-3, 2 runs) had multi-hit days.
Thursday’s game marked the beginning of the second go-round in conference play, and the win gave the Indians a sweep of their season series with the Patriots.
“This was really important,” Parkins said. “I actually mentioned at practice yesterday that we were starting the second round.
“We’ve been so close in so many games, and if we push and go the extra mile, it will pay off. I think starting off the second go-round with a win sets the tone for the rest of the season.”
Scheeler earned the win for the Indians, who are 20th in the latest District One 6A power rankings. The Patriots are 26th.
Souderton (7-4, 3-4 SOL) will host Dock Mennonite Academy on Friday at Stover Field at 7 p.m. Central Buck East (4-7, 3-5) will travel to Hatboro-Horsham for a non-league game on Friday.
Central Bucks East 200 013 0 6
Souderton 370 003 x 13
NORTH PENN 6, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 0
Central Bucks West, arguably the hottest team in the conference the last week and a half, brought a five-game winning streak into Thursday’s game at North Penn. Mady Volpe brought an emphatic end to that streak, tossing a no-hitter. She struck out 10 and walked just one in a dazzling outing.
“She was hitting her spots,” coach Rick Torresani said. “She’s been pitching really well, but in the last couple of games, she’s had a bad inning where she wasn’t hitting her spots. She was walking batters and then giving up a hit, and they would score three or four runs.
“This game she didn’t do that. She was hitting her spots and just pitched a beautiful game. This is what she can do. She’s a freshman, and we’re taking her game by game, inning by inning, giving her some experience and hopefully getting her ready for a good playoff run.”
The Knights scored all the runs Volpe needed in a four-run fourth. Elia Namey singled to drive in a run, and Jordan Pietrzykoski’s single brought home a pair. The Knights added three runs in the fourth, and again it was Namey and Pietrzykoski doing the damage, this time with RBI doubles.
In addition to Namey and Pietrzykoski, who both had a pair of hits, Emily Groarke and Jamie Beer were both 2-for-4, and Courtney Neal was 2-for-3.
North Penn (9-3, 6-2 SOL) will travel to Abington for a non-league game Friday, and Central Bucks West (6-4, 3-4) will be on the road at Upper Dublin for a non-league game Friday.
Central Bucks West 000 000 0 0
North Penn 004 200 x 6
SOL American Conference
SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 10, CHELTENHAM 8
A two-run home run by Morgan Gianelle spotted the visiting Lady Panthers a 2-0 lead, and they led 6-2 heading into the bottom of the fifth when the Spartans exploded for eight runs. The Lady Panthers didn’t go down quietly, scoring a pair in the sixth, but the Spartans held on for the win.
For the Spartans, leadoff batter Mary Kate Smith was 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBIs and two runs scored. Hannah Sebenick, who earned the complete game win in the circle, was 2-for-4 with an RBI, and Sydney Zimmerman was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored. Chloe Morales finished the game 2-for-4 with an RBI and run scored.
The Lady Panthers held a 15-11 advantage in hits in the slugfest, but the Spartans ran wild on the base paths, negating that advantage with 13 stolen bases. Mikayla Quinn swiped four bases while Smith, Zimmerman and Sam Wynne each had two.
Springfield Township (4-4 SOL) will travel to Plymouth Whitemarsh on Tuesday, and Cheltenham (0-10, 0-8) will be on the road at Abington on Tuesday.
Cheltenham 200 132 0 8-15-0
Springfield Township 002 080 x 10-11-2
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 7, WISSAHICKON 4
The Colonials used a four-run uprising in the top of seventh to break a 3-3 tie with Lauren Fuhrmeister delivering the big blow – a two-run single. The Trojans got one of those runs back in the seventh, but the Colonials held on for the win.
Jennifer Byrne (2-for-4, run) and Emma Carney (2-for-4, RBI) led the Colonials’ nine-hit attack.
The Trojans, who had 10 hits, were led by Kailyn Pappanastasiou’s 3-for-4 effort, which included a double and RBI. Emma Clayborne was 2-for-2 with a double and two runs scored, and Macey Segal was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Ashley Radell and Sara Genell each had one RBI.
Allison Beausoleil earned the complete game win, allowing four runs (two earned) while striking out seven and walking none. Clayborne absorbed the loss – only three of PW’s seven runs were earned.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (5-5 SOL) will host Springfield Township on Tuesday, and Wissahickon (1-9, 1-8) will host William Penn Charter in a non-league game on Friday.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 200 010 4 7-9-5
Wissahickon 000 102 1 4-10-5
QUAKERTOWN 7, UPPER DUBLIN 0
Tori Caputo tossed a one-hit gem, striking out nine and walking none in seven standout innings.
The Panthers scored all the runs she would need in a five-run first that was highlighted by Maddie Moyer’s three-run home run.
Korynn Bischoff collected the Cardinals only hit in the second inning.
The Panthers managed just four hits but made the most of them. Sarah Stofik singled and drove in a pair. Brianna Lefkoski was 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Quakertown (9-2, 7-1 SOL) will travel to Hatboro-Horsham on Tuesday, and Upper Dublin (2-6, 2-4) will host Central Bucks West in a non-league game on Friday.
Upper Dublin 000 000 0 0-1-2
Quakertown 500 002 x 7-4-0
HATBORO-HORSHAM 12, UPPER MORELAND 0 (5 innings)
The Hatters continued to roll through conference play, exploding for nine hits and 12 runs in the abbreviated contest.
Mikayla Fedele allowed just three hits in the five-inning shutout, striking out five and walking none.
Offensively, Brittany Hubler had a productive day, finishing the game 2-for-3 with a double, triple, four RBIs and a run scored. Alicia Tauber was 2-for-3 with two doubles, three RBIs and three runs. Antoinette Spinosa was 2-for-3 with a double, RBI and run scored, and Kayla Tauber was 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Hatboro-Horsham (9-0, 9-1 SOL) will host Central Bucks East in a non-league game on Friday, and Upper Moreland (4-3, 3-3) will travel to Gwynedd Mercy for a non-league game on Monday.
Hatboro-Horsham 112 26 12-9-3
Upper Moreland 000 00 0-3-4
Non-league
WILLIAM TENNENT 6, HARRY S TRUMAN 4
The Panthers plated four second-inning runs to take a lead they would not lose, handing the Tigers their first loss in five games.
“That was huge because the last several games we’ve been struggling with scoring runs,” coach Deanna Myers said of taking the early lead. “We’ve been getting runners on base and really struggling to score them.
“The last game (a 1-0 loss to CB West) we left 12 runners on base, and we didn’t score any runs. We were struggling getting bunts down, and today every single person that was given the bunt sign got the bunts down. We really did a good job of getting our runners in. Obviously, there were some left on base, but it was huge improvement over what we’ve been doing.
“We stressed how important it is to get those runners in because they work hard to get on base. We have to score them if we want to win games. The girls came out today and they were aggressive. “
Leading the Panthers at the plate were juniors Brianna Koonce and Caitlyn Mitros. Both were 2-for-4 with an RBI. Senior Kate Clark drove in a pair and delivered a defensive gem to end the game. Meg Curtis also had one RBI.
“The pitching was a little slower than what we’ve been seeing, so it was nice to see them jump on the pitcher,” Myers said. “It was a good game.
“My two pitchers – Kayla Finkelstein and Mackenzie Clee – pitched well again.”
William Tennent (6-6, 2-5 SOL) will host Gwynedd Mercy in a non-league game on Friday, and Harry S Truman (5-5, 4-2) will be on the road for a non-league game at Calvary Christian Academy on Friday.
William Tennent 041 000 1 6
Harry S Truman 110 000 2 4
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