Check out the recaps for SOL softball teams in action Wednesday. CB East/Truman photos provided courtesy of Tracy Valko.
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 10, PENNRIDGE 9
The Golden Hawks rallied from an 8-3 deficit, erupting for seven runs over the last three innings to earn the win.
“We were staring at a five-run deficit, and the senior leadership today from Kayla Patricelli, Ali Kitson and Lauren Paulk kept us positive,” Rock South coach John Engelhardt said. “We had six kids playing the game today that were freshmen and sophomores, and those three girls did a great job stepping up as leaders, keeping us even keel and fighting because that was a well-coached team that brought it, and they wanted to win.”
The Rams – after plating a run in the top of the first – scored three in the second to go on top 4-0. Anna Hensler doubled and was stranded on second with two outs when Olivia Crognale delivered an RBI single. Reagan Bauman’s double plated a run, and the rally was capped by a Catelyn Thrush RBI single.
In the fourth inning, the Golden Hawks got on the scoreboard. Kaylie Walters drew a leadoff walk and stole second, scoring on Petricelli’s single. Two outs later Grace Stepp and Kitson delivered RBI singles to make it a 4-3 game.
The Rams answered with four runs in the top of the fourth to go on top 8-3. The inning was highlighted by singles from Thrush, Grace Helbling (RBI), Madison Silber (RBI) and Katie Buccafuri (RBI).
In the bottom of the fourth, the Golden Hawks plated two runs without the benefit of a hit. A four-run fifth gave the Hawks a 9-8 lead. Highlights included doubles by Kitson, Wheet (RBI) and Walters (2 RBIs). They added an insurance run in the sixth, benefitting from an error and Kitson’s RBI single. That run loomed large when the Rams plated a run in the top of the seventh.
“It was nice to see that senior leadership push us through especially when we were determined to get an extra run in the sixth which ultimately we needed because they scored a run in the seventh to cut it to a one-run game,” Engelhardt said. “Senior leadership was huge today from those three girls (Patricell, Kitson and Paulk).
“I couldn’t be more proud of how they’re helping me establish a culture with a young program. I think that what they do has a tremendous impact on our young players and how they will lead when it’s their turn to lead the program. As a new coach coming in, I need seniors to buy in, and those three kids have done a terrific job helping me lay the foundation, and even though our record is not where we want it to be. I couldn’t be more proud with where we are as a program right now.”
Kitson’s 3-for-3 effort with two RBIs and a run scored led the Golden Hawks.
Bauman (2-for-5, 2B, RBI, 3 runs), Thrush (2-for-5, 2 RBIs, 1 run), Cassandra Schillo (2-for-4) and Olivia Cognale (2-for-4, RBI, 1 run) led the Rams.
Ciara Constance notched the complete game win.
Council Rock South (4-7, 0-4 SOL) will travel to Conwell-Egan for a non-league game on Friday, and Pennridge (3-9, 1-4) will host Bensalem on Friday.
Pennridge 130 400 1 9-13-1
Council Rock South 003 241 x 10-8-3
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 5, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 3
The Indians snapped a five-game skid with a hard fought win over the Bucks in a crossover game.
“Our girls really stepped up their defense today,” Rock North coach Susan Yee said. “They made all the routine plays, handled a couple tough hops beautifully, talked, and rotated on every pitch from inning one through inning seven.
“I told the girls after the game I was really proud of how they all came ready to play and do their jobs. It’s a lot more fun when you play an error-free game, and you aren’t putting pressure on yourself every plate appearance to have to make up for the unearned runs.”
The Indians broke a scoreless tie, erupting for four runs in the bottom of the third. Emma Zoldi and Taylor Gearhart hit back-to-back one-out singles, and with two outs, pitcher Kat Hastings helped her own cause with a single up the middle that plated a run. Sofia Shields followed with a two-run single, and an error on Isabella Pelitta’s infield single allowed a fourth run to cross the plate.
West answered with three runs in the top of the fifth. Anna Rodebaugh had an RBI single, and Abby Lineman doubled to right, plating a pair, but catcher Molly Sheehy gunned down Lineman advancing to the third.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Indians tacked on an insurance run. Sheehy and Hastings led off the inning with back-to-back singles. With one out, Pelitta delivered an RBI single.
The Bucks made things interesting in the top of the seventh, putting a pair on board with one out. With the tying run at first base, Hastings coaxed a fly ball to right fielder Jayme Bordner for the second out, and the next batter grounded out to second baseman Sophia Levy for the game’s final out.
“CB West is a much better team than their record indicates,” Yee said. “It was a fun game to be a part of, and I’m sure CB West is going to take out a few teams that don’t realize the capability they have on their roster.”
Zoldi (2-for-3), Sheehy (2-for-4), Hastings (2-for-4, RBI), Shields (2-for-3, 2B, 2 RBIs) and Pelitta (2-for-3, RBI) led the Indians’ 11-hit attack.
Hastings notched the complete game win, allowing six hits while striking out five.
“We have been playing with our lineup a lot lately trying to figure out what mix gels the best together defensively and what order pushes runs across the plate which has sometimes made it a bit tough on the girls with the lack of consistency,” Yee said. “I’ve been really proud of them for staying flexible and willing to try different things, and it was great to see them come together today and click as a group. The smiles are contagious.”
Lineman’s 2-for-3 effort led the Bucks.
Council Rock North (5-5, 2-2 SOL) will travel to North Penn on Friday, and Central Bucks West (1-10, 0-5) will be on the road at Harry S Truman on Friday.
Central Bucks West 000 030 0 3
Council Rock North 004 010 x 5
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 4, WILLIAM TENNENT 1
Molly Moore turned in a dazzling performance for the Colonials. The sophomore pitcher was dominant in the complete game win, allowing four hits and one run (unearned) while striking out 16 and walking none.
“Molly Moore was exceptional on the mound today,” PW coach Mike Perez said. “I’m really proud of our girls. (Mackenzie) Clee pitched really well for Tennent and their lineup has some really good bats.
“Molly pitched a gem, we made the plays we needed to and played unselfish softball to manufacture some runs.”
In the third, Regan Gehman led off the inning with a single and scored on a groundout by Talia Carr. That 1-0 lead held until the fifth inning when they added a run on a Lauryn Kane single.
The Panthers made it a 2-1 game with a run in the top of the sixth when Clee, who tripled, scored on an error. In the bottom of the inning, the Colonials added a pair. Pinch hitter Haylie Lindley’s RBI triple highlighted the inning. Molly Moore, who singled, scored on a groundout by Julie Price for the 4-1 final.
Gehman and Kane led the offense with two hits.
“Honestly, that’s a game we find a way to lose at the beginning of the season,” Perez said. “I’m proud of the way our girls have grown this season and are really learning how to play quality softball as a unit.”
Katie Laplaunt accounted for two of Tennent’s four hits.
Clee absorbed the loss, allowing eight hits and four runs – three earned – while striking out five and walking none.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (7-5, 2-3 SOL) will travel to Upper Moreland on Friday, and William Tennent (4-2, 2-0) will host Abington on Friday.
William Tennent 000 001 0 1-4-1
Plymouth Whitemarsh 001 012 x 4-8-3
PENNSBURY 6, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 2
The Titans led 2-1 after two innings, but a four-run third by the Falcons was more than enough for Pennsbury ace Ainsley McClure.
“We gave up four runs in the third – a couple hits, a couple errors, and before you knew it, it was 5-2, and that was pretty much it,” South coach Kevin Rosini said. “We hung in there. Maddy (Borowski) hung in there and did all right, the defense made some good plays at the end. It was just that one big inning really hurt us.”
In the top of the first, the Falcons got on the scoreboard, thanks to a two-out RBI single by Rowan Mulholland. The Titans got that run back in the bottom of the inning with one swing of the bat when Nicole Pilla hit a solo home run – her third round tripper of the season.
“Nicole is having a season, she really is,” Rosini said. “She was batting .500 coming into today, she’s throwing people out from behind the plate. She’s having a really good year.”
The Titans took a 2-1 lead in the second when Braylee Webb delivered an RBI single, but in the top of the third, the Falcons took a lead they would not lose. Quinn McGonigle and Emma Hause delivered back-to-back singles, and Ali Charlier had the big blow – a two-run single. Jess Rowe contributed an RBI double. In the fifth inning, Cynthia Ehrenfeld delivered an RBI single for the 6-2 final.
Ehrenfield (2-for-2, RBI) and Hause (2-for-4, RBI, 1 run) led the Falcons’ 10-hit attack. Ehrenfeld reached base on all four trips to the plate.
McClure earned the complete game win, allowing five hits while striking out 12 and walking one.
Pennsbury (9-1, 4-0 SOL) will host Central Bucks East on Friday, and Central Bucks South will travel to Neshaminy on Friday.
Pennsbury 104 010 0 6-10-0
Central Bucks South 110 000 0 2-5-6
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 9, HARRY S TRUMAN 4
The Patriots trailed 3-0 early and found themselves deadlocked 4-4 heading into the fifth. They closed out the game with five unanswered runs to earn the win, including a three-run blast by Amelia Funston in the sixth to seal the Tigers’ fate.
The visiting Tigers had the early advantage, scoring three runs in the top of the first. The inning included singles by Teyana Towner, Mara McKeon and Courtney Nau (RBI) as well as RBI groundouts by Jalecia Blackston and Jada Moran.
A solo home run by Elise Waddington to open the second made it a 3-1 game, and the two teams were deadlocked after the Patriots added a pair of runs in the third inning.
The two teams exchanged runs in the fourth with Kayla Mitchell’s solo home run accounting for the Patriots’ run, and the Patriots took a lead they would not lose with two runs in the fifth. Funston’s three-run home run in the sixth closed out the scoring.
Soleil Dooner earned the complete game win, allowing seven hits and four runs while striking out three and walking none. She allowed just a single run after the Tigers’ three-run first.
The Patriots played flawless defense behind Dooner. Elizabeth Gray gunned down a runner trying to score from second on a single at home plate.
Waddington and Mitchell each had a pair of hits to lead the Patriots.
For the Tigers, Moran was 2-for-3 with a double, RBI and run scored.
Central Bucks East (9-3, 4-1 SOL) will travel to Pennsbury on Friday, and Harry S Truman (6-5, 3-2) will host Central Bucks West on Friday.
Harry S Truman 300 100 0 4-7-4
Central Bucks East 012 123 x 9-9-0
NORTH PENN 11, BENSALEM 0 (5 innings)
Mady Volpe continues to work her magic in the circle, allowing just two hits while striking out 10 and walking one in the five-inning shutout. It is the 11th straight game the Coastal Carolina recruit has struck out 10 or more batters.
The Knights got all the runs Volpe would need in the top of the first. Julia Shearer led off with a single and moved up to second on Sarah Sabocsik’s sacrifice. With two outs, Volpe delivered an RBI single to put the Knights on top 1-0.
A four-run second was highlighted by the three-run home run of Sabocsik, The Knights added a single run in the third with two-out back-to-back-to-back singles by Gianna Cimino, Carley DiGiuseppe and Sophia Collins (RBI). DiDiuseppe’s two-run home run was the highlight of a five-run fourth that put the Knights on top 11-0.
Shearer was 2-for-2 with three runs scored out of the leadoff spot. Cimino was 2-for-2 with one RBI and three runs scored, DiGiuseppe was 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBIs and a run scored, and Rachel Lowery was 2-for-3 with a double and run scored. Sabocsik was 1-for-2 with a home run, three RBIs and two runs.
North Penn (10-1, 5-0 SOL) will host Council Rock North on Friday, and Bensalem (5-7, 1-5) will travel to Pennridge on Friday.
North Penn 141 50 11-11-0
Bensalem 000 00 0-2-2
QUAKERTOWN 11, UPPER MORELAND 2
Syd Andrews was in command in the circle and helped her own cause with a pair of hits – a double and home run. The Panthers’ junior hurler earned the complete game win, allowing two hits and two runs (one earned) while striking out 13 and walking one.
“We were a bit flat today, and I told her (Syd) was going to have to carry us until we got our act together,” coach Dave Scott said. “She sure did that. She really just worked well within the strike zone.”
Andrews’ two-run home run in the top of the second gave the Panthers an early 2-0 lead. They benefitted from a pair of costly errors to add two more runs in the third and went on top 8-0 with a four-run fourth.
In the fourth, Emma Hilton, Ava Beal, Mary Wilkinson (RBI) and Maya Hellyer (RBI) singled while Andrews and Skyler Williams each had a double. In the seventh, the Panthers tacked on three more, sparked by Beal’s RBI double and a two-run single by LauraRose Morelock.
Beal (3-for-5, 2B, RBI, 2 runs) and Williams (3-for-4, 2B, RBI, 1 run) led the Panthers. Adding two hits each were Wilkinson (2-for-5, RBI, 3 runs), Andrews (2-for-4, 2B, HR, 2 RBIs, 1 run) Hellyer (2-for-4, 2 RBIs) and Hilton (2-for-4, 1 run).
Beal, Wilkinson and Williams – all freshmen – combined for 8 hits, two doubles.
“Really impressive performances by our freshmen,” said Scott, who has four freshmen in his starting lineup.
Quakertown (9-2, 3-1 SOL) will host Abington on Thursday, and Upper Moreland (5-5, 4-0) will host Plymouth Whitemarsh on Friday.
Quakertown 022 400 3 11-15-2
Upper Moreland 000 100 1 2-2-4
ABINGTON 19, SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 6 (5 innings)
The Ghosts celebrated Senior Night with a big win under the lights at Roslyn Park.
“It was great night to honor our seniors on Senior Night under the lights,” coach Bob Baginski said. “Having a great crowd with parents there to honor the class of 2021 was fantastic. We faced a good opponent from Springfield and we were glad to have them there on our Senior Night.
“Our team tonight fought hard, and we were led by seniors Julia Bruestle, Madison Cornell, Jenna Doyle, Mackenzie Marcotte, Bella Oquendo, Annie Sokolski, Jess Sokolski and Meghan Strange. Each and every one of them is headed to college and they are ready to take on their next adventure. As a team, we are making great strides with each practice and game and want to keep the momentum going.”
The Ghosts set the tone with a five-run first. A two-out error opened the floodgates. Leanna Schenk doubled, and then Madison Cornell drove in a pair with a double. Another run scored on Bella Oquendo’s single, and the Ghosts also received RBI singles from Meghan Strange and Jess Sokolski.
The Spartans scored a single run in the second and added four more in the third to knot the score. The Ghosts answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning. Julia Bruestle’s two-run home run to center field highlighted the inning. Aneesa Rohrer had a two-run single.
A 10-run fourth put the game out of reach.
Bruestle’s 3-for-5 effort out the leadoff spot included a home run, four RBIs and two runs scored. Annie Sokolski was 3-for-5 with one RBI and two runs scored. Jess Sokolski (2-for-4, RBI, 3 runs), Oquendo (2-for-2, RBI, 1 run) and Schenk (2-for-3, 2B, 2 RBIs, 3 runs) also contributed multiple hits.
Jess Sokolski earned the complete game win, allowing four hits and six runs (two earned).
Abington (4-5, 0-4 SOL) will travel to William Tennent Friday, and Springfield Township (1-8, 1-4) will host Hatboro-Horsham on Friday.
Springfield Twp 014 01 6-4-2
Abington 504 10x 19-17-5
UPPER DUBLIN 16, LOWER MORELAND 0 (5 innings)
Gretchen Wolpert was just a triple shy of hitting for the cycle, finishing a productive day 3-for-4 with a double, home run and four RBIs to lead the Flying Cardinals. The senior slugger had an RBI double in the third, a two-run home run in the fourth and an RBI single in the fifth.
Chloe Foster took care of business in the circle, allowing just three hits while striking out seven and walking one.
“We had a very balanced offensive attack today, and our defense stepped up to make the routine plays when we needed them,” UD coach Heather Boyer said.
The Cardinals put a run on the board in the second and added five runs in the third on their way to the mercy rule win.
Also for the Cards, Lauren Carboni was 3-for-4 with an RBI, and Rachel Bilger was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. Anna Levin was 2-for-4 with two RBIs, and Foster was 1-for-2 with three RBIs. Ally McDaid was 1-for-3 with a double and run scored, and Kaeline Penna was 1-for-2 with three runs scored and two stolen bases.
Upper Dublin (5-5, 1-4 SOL) will host Gwynedd Mercy in a non-league game Thursday, and Lower Moreland (2-5, 2-2) will travel to Quakertown on Friday.
Upper Dublin 015 46 14-14-3
Lower Moreland 000 00 0-3-2
HATBORO-HORSHAM 10, NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 0 (5 innings)
Kendal Leitner and Alyssa Tooley combined for a no-hitter in the abbreviated five-inning contest. Leitner, who threw the first three innings and earned the win, struck out all nine batters she faced. Tooley tossed the final two innings. The Lions’ lone base runners came on a walk and hit batsman.
The Hatters got on the scoreboard in the first, thanks to a sacrifice fly by Amya Lundy. In the second inning, Tess Kearney delivered a three-run double, and Kayla Hauber also had an RBI double.
In the third inning, Marissa Rapino doubled, and Leitner followed with an RBI single. In a three-run fourth, Lundy delivered a two-run home run.
Kearney (2-for-3, 2 2B, 2 RBIs, 3 runs), Rapino (2-for-3, 2B, 1 run) and Leitner (2-for-2, RBI, 1 run) led the Hatters’ nine-hit attack. Lundy was 1-for-2 with a home run, three RBIs and one run.
Hatboro-Horsham (9-0, 4-0 SOL) will travel to Springfield Township on Friday, and New Hope-Solebury (2-8, 2-2) will be on the road at Wissahickon on Thursday.
New Hope-Solebury 000 00 0-0-3
Hatboro-Horsham 151 3x 10-9-0
WISSAHICKON 12, CHELTENHAM 0 (6 innings)
Danielle Ciliberto did it all for the Trojans. She not only notched the complete game shutout win, allowing one hit while striking out 11, she also was 4-for-4 at the plate with four runs scored.
Emma Clayborne was 3-for-4 with a home run and three runs scored. Her three-run home run highlighted the three-run fifth.
It was a three-run home run in the first inning by Gracie Franczyk that spotted the visiting Trojans an early 3-0 lead.
Wissahickon (7-4, 3-1 SOL) will host New Hope-Solebury on Thursday, and Cheltenham (1-8, 0-3) will travel to Upper Dublin on Friday.
Wissahickon 301 035 12
Cheltenham 000 000 0
About the Author
