Check out the results of SOL softball teams in action Wednesday.
American Conference
UPPER MERION 12, CHELTENHAM 2 (6 innings)
In a battle of two of the American Conference’s top squads, it was the Vikings pounding out 14 hits and putting 12 runs on the board in an abbreviated six-inning contest under the lights Wednesday night.
“We had a nice night to play,” UM coach John Whitney said. “It was nice for coach Ron (Perlstein) to bring the kids over, and we had a nice crowd.
“I had the kids ready to play. We beat them up a little bit last week (a 12-1 UM win), and I knew coach would have them ready. It was a close game early, and the second time around the girls started getting better swings on Grace (DeRosa), and they came up with big hits with two outs, which was real big for us.”
Olivia Sborlini earned the win in the circle, scattering seven hits while fanning three and walking two in six solid innings. At the plate, she contributed a double and three RBIs.
Abby Volpe led the Vikings’ attack with a 3-for-4 effort that included a pair of triples and two RBIs. Micaela Ghanayem was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. Dez Kandy was 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Allie Moffett was 2-for-3 with two doubles.
The Vikings broke a scoreless tie with a two-out rally in the third inning. It began innocently enough with a double by Kandy, and she raced home on a single by Sborlini. Volpe’s triple plated a run, and then it was Ghanayem delivering an RBI single. Moffett collected the Vikings’ fifth straight hit – an RBI double, and the Vikings led 4-0.
“That was real big,” Whitney said of his team’s two-out rally. “That broke it open.
“They came back and got two to make it 4-2 (in the fourth), but the girls put three back up on the board (in the bottom of the inning) to put us up 7-2. Then in the sixth inning, they started hitting again, and we put another five on the board.”
For the Lady Panthers, Becca Simms led the way with a 2-for-4 effort that included a double.
“We played good defense again,” Whitney said. “When it was 4-2, they had runners on third and second, and Liv worked out of it.
“She did a nice job. They had gotten a couple of runs, and they still had a couple of kids on. We actually threw two runners out at the plate, which was nice. Riley Kontra threw a nice ball to Micaela Ghanayem, and then Abby Volpe hit Allie Moffett, who threw one to Nicole Kowalski at third base, and that cut down a runner.
“We did a good job. Ron kept sending them. He was making us make the plays, and we made a couple to help us out.”
While the Lady Panthers dropped to 5-3 in league play (6-6 overall), the Vikings are 7-0 in the league (8-2 overall). Upper Merion will travel to Norristown on Thursday while Cheltenham will host Springfield.
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National Conference
PENNSBURY 6, WILLIAM TENNENT 3
The Falcons exploded for five runs in the first inning and then scored just one more the rest of the way, but that was more than enough to earn the conference win over the visiting Panthers.
“That’s been our M.O.” coach Frank McSherry said of scoring early and then sitting on that lead. “We haven’t learned to put people away.
“I said to them after the game today, ‘If you would play seven innings, you would be tough to beat,’ but we just don’t play seven.”
The Falcons collected six of their 12 hits for the game in their five-run first. All six were singles.
Freshman Sydney Jakimonwicz led the Falcons with a perfect 3-for-3 day at the plate. She also scored a run. Dani Litwin continued to produce with a 2-for-4 effort. Bailey Zaccaro was 2-for-3 with a double.
Casey Boltersdorf earned the win in the circle, allowing five hits and three runs (two earned) with seven strikeouts and four walks.
This past weekend, the Falcons were 2-0 at the Mount St. Dominic Tournament, which typically includes the toughest competition Pennsbury will face all season. According to McSherry, the competition wasn’t quite as stiff, but his team still earned a pair of quality wins. The Falcons defeated a Red Lion (Del.) squad that captured the small school state title last year but graduated four Division One players (5-1). They followed that with an 8-3 win over A.L. Johnson (N.J.).
Pennsbury (7-5, 3-5 SOL) will travel to Bensalem on Thursday.
“We’ve dug a monumental hole for ourselves – when you’re 3-5 in the league,” McSherry said. “The young kids on the team are only going to get better, and they’re going to be able to rejuvenate the culture that’s always been here with us.”
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Pennsbury 500 001 x 6
Continental Conference
NORTH PENN 3, HATBORO-HORSHAM 1
The Maidens took an early 3-0 lead and held on for the conference win. They plated a single run in the bottom of the first when Becky Christoffers, who had doubled scored on a single by Hannah Uhler.
North Penn tacked on two more runs in the second with Christoffers and Uhler each contributing one RBI before the Hatters made it a 3-1 game in the third inning, thanks to an RBI single by Bria Cashman. Neither team scored the rest of the way.
Christoffers was the lone player from either side to collect more than one hit, finishing the day 2-for-3 with a double, RBI and run scored. Uhler accounted for two of Maidens’ three RBIs.
Jackie Bilotti earned the win in the circle, allowing four hits and one run (unearned) while walking two and striking out three. Lexie Campbell absorbed the loss.
North Penn (13-2, 7-2 SOL) will host Quakertown on Thursday while Hatboro-Horsham (6-6, 4-5) will travel to Central Bucks East.
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North Penn 120 000 x 3-6-1
Non-league
QUAKERTOWN 12, UPPER DUBLIN 2 (5 innings)
The Panthers collected 11 hits and capitalized on seven UD errors to bring an early end to Wednesday’s non-league contest.
Hillary Scott had a big day at the plate for the Panthers, finishing the game 2-for-3 with five RBIs and three runs scored. Spenser Gray was 3-for-4 with three runs scored out of the leadoff spot. Lauren Beal also had a pair of hits.
For the Flying Cardinals, Sarah Tannenbaum was 2-for-3, and Erin Gallagher accounted for both of her team’s runs with a two-run double.
Megan Johnson earned the win in the circle for the Panthers, allowing one hit in three innings. Tara Managhan absorbed the loss for the Cardinals.
Quakertown (5-7, 2-7 SOL) will travel to North Penn on Thursday. Upper Dublin (3-10, 3-6) will travel to Upper Moreland on Friday for a night game.
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 14, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 0 (5 innings)
The Golden Hawks took a 3-0 lead in the top of the second and then blew Wednesday’s non-league game wide open with a nine-run third inning.
“Their pitcher was slow, and they kept popping up, so I emptied my bench in the third inning,” coach Greg Heydet said. “They didn’t want to adjust.
“It was six of them, and I said, ‘You guys are done, you six in,’ and then the explosion started. We were up 3-0 – I made that change, and we got nine runs that inning. I loved it.”
All told, the Hawks pounded out 22 hits in the abbreviated contest.
Jackie Schneider was 3-for-4 with a double, three RBIs and three runs scored. Amanda Sharp was 3-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored. Dolores Bowers and Vickie Schneider with both 2-for-2 while several reserves also got a piece of the action.
Devon Bradley, up from the jayvee, was 2-for-2 with a two-run home run in the nine-run third. Makenna Diamond was 2-for-2 with a triple, and Sabrina Dobron was 2-for-2 with a triple.
Sharp also earned the win in the circle, allowing three hits in five shutout innings while walking two and fanning two.
Council Rock South (8-4, 4-3 SOL) will travel to Abington on Thursday while Central Bucks West (4-10, 2-7) will host Souderton.
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