Check out Friday's SOL softball results. To view photos of the CR South/Upper Dublin game, please visit the Photo Gallery.
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 11, NORTH PENN 3
Caroline Schoenewald, according to her own tough standards, insists she’s been in a bit of a hitting slump.
“I was going 1-for-4 every game,” the East junior said. “That makes me very angry.
“I like to think I’m a decently consistent hitter, and going 1-for-4 is not what I like to do, so to come out of it against North Penn – that’s what I like to do.”
Schoenewald turned in a glittering 5-for-5 performance at the plate with two home runs and five RBIs, leading the Patriots to the win in a Continental Conference battle.
“She’s actually been having a tough time recently,” Erin Scott said. “It’s Caroline Schoenewald – it’s as much as she struggles. Her average wasn’t what it would typically be, and I knew she was getting frustrated, so I gave her a couple of tips before the game today about some things she needed to change.
“Talk about coachability – she put them in place and just completely rocked.”
According to Schoenewald, the adjustments were relatively minor.
“I have kind of been crouching over, and I have been thinking about it a lot,” she said. “When you think about hitting, it doesn’t work. It messes you up.
“I’ve been thinking about it and trying really hard to get down and hit the ball really far, and she told me I’ve been doing that. I just stood up and relaxed, and it obviously worked.”
Schoenewald had plenty of support in a win that was a team effort.
“I don’t know if we could have done any better,” she said. “Every single person played their heart out and got as many hits as they could. Everybody produced.
“It wasn’t just a one-person thing where you get a couple of runs. That was crazy. The whole lineup produced. There was nothing better we could have done.”
In addition to Schoenewald’s perfect day, Allie Chase was 3-for-5 with two doubles and four RBIs. Theresa Haug reached base on all four trips to the plate, twice on singles and twice on Maiden miscues. She also had an RBI. Sierra Huckfeldt celebrated her return to the lineup with a 2-for 4 day at the plate.
“I think we know (Jackie Bilotti) is a good pitcher, and we know we have to come out hard,” Schoenewald said. “This isn’t an easy game. This is one of the games we want to come out in win, and it’s important we keep our heads in the game the whole time.”
The Patriots scored in every inning except the first and took a 2-0 lead into the third when the Maidens rallied to knot the score, sparked by RBI singles by Becky Christoffers and Michelle Holweger.
That tie disappeared with one sweet swing of Chase’s bat in the top of the fourth when she delivered a two-run home run, putting the Maidens on top 4-2.
The Maidens got one of those runs back in the bottom of the inning, but Schoenewald lofted a solo shot over the center field fence to open the top of the fifth, making it a 5-3 game.
Schoenewald’s second round tripper in the sixth – this one a line shot over the left field fence – put the Patriots on top 7-3. If there were any doubts about the outcome, those doubts were put to rest in the top of the seventh when the Patriots tacked on four more runs, capitalizing on an error and a two-run single by Chase.
Jayme Ziegler earned the win on the mound, allowing just four hits in a standout effort.
“We’ve faced a lot of really strong teams, and North Penn is one of them,” Scott said. “They have a ton of kids that can hit, and she kept throwing it in there.
“She had one inning where she got in a little bit of a bind, but this is the level she can pitch at.”
While the Patriots’ bats stole the spotlight, their defense also turned in a pair of highlight reel plays. The first brought an abrupt end to the Maidens’ fourth inning when leftfielder Kerry Schulz came up with a spectacular diving catch on a ball hit down the line.
Two innings later, shortstop Jess Haug somehow came up with an impossible leaping grab of a line drive behind second base, robbing Vicky Tumasz of a sure base hit.
“A couple of innings we got out of because of those plays,” Scott said. “Those plays do make a difference. Those balls drop in – you never know what could have happened.”
The Patriots – according to Schoenewald – are having a lot of fun these days.
“Everyone wants to be here, they want to do good,” she said. “That’s that kind of team we are. We’re fun.
“Yeah, we’re focused, but we don’t need to be super-serious. That’s not how we are. We’re all really good friends. I’ve played with most of these girls since I was eight years old. We’ve been on the same travel team forever. This is the year.”
While the Maidens fell to 1-2 in league play (2-2 overall), the Patriots improved to 2-1 in the league (5-1 overall).
“North Penn is a great team, and to beat North Penn is a landmark, it’s important,” Schoenewald said. “It’s a goal of ours every year. I think it gives us momentum.
“To go seven innings yesterday and to go seven innings again today, it just shows me what I knew about this team and the ability that we have,” Scott added. “I don’t think we have been playing at our best level, and I think today they showed they can.
“We changed out lineup around today. I think we’re going to stick with this lineup right now because it seemed to be successful.”
WISSAHICKON 5, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 4
Emma Goodrich scattered five hits, struck out nine and allowed just one earned run to earn the win on the mound in Friday’s non-league game. After plating a single run in the first and two more in the top of the second, the Bucks found themselves on top 3-0, but the Trojans answered with one run in the second and two more in the third to knot the score. They added single runs in both the fifth and sixth innings before the Bucks plated a run in the top of the seventh for the 5-4 final.
Britt Gelman (2-for-2 with two RBIs), Alex Comonitski (2-for-3 double, RBI) and Goodrich (2-for-2, two runs scores) led the Trojans’ eight-hit attack.
The Trojans evened their record at 2-2 while the Bucks fell to 0-6.
NARARETH ACADEMY 8, NESHAMINY 7
It wasn’t the best of days for the Redskins on Friday. They battled back from a 5-0 deficit to knot the score in the sixth, but in the top of the seventh, Nazareth regained the lead, thanks to a three-run home run.
The ‘Skins didn’t go down quietly. Diana LaPalombara singled with one out in the seventh, setting the stage for a two-run blast by Lauren Quense. The Redskins put a pair of runners on board, but the next two batters went down in order.
Nazareth collected 12 hits off Quense, who absorbed the loss and was not helped by six Redskin errors.
“They were a very good team,” coach Dave Chichilitti said. “They hit the ball today.”
The Redskins, who collected 11 hits, were led by the 3-for-3 effort of Sam Offenback. LaPalombara was 2-for-4 for the Redskins, who fell to 3-1.
“It was our third game in two days, but I’m not making excuses,” Chichilitti said. “We expended a lot of intensity on that Bensalem game yesterday. Bensalem is a lot better than 15-2. We came out today and laid an egg. It’s hard to ride that roller coaster. The girls knew today wasn’t a league game. Do we want to win every game? Sure, but do we know we have to win the league first? Absolutely.
“I give Nazareth credit today. They played well.“
QUAKERTOWN 5, WILLIAM TENNENT 1
Quakertown earned an impressive non-league win on Friday, plating two runs in the second and three more in the sixth to defeat Tennent. Allie MacIntyre earned the win on the mound while Nikki Alden absorbed the loss.
The winners held a 5-4 edge in hits. Emily Scott drove in three of Quakertown’s five runs while Maddie Mulhall and MacIntyre each added an RBI. Maddie Calder had a double.
Quakertown improved to 2-2 while Tennent fell to 1-4.
SPRINGFIELD 1, LANSDALE CATHOLIC 0
The Spartans scored the game’s only run in the fifth inning when Courtney Ameye scampered home on a passed ball. Springfield committed three errors but escaped unscathed.
Kim Machalette fanned four and walked just one in a winning effort on the mound, allowing four hits in a complete game shutout. The Spartans (2-2) had just five hits in the win.
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 12, UPPER DUBLIN 2 (5 innings)
Kelsey Iliano earned the win on the mound and also collected a single to drive in the run that brought an early halt to Friday’s non-league win over the Flying Cardinals. Kristen Meihofer contributed a double and was on base every trip to the plate. She also was a defensive catalyst for the Golden Hawks. Maddy Reis also had a double for the Golden Hawks, who collected 15 hits.
The Golden Hawks are 2-2 on the young season while the Flying Cardinals fell to 1-2.
EMMAUS 7, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 0
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