Check out the recaps for SOL softball teams in action Friday. Wissahickon/Abington photos provided courtesy of Keith Clemens Photography. Check back for a gallery of photos: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f860927651
SOL Patriot Division
HARRY S TRUMAN 9, BENSALEM 7
In a classic battle between the neighboring rivals, it was the Tigers escaping with a win that brought a welcome end to a three-game losing streak.
“This was huge,” Truman coach Jim McKeon said. “It was absolutely huge because we didn’t play well against (Council Rock) North (in a 10-2 loss) or Pennsbury (a 10-0 loss) because our girls are playing really well, and they’re playing hard, and those two games surprised us, so it was really good for us to come off those two losses and beat a team – Bensalem is solid, good pitching, good hitting. I know the coaches.
“Their catcher had a phenomenal game, and they hit the ball well too, but our girls had timely hitting and made some really, really good defensive plays.”
No defensive play was more impressive than the diving catch by Emily Davis in the bottom of the seventh.
“We had one out with nobody on,” McKeon said. “Off the bat, I was like ‘Wow, that’s a double at least,’ and the Bensalem dugout went nuts. Then Emily – she’s just trucking, perfect angle to the ball and just left her feet and dove and made the catch, and we just went nuts.
“If she gets a double, now they have momentum, and the pressure’s on us – now the tying run is at the plate, and with Bensalem, some of those girls – I know they can put the ball out. The air went out of the place.”
Another clutch defensive play came in the bottom of the third when Truman freshman catcher Skyler Mahler turned an impressive double play.
“Man, she was out of her mind today,” McKeon said. “They had the bases loaded and a ball back to the pitcher, who goes to (home), and she (Mahler) throws the girl out at first, double play and we get off the field.
“That’s huge, huge momentum. She also had some real nice throws. She is going to be a kid that’s going to be so strong.”
Bensalem took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, thanks to RBI singles by Lina Sponheimer and Aubrey Merz. The Owls upped that to 4-0 in the second when Kayla Clarkson stroked a two-out, two-run double to center field.
The Tigers got back in the game with three runs in the third. A pair of one-out walks set the stage for an RBI double by Jordyn Loy. Kaitlyn Erhard followed with a two-run double to right field, and just like that, it was a 4-3 game.
Truman scored two in the fourth to go on top 5-4 and upped its lead to 7-4 with three runs in the fifth despite collecting just one hit.
In the sixth, the Tigers added a pair of runs when Loy, who singled, scored on a wild pitch. Jillyan Saperstein singled to center to plate Marley Montgomery, who had singled, and the Tigers led 9-4.
The Owls didn’t go down quietly, scoring three in a sixth inning that included an RBI double by Clarkson and an RBI single by Sponheimer.
Devin Becker threw a 1-2-3 seventh to close out the game.
“Our pitchers were fantastic,” McKeon said. “Marley (Montgomery) is a freshman, and Devin Becker is a sophomore, and they split the game, and they were just phenomenal. I thought they really pitched well.
“There were so many good plays, and on Bensalem’s part as well. It was a huge win. The girls were thrilled afterwards after coming off two losses like that.”
Leading the offensive charge for the Tigers were leadoff batter Loy, who was 2-for-5 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored. Erhard was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.
For the Owls, the top three batters in their lineup did most of the damage, combining for six hits, five RBIs and five runs scored. Megan Klein was 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs scored out of the leadoff spot. Clarkson was 2-for-4 with two doubles, three RBIs and a run scored, and Sponheimer was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored.
Harry S Truman (3-3, 1-2 SOL) is off until Thursday when the Tigers will travel to Pennridge. Bensalem (1-2) will be on the road at Neshaminy on Tuesday.
Harry S Truman 003 312 0 9
Bensalem 220 003 0 7
Thursday, April 4
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 6, NESHAMINY 3
After five scoreless innings, Council Rock North’s offense needed a spark.
Instead, it got four.
Clutch plays at the plate from the Indians’ four captains resulted in a 4-run sixth inning. North then tacked on two more in the seventh to rally from a 1-0 deficit for a big 6-3 victory in Thursday’s Patriot Division matchup.
“I have to credit our team leadership,” said North coach Susan Yee. “Our four captains really helped guide the team. Molly Sheehy had a clutch monster three-run homerun that had to have easily traveled 250 feet, Taylor Gearhart had an RBI double and two runs scored, Evie Passanante had a key pinch hit to start the seventh inning and ultimately produce a run, and Sierra Klein had a hit, and a run scored going first to home on Chelsea Seiler’s double, and owning the batter’s box, refusing to move on a missed inside pitch to work her way on. They really showed great leadership with a combination of big plays and small details.”
Despite being unable to plate a run and falling behind 1-0 on a Morgan Volgraf home run in the fourth inning, the Indians remained focused on the task at hand.
“Last year it felt like our team had a mental block, or a curse, when it came to Neshaminy,” Yee said. “We just always seemed to have something not go right and cost us a chance at the win. When we started off the game with a few baserunning blunders, I thought, ‘Here we go again, there is just something about Neshaminy.’ But all credit to my girls, they never thought that, they never counted themselves out, they refocused, they made continuous adjustments and just refused to lose. Once again, the girls did it together as a group and I’m extremely proud of them for that.”
Olivia Schlindwin tossed a complete game to earn the win. She surrendered three runs (two earned) on five hits, walked two and fanned 12. And she remained focused despite Neshaminy’s solo dinger in the fourth and 2 more runs in the sixth that cut the Indians’ lead to 4-3.
“Once again Olivia did a great job showing mental toughness in the circle,” Yee said. “We had one pitch that was a bad call on my part that Morgan Volgraf absolutely got all of, and Liv did a great job not letting it faze her, getting the next out to end the inning.
“Then again, knowing our past struggles with Neshaminy, when Morgan Leonhauser led off the seventh with a very hard-hit single, Olivia could have let the nerves creep in, but she didn’t let it faze her, she just bore down and came up with three huge strikeouts to end the game, including an absolutely beautifully placed strike-three pitch on a full count to end the game against the top of Neshaminy’s lineup. She was truly clutch and really showed poise beyond her years.”
At the plate, North received contributions throughout the batting order.
“We had eight different girls find a way on base, and a ninth who, while she didn’t get herself on base, did a great job sacrificing to move runners when needed,” Yee said. “If they didn’t play as a team and trust everybody to each do a job without any individual putting the team on their shoulders, this win wouldn’t have happened.”
Neshaminy falls to 0-2 and will host Bensalem Tuesday.
Council Rock North 000 004 2 6-7-1
Neshaminy 000 102 0 3-5-1
SOL Colonial Division
NORTH PENN 10, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 5
The Titans just refused to go away.
The Knights took a 3-0 lead in the first only to see the Titans trim that lead to one. The Knights scored three runs in the fourth to go on top 6-2, but again, the Titans fought back, scoring three runs in the top of the fifth to make it a 6-5 game. The Knights put some distance between themselves and the pesky Titans with a four-run sixth and went on to notch a win that was anything but easy.
Friday’s win came on the heels of three straight wins on the Knights’ spring training trip to Alabama.
“We had a really good trip,” NP coach Rick Torresani said. “This team just keeps fighting. Down (in Alabama), we played at 6, and that game wasn’t over until almost nine. The second game that followed didn’t get over until almost midnight and then we had to come back at 8 o’clock in the morning for another game, and they just keep battling and battling and battling.
“Today was the same thing. Bella (Nunn) didn’t pitch bad – I called a couple bad pitches, and the ball went in the air, and it went out. She had 10 strikeouts and two walks, and that’s what I’m looking for right now. She is a D1 pitcher, and it was nasty out there today.”
In the three-run first, the Knights received singles from Gabby Battavio, Nunn (RBI) and Liv Stevens (RBI). The Titans got two of those runs back when Ella Wheeler ripped a two-out two-run home run to left field.
Sophomore Felicia Connolly singled to lead off a four-run fourth for the Knights, who capitalized on a South miscue and also received RBI singles from Giana Cimino and Casey Sokol to go on top 6-2.
In the fifth inning, Wheeler smashed her second home run – this one a solo shot also to left field. Kate Muntz followed with a bunt single, and after Camryn Lee reached first on an error. Hannah Tracy followed and lined a two-run double to center to make it a 6-5 game.
The Knights put some distance between themselves and their visitors when – after a pair of walks – Stevens hit an RBI double. An error allowed the second run of the inning to cross the plate, and Tallie Smink’s ground single to left, brought another run home. The fourth run of the inning scored on a fielder’s choice for the 10-5 final.
“I told the girls after the game – you’re 5-1, you’re averaging six runs a game,” Torresani said. “The pitching will come. It’s just a matter of her getting her number of pitches and getting consistent, and that will happen.
“We are hitting, and we hit down (in Alabama) too, against some really, really good pitching. If we continue hitting, I’m not too worried.”
For the Knights, Battavio was 3-for-5 out of the leadoff spot with one RBI and a run scored. Stevens was 2-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored, Connolly was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored and Smink was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
For the Titans, Wheeler was 2-for-3 with two home runs, three RBIs and two runs scored while Tracy was 1-for-3 with two RBIs.
In the complete game win, Nunn allowed four hits and five runs (three earned) while fanning 10 and walking two.
North Penn (5-1, 2-1 SOL) will be on the road at Central Bucks East on Monday for a 5:15 p.m. contest. Central Bucks South (2-3, 1-1) will host Souderton Monday at 7 p.m.
Central Bucks South 020 030 0 5-4-2
North Penn 300 304 x 10-11-2
SOL Liberty Division
WISSAHICKON 9, ABINGTON 8 (8 innings)
The Trojans had just loaded the bases without collecting a hit in the bottom of the eighth inning of a tie ballgame. With two outs, Sienna Miller stepped to the plate in a spot begging for a hero, and the senior captain delivered, grounding a 1-0 pitch to left field for an RBI single that gave the Trojans the dramatic walk-off win.
Making the win especially sweet was the fact that it came in a contest they trailed 8-2 heading into the bottom of the sixth when they erupted for five runs. Freshman Dani Marra’s two-run double highlighted an inning that saw the Trojans benefit from three walks and several Ghost miscues.
Still trailing by one heading into the bottom of the seventh, the Trojans rallied to even the score. Freshman Julia Lentz was safe on an error, and senior captain Deanna Schank smashed a game-tying RBI triple. That set the stage for the dramatic eighth.
“Our team is really, really young,” Trojans’ coach Mike Borkowski said. “The couple of times we did play this season – we were handing out runs because we were not used to playing at the varsity level.”
Early on, the Ghosts appeared to be in command when Natalie Broskley delivered a two-run home run to left field to give her team a 4-1 lead in the second inning. Wissahickon scored a run in the bottom of the inning, but the Ghosts upped their lead to 6-2 when Broskley – after a Sammi Clewell leadoff single – ripped her second two-run home run of the game, this one to center field. Before the inning was over, the Ghosts added two more to go on top 8-2, a lead that turned out to be anything but secure.
For the Trojans, Marra had two hits, including a double, and three RBIs. Giana Trerotola tripled and drove in a run. Lentz, who bats leadoff, did not have a hit but drew three walks and scored three runs.
Freshman Sydney Darnell earned the win in relief. She entered the game in the third inning and threw three scoreless innings. She allowed four runs in the sixth inning but followed that with two scoreless innings to close out the game.
“This is a huge win,” Borkowski said. “We’ve actually been practicing hitting with runners on base for two weeks, trying to move runners. We’ve been leaving runners sitting there, but today we had some nice hits when we needed it. We did leave the bases loaded at one point, but other than that, we put the ball in play and made their defense make the plays.”
For the Ghosts, Broskley had a monster performance out of the leadoff spot, finishing 3-for-3 with two home runs, four RBIs and three runs scored. Clewell had a huge day as well with a 4-for-4 effort that included a double and two runs scored. Mallory Beal was 2-for-4 with a double, and Mia Lucke was 2-for-5 with a run scored. Hailey Hernandez was 2-for-4 with a double and RBI.
Wissahickon (3-4, 1-2 SOL) will travel to Plymouth Whitemarsh on Tuesday, and Abington (1-3, 0-3) will host Mount St. Joseph Academy in a non-league game Monday at 5:15 p.m.
Abington 130 004 00 8
Wissahickon 110 005 11 9
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 12, UPPER DUBLIN 2 (6 innings)
The Colonials rode the strong one-hit outing by pitcher Rian Reed as well as some big hits by her teammates to earn the SOL win.
“After the past few days, I did not expect to get today’s game in,” PW coach Mike Perez said. “Great job by Upper Dublin’s ground crew to make this game happen.
“With all this rain, we obviously haven’t been able to get on our field, so we’ve been doing a lot of hitting in the cages and it really showed today. After facing Kyla (Garrison) twice last year, we knew we’d have to hit to win. So, we’ve been preaching situational hitting all week, and the girls did a great job today resulting in 12 runs and only three runners left on base.”
In a three-run top of the first, Marissa Perez led off with a single, and with one out, a PW runner was safe after a dropped third strike. That set the stage for Sam Skivo’s three-run home run to center field.
The Cardinals trimmed that led to one when Lizzie Tambourino collected her team’s only hit, driving in a pair of UD runners who reached base on walks.
The Colonials scored one in the top of the second and put some distance between themselves and the Cardinals with a five-run fourth. Caelin Kosvitch delivered the inning’s big blow – a two-run homer to center field that gave PW a 9-2 lead.
PW upped its lead to 10-2 in the fifth when Joslyn Perez delivered a two-out RBI double. The Colonials brought an early end to the game with two unearned runs in the top of the sixth.
“Offensive highlights were definitely Sam Skivo’s three-run homer in the first inning and Caelin Kosvitch’s two-run home run in the fourth,” coach Perez said. “Defensively, I thought we played really well with a few ‘plus’ plays and zero errors. And after the first inning – one hit and two runs, Rian Reed really settled in in the circle and didn’t allow a hit in the final five innings.”
Reed, who allowed one hit and two runs (one earned), struck out six and walked three in the complete game win.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (3-2, 2-1 SOL) will host Wissahickon on Tuesday, and Upper Dublin (3-3, 1-3, will travel to Hatboro-Horsham on Tuesday.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 310 512 12-7-0
Upper Dublin 200 000 2-1-5
SOL Freedom Division
SPRINGFIELD TWP 15, LOWER MORELAND 5 (5 innings)
The Spartans scored early and often, and after the visiting Lions – who trailed 8-1 – made it an 8-5 game in the top of the third, they responded with seven unanswered runs to bring an early end to the game.
“It was an all-round team effort,” Spartans’ coach Heather Gelhaus said. “Each girl contributed defensively and offensively. Our offense was strong with multiple girls collecting multiple hits. We were able to string together hits in order to score.
“Freshman Jordyn Serrao did a great job coming into the game pitching. It was great to get our first win of the season.”
The Lions got on the board with a run in the top of the first, thanks to a Maddie Menchhofer double, but the Spartans answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning. They managed just one hit – a single by Charlotte Drapkin, but they capitalized on a pair of sacrifice flies – one each by Ashley Schulz and Norah Conlin – to go on top 3-1.
A five-run second was highlighted by a two-run Joce Davis double and included singles by Keira Brandon, Juju Cooney, McKayla McKeever (RBI), Drapkin and Schulz (RBI).
The Lions scored four in the top of the third, but the Spartans answered with the five-run third. Conney (RBI) and Schulz both doubled in the inning. After a two-run fourth by the Spartans, all that remained was Serrao retiring the Lions in the top of the fifth to bring an early end to the contest.
Serrao threw two shutout innings to close out the game, allowing one hit while striking out four and walking two.
The Spartans were led by the multi-hit efforts of McKeever (2-for-2, RBI, 4 R), Drapkin (2-for-4, 2R), Davis (2-for-2, 2B, 2RBIs, 3R), Schulz (2-for-4, 2B, RBI, R), Brandon (2-for-3, 2R) and Cooney (2-for-2, 2B, RBI, 2R).
Springfield Twp (1-2 SOL) will travel to Cheltenham on Tuesday, and Lower Moreland (1-3, 1-2) will travel to William Tennent on Tuesday.
Lower Moreland 104 00 5-5-0
Springfield Twp 355 2x 15-13-0
UPPER MORELAND 16, CHELTENHAM 1 (4 innings)
Kaylee Brown’s grand slam highlighted a seven-run fourth inning by the Golden Bears that brought an early end to Friday’s contest. Brown jumped on the first pitch she saw and smashed it to center field for a bases-clearing grand slam that put the Bears on top 15-1. Erin Distel, who singled, scored on a two-out wild pitch to bring an end to the contest.
Friday’s win was the fifth without a loss for the Golden Bears.
“It was nice to see hits up and down the lineup,” UM coach Melanie Martino said. “Lianna Adames and Erin Distel both hit the ball hard, and, of course, Kaylee Brown’s grand slam was a great hit.
“ Over the next two weeks, we have the toughest part of our schedule with back-to-back games and several really tough teams, so we are pleased with our start this season and look forward to continuing to build from here.”
UM took a 4-0 lead in the first without the benefit of a hit, and after Cheltenham scored a run in the top of the third, the Bears answered with five in the bottom of the inning. Joslyn McCellan’s three-run double was the big blow in the inning.
Adames was 2-for-3 with two runs scored, and Brown was 1-for-3 with a home run, four RBIs and two runs scored. The Golden Bears managed just six hits but benefitted from 10 free passes and several costly Lady Panther miscues.
Senior Eowyn Stainback earned the win in the circle, allowing two hits and one run (unearned) in four innings while striking out eight and walking five.
“Eowyn Stainback did a nice job in the circle today especially considering how cold and windy it was,” Martino said.
Upper Moreland (5-0, 3-0 SOL) will host New Hope-Solebury on Tuesday, and Cheltenham (0-4, 0-3) will host Springfield Twp on Tuesday.
Cheltenham 001 0 1-2-6
Upper Moreland 405 7 16-6-1
Non-league
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 12, CONWELL-EGAN 9
Coach Susan Yee called it ‘a nail biter.’
And in a non-league contest that included a little bit of everything, the visiting Indians escaped with a win in a contest that saw the two teams combine for 28 hits and eight errors.
“Although we didn’t play as cleanly as we would have liked, once again our girls just battled the entire time and refused to accept a loss, and we couldn’t be more proud of them for that,” Yee said. “I know I sound like a broken record game after game, but again, the girls put forth a total team effort for the win.
“Eight different players got at least one hit, and nine girls found their way across the plate over the course of the game. Those are the stats I really love. The girls are all contributing, playing as a unit, showing that we have no weak part of our lineup, and at any given point any player can step up and get the job done has been the hallmark of our team so far.”
After the Eagles scored a pair in the bottom of the first, the two teams exchanged runs in the second inning, and the Indians answered with four runs in the third to go on top 5-3. The four-run uprising was highlighted by a two-run double to center field by Molly Sheehy that was followed by Sierra Klein smacking a two-run home run to center field.
Conwell-Egan went back on top 7-5 with a four-run inning of their own in the fourth. Again, the Indians had an answer, scoring five in the top of the sixth. Haley Edelman lined a double to left to lead off the inning and scored on Zoe Hornstein’s bunt single. Kayla Ripper doubled with one out, and Zoe Hardy followed with a two-run single. With two outs, Molly Sheehy ripped a two-run home run to left field that gave the Indians a 10-7 lead.
Conwell-Egan scored a run in the bottom of the inning, but the Eagles would get no closer than two runs the rest of the way.
“Conwell Egan is a good team,” Yee said. “They have a storied softball program and are well coached. They are going to make you pay for mistakes, but the fact that every time we got knocked down, our team fought back one through nine is just so amazing to watch. If they can keep that total team effort and production, it’s going to be a very fun year.”
Kayla Ripper had herself a day out of the leadoff spot, finishing 4-for-5 with a double, RBI and two runs scored.
“I would be remiss if I didn’t call attention to the fantastic play of sophomore right fielder Kayla Ripper today,” Yee said. “She set the table for us going 4-for-5 out of the leadoff spot, and also had six putouts defensively, including a few where she stepped in to catch a ball that another player was struggling to track due to wind or sun.
“She is really coming into her own in that position, and it’s making a huge difference for our team – fielding .1000 on the season with 12 putouts, and more impressively three outfield assists in our first five games.”
Also for the Indians, Hardy was 3-for-5 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored, and Sheehy was 3-for-4 with a double, home run, four RBIs and two runs scored. Klein was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and one run.
Olivia Schlindwein was credited with the win in the circle, throwing 3.2 innings in relief of Lucy Mills.
Council Rock North (3-1, 2-1 SOL) will play Pennsbury on Monday at Diamond Nation at 7 p.m.
Council Rock North 014 005 2 12-16-4
Conwell-Egan 210 401 1 9-12-4
About the Author
