Check out the results for SOL softball teams in action Tuesday. To view photos of the CR South/Bensalem and Wissahickon/Upper Moreland games, please visit the Photo Gallery…CLICK HERE.
National Conference
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 4, BENSALEM 3 (8 innings)
With two outs in the top of the eighth inning, freshman Makenna Diamond singled over the infield to plate teammate Mikayla Becker with a run that turned out to be the game winner.
“It’s a league win,” coach Greg Heydet said. “Bensalem has been holding teams down in runs.
“I feel we gave them a couple with a few dropped balls, but that’s the way the game is played.”
The Owls plated all three of their runs in the bottom of the fifth. With the bases loaded and none out, Meg Nally delivered an RBI single, and two more runs crossed the plate on a ball misplayed in the outfield.
Rock South had an immediate answer, scoring three runs of their own in the top of the sixth. Jackie Schneider opened the inning with a single, and one-out later, Phylicia Wilkov delivered an RBI double. Becker followed by roping a triple that plated Wilkov. Katelyn Gaudet’s groundout brought home the tying run.
In the eighth, Becker hit a one-out single and advanced to second on an error, setting the stage for Diamond’s two-out heroics.
In the circle, Stephanie Andreoli allowed seven hits, walked two, hit a pair and fanned four in the complete game win.
“Stephanie pitched well,” Heydet said. “She went eight innings. Both teams left a lot of runners on, but she pitched well.”
Becker, Schneider and Wilkov each had two hits for the Golden Hawks.
Council Rock South (3-1, 2-0 SOL) will host Abington on Thursday, and Bensalem (3-2, 0-2) will travel to Pennsbury.
Council Rock South 000 003 01 4
Bensalem 000 030 00 3
PENNSBURY 2, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 1
The Falcons plated a pair of runs in the first inning, and Casey Boltersdorf did the rest, limiting the Indians to just two hits and one run (unearned) in seven strong innings. The Falcons’ senior hurler fanned nine.
“Casey pitched a really good game,” coach Frank McSherry said. “Their run was unearned, and she really did a nice job. She bounced back.”
Marguerite Salamone led off the top of the first with a single and moved up to second on a passed ball. That set the stage for freshman Sydney Jakimowicz, who doubled off the third baseman’s glove. Fiona Link’s single plated Jakimowicz with the game’s second run.
The Indians trimmed that lead in half with a run in the fourth inning. That 2-1 score stood the rest of the way.
“Council Rock North really played great defense,” McSherry said. “Their shortstop (Nicole Rounsavill) and third baseman (Sabrina Crane) probably took three runs away from us.
“They made great plays with runners on base with balls that we hit hard. Their shortstop made a couple of fantastic plays, and their third baseman made one or two really good plays. They played great defensively.”
The Falcons (1-1 SOL) will host Bensalem on Thursday while the Indians (1-2, 1-1) will travel to Truman.
Pennsbury 200 000 0 2
Council Rock North 000 100 0 1
HARRY S TRUMAN 6, WILLIAM TENNENT 4
The Tigers used a three-run outburst in the bottom of the sixth to break a 3-3 tie. Jess O’Brien, hitting out of the nine spot, started the inning with a single to left center. Tori Ahleman followed with a two-run blast over the fence in left, and the Tigers weren’t finished yet.
Steph Wolf kept the ball rolling with a single and – with some heads-up baserunning – advanced to third on a hard hit ball by Mary Cairns. Wolf scored on a passed ball to put the Tigers on top 6-3. Tennent plated a single run in the top of the seventh, but the Tigers held on for the win.
One inning earlier, Wolf hit a solo home run to knot the score 3-3 after Tennent took a 3-2 lead with a run in the top of the fourth.
“We came out flat and slowly gained energy as the game progressed,” Truman coach Kyle Hoffman said. “Tennent is a young team but displayed quality offense. They put the ball in play.”
The Panthers, who hit four doubles, collected 10 hits in the game. Stef Rossin, Marisa Govan, Jocelyn Flores and Liz Marucci all had multi-hit games for Tennent.
Truman (2-2, 1-1 SOL) will host Council Rock North Thursday while William Tennent (1-3, 0-2) will host Neshaminy.
William Tennent 020 100 1 4
Harry S Truman 002 013 x 6
NESHAMINY 9, ABINGTON 4
The Redskins upped their early season record to 4-0 with a win that coach Dave Chichilitti called “a total team win.”
Nikki Wild set the tone for another impressive offensive performance by the ‘Skins with a grand slam in the top of the first to spot the ‘Skins an early 4-0 lead. The Ghosts cut that lead in half with two runs in the third, but the Redskins scored three more in the fifth and two in the sixth to take control of the game.
Wild led the Redskins with a 3-for-4 day at the plate. Corrine Garuffe was 2-for-4 with two RBIs, and Olivia Zaino was 3-for-4. Catcher Sam Offenback added a home run to a high octane attack that saw the Redskins receive hits from eight out of nine spots in their batting order.
Freshman Amber Brugger earned the win, throwing four innings and allowing no earned runs. Sarah Dowalo worked an inning and a third, and Cailyn Seely entered the game in relief and got out of a jam in the sixth.
The game was halted because of weather in the top of the seventh with one out and Redskin runners on first and second.
Neshaminy (4-0, 2-0 SOL) will travel to William Tennent on Thursday, and Abington (2-2, 1-1) will travel to Council Rock South.
Continental Conference
NORTH PENN 5, CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 3 (9 innings)
Sparked by the standout performance of pitcher Jackie Bilotti and some clutch hitting by her teammates, the Maidens notched a dramatic win in nine innings.
The win vaulted coach Rick Torresani to the 300-win milestone – with 220 of those coming during his tenure at North Penn.
“It’s a great win for the team,” the Maidens’ coach said. “Every time we go up there – it’s always extra innings, but this was a special one for me because it was my 300th.
“It’s always a great win when you beat CB East. I consider (coach) Erin (Scott) a good friend, and we always play each other so tough.”
In the top of the ninth, Hannah Uhler delivered a triple to drive in Becky Christoffers, who had walked, and the senior outfield raced home with an insurance run when the throw to third bounced off her helmet and out of play.
That was more than enough for Bilotti, who turned in a glittering performance. The Maidens’ mound ace gave up three runs in the first two innings but then allowed just three hits over the next seven, shutting out the Patriots. For the game, she allowed five hits, struck out four and walked one.
“After she gave up the two-run home run (to Kayla Ventura in the second), she just settled down and said she wasn’t going to give up any more runs,” Torresani said. “She basically shut them down for the rest of the game.
“They had one player reach second base after the second inning.”
Bilotti helped her own cause with a leadoff triple in the first and scored on an RBI double by Becky Christoffers. The Patriots got that run back in the bottom of the inning and took a 3-1 lead in the second when Ventura hit a two-run homer. Nicole Yanni’s RBI double in the third made it a 3-2 game, and the Maidens knotted the score in the sixth when Jovanna Alfonsi delivered a clutch two-out RBI single to plate Uhler, who had doubled.
Yanni was 2-for-5 with two doubles, one RBI and two runs scored before leaving the game in the seventh after getting hit in the head by a throw at close range. Alfonsi was 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Maidens, who collected 10 hits.
North Penn (3-1, 1-1 SOL) will travel to Quakertown on Thursday while Central Bucks East (2-3, 1-1 SOL) will travel to Hatboro-Horsham on Wednesday.
North Penn 101 001 002 5
Central Bucks East 120 000 000 3
SOUDERTON 6, QUAKERTOWN 5
It wasn’t always pretty, but it was a win, and the Indians – who committed six errors – were happy to take it.
After watching the Indians score a single run in the second, the Panthers, benefitting from three hits and three Indians miscues, scored four runs in the third inning to go on top 4-1.
The Indians rallied to knot the score with a three-run fourth. Alex Gaydos delivered the inning’s big blow – a two-run single. In the bottom of the fifth, Missy Wiley’s sacrifice fly plated the go-ahead run. The Indians tacked on a run in the sixth before the Panthers scored a single run in the seventh for the 6-5 final.
Morgan Yoder had three of Souderton’s six hits, finishing the day 3-for-3 with two runs scored.
For the Panthers, Spenser Gray was 2-for-4 with a run scored, and Nikki Vanelli was 2-for-3.
Alex Scheeler earned the win for the Indians, allowing six hits while walking one and fanning three.
Souderton (3-1, 2-0 SOL) will host Central Bucks West on Thursday while Quakertown (2-2, 0-2) will host North Penn.
Quakertown 004 000 1 5
Souderton 010 311 x 6
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 6, HATBORO-HORSHAM 3
Freshman Makaela Simons hit a bases-clearing double to highlight a four-run fifth inning that gave the Titans a lead they would not lose.
Senior Maddie Decker once again got the job done on the mound, allowing six hits and striking out six.
“She pitched well,” coach Dan Hayes said. “She gave up a home run to (Jen) Cader – she’s just a good hitter, but she got her in a big spot in the fifth inning. They had a runner on, and Maddie got her to pop up to the catcher. She jammed her pretty good, and the pop up to the catcher was a big out.”
Cader’s solo shot in the first inning spotted the Hatters an early 1-0 lead, but the Titans got that back in the third, thanks to a Taylor Marinelli RBI single. The Titans took a lead they would not lose with their four-run fifth that was highlighted by Simons’ three-run double.
The Hatters got two of those runs back in the bottom of the inning to make it a 5-3 game, thanks to a two-run triple from freshman Kyleigh Dinneen, but the Titans tacked on an insurance run when pinch hitter Alexis McConomy delivered an RBI single for the 6-3 final.
Dinneen and Brynn Griffith led the Hatters with two hits each.
Central Bucks South (3-0, 2-0 SOL) will travel to Pennridge on Thursday for a 6:30 p.m. game at Druckenmiller Park. Hatboro-Horsham (1-2, 0-2) will host Central Bucks East on Wednesday.
Central Bucks South 001 400 1 6
Hatboro-Horsham 100 020 0 3
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 8, PENNRIDGE 7
The Bucks plated an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh to earn the walk-off win over the visiting Rams. The win was the second in as many conference games for the Bucks, whose last win in SOL play prior to this season was on April 26, 2012, when West defeated Souderton 9-8.
“It was a nice win for us,” coach Jim Taylor said. “Obviously, offensively we awoke. We fought back from a 4-0 deficit and a 7-4 deficit, and a lot of people contributed.
“Rather than the pitcher pitching a gem or one girl getting a hit at the end, multiple people had multiple hits.”
The Lady Rams opened up a 3-0 lead in the top of the first and extended that to 4-0 after adding a single run in the top of the third. The Bucks came to life offensively in the bottom of the third, plating a pair of runs. They added two more in the fifth to knot the score 4-4. The big blow in the fifth was a two-run triple by Taylor Levant that tied the score.
After the Rams scored three runs in the top of the sixth, the Bucks answered with three of their own in the bottom. Emma Dryden continued her torrid offensive showing, delivering a two-run home run. Abby Morrison followed with her second triple of the day and scored the tying run on a single by Angelina Sherba.
With one out in the seventh, Fisher was safe on a two-base error. The bases were loaded after Dryden received an intentional walker, and Casey Taylor, running for Fisher, beat the throw to the plate on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Cara Hatzinger for the game winner.
Dryden, Morrison, Sherba and Sabrina Vagasky each had two hits for the Bucks. Sherba, who earned the win in the circle, had a team-high three RBIs. Maddie Fisher stepped in behind the plate to fill in for an injured player and was 2-for-3 with a walk, reaching base on all four trips to the plate.
Central Bucks West (3-1, 2-0 SOL) will travel to Souderton on Thursday while Pennridge (2-2, 0-2) will host Central Bucks South.
“We’re coming together,” Taylor said. “If you look at Bill Keen’s top five (in the Intelligencer), we’re playing four of the top five in the next 10 days. We’re feeling good, but we have four games in each of the next two weeks, and for a young team, that might not favor us. We’ll play them, and we’ll try and manage our way through it so we’re at a best in every game.”
Pennridge 301 003 0 7
Central Bucks West 002 023 1 8
American Conference
WISSAHICKON 16, UPPER MORELAND 10
The Trojans exploded for 16 runs, sparked by the stellar performances of the top of their lineup. The win was Wissahickon’s first in league play since May 2, 2013, when the Trojans defeated Cheltenham 4-1.
“These kids are working hard, even in practice,” coach Mike Borkowski said. “They’re trying to create a positive attitude. They’re having fun, so that’s the idea.”
Wissahickon’s two-three-four batters – Destini Paige, Brittany Gelman and Julianne Griffin – had themselves quite a day, combining for eight hits, nine RBIs and nine runs scored. Paige was 3-for-5 with one walk, three RBIs and three runs scored. Gelman was 3-for-5 with a double, triple and a walk, three RBIs and four runs scored while Griffin was 2-for-5 with a double, home run, three RBIs and two runs scored.
“Our two, three and four hitters came up big,” said Borkowski, who starts just one senior along with two juniors and six sophomores. “They did a great job, constantly smacking the ball.”
Sophomore Hannah Genell also had a big day, finishing 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored.
Sophmore Halle Segal earned the win on the mound.
“Halle got herself out of trouble, and she’s learning to be a pitcher,” Borkowski said. “It was her first league win as a sophomore. She got hit in the hand with a shot up the middle, but she stayed in the game and pitched.
“That’s where a lot of the growth came in – she just stayed in there and toughed it out. Our infield played really well. We had a couple of errors in the outfield, which can be corrected. They hung in there, they played tough, and they had a good time.”
Wissahickon (2-2, 1-1 SOL) will host Plymouth Whitemarsh on Friday while Upper Moreland (0-2, 0-1 SOL) will travel to Upper Dublin.
Upper Moreland 010 503 1 10
Wissahickon 205 162 x 16
UPPER MERION 16, PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 0 (6 innings)
Micaela Ghanayem had a monster day at the plate, collecting three hits and driving in five runs to lead the Vikings’ hit parade. Dez Kandy, who also had three hits, scored four runs, and Alyssa Adinolfi – the third Viking with three hits – scored three runs and drove in a single run. Abby Volpe made the most of her two hits, driving in four runs.
Olivia Sborlini tossed a two-hit shutout, fanning four, and her teammates made life easy by scoring early and often.
The Vikings scored four runs in the second inning and took an 8-0 lead into the sixth when they exploded for eight runs to bring an early end to the game.
Upper Merion (2-1, 1-0 SOL) will host Norristown on Thursday, and Plymouth Whitemarsh (0-2 SOL) will travel to Wissahickon.
Upper Merion 140 038 16
Plymouth Whitemarsh 000 000 0
SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 7, NORRISTOWN 0
In a game that was halted in the top of the sixth inning due to rain, Springfield earned the shutout win. The Spartans scored all the runs they would need in a four-run fourth. They added a single run in the fourth and two more in the fifth.
The Eagles managed just two hits.
Springfield (2-0 SOL) will host Cheltenham on Thursday while Norristown (0-2) will travel to Upper Merion.
Srpingfield 004 12 7
Norristown 000 00 0
CHELTENHAM 11, UPPER DUBLIN 1 (6 innings)
The Lady Panthers exploded for six runs in the sixth inning to bring an early end to Tuesday’s game.
Becca Sims, who had an RBI single in the sixth inning, finished the day 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBIs. In the fifth, she tripled and eventually scored on a safety squeeze to put the Lady Panthers on top 5-0. Madison Gianelle was 3-for-4 with three runs scored, and Diamond Waller had two hits, including a double.
“We had a big sixth inning, and that was the difference,” coach Ron Perlstein said. “We played well defensively – we made a lot of nice plays.
“I was really proud of them. They’re playing very good defense.”
Grace DeRosa earned the win in the circle, scattering four hits while fanning seven and walking just one. The Lady Panthers played flawless defense behind DeRosa.
Jackie McMenamin accounted for two of Upper Dublin’s four hits.
Rebecca Matricardi allowed six hits and five runs (only one earned) in five innings. She struck out four, walked three and hit a pair.
Cheltenham (2-0 SOL) will travel to Springfield on Thursday while Upper Dublin (1-3, 1-1) will host Upper Moreland.
Upper Dublin 000 010 1
Cheltenham 202 016 11
About the Author
