Check out the recaps for SOL softball teams in action Monday. CB South/Hatboro-Horsham photos provided by Keith Clemens Photography. CLICK HERE for a gallery.
Non-league
SOUDERTON 4, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 3 (8 innings)
The Golden Hawks appeared to have all the early momentum, benefitting from a pair of Souderton errors to plate a pair of unearned runs en route to a 3-0 lead after three innings.
It was hardly a new position for the Indians, who six days earlier trailed CB West 3-0 and rallied to knot the score in the seventh before winning it in the ninth. This time the Indians didn’t wait until the seventh, scoring three runs in the fourth – only one earned – before winning it in the eighth without the benefit of a hit.
“I’m really proud of this team for their fight,” Souderton coach Liz Parkins said. “This is our second extra inning game in a week. I applaud them for always having that fight.”
Monday’s loss was the fourth of the young season for Golden Hawks, who have lost those four games by seven runs combined.
“Prior to the game, we talked about our record not being indicative of the strength of our team and the fact that we had to come in and play from the first pitch to the last pitch,” coach Frank Marino said. “We caught some breaks early on, jumped out to a lead, and we squandered it and let them back in the game.
“Also, in the extra innings, we had a chance to jump on that extra run. It’s a tough one, but it’s still the same message – a lot of softball left. The record’s not indicative of what we can do on the field.”
Things certainly looked promising early for the Golden Hawks, who plated an unearned run in the top of the second. Danielle Walters led off the frame with a single and was replaced by courtesy runner Kayla Patricelli, who immediately stole second and came all the way home when the throw sailed into the outfield.
Kirsti Mendez poked a leadoff single to left to open the third, and a miscue on Olivia Zoldi’s grounder to the left side put a pair on board. Both runners advanced on Marissa ‘Shorty’ Thompson’s sacrifice. Kerri Despirito’s groundout plated Mendez, and Alex Hopko’s single to right brought Zoldi home, spotting the Golden Hawks a 3-0 lead.
In the bottom of the fourth, Abby Burns led off with a single to left, and it was safe all around after an error on Naila Neely’s sacrifice bunt. Walters came up with a big strikeout, but Julia Kistler lined a single to center that got by the outfielder, allowing Kistler to circle the bases and knotting the score 3-3.
“That was so big,” Kistler said. “Usually in every game I always bunt to get on, and I just thought to myself – maybe I’ll power slap and see what happens because there were people on. It just so happened I hit to the outfield. It was awesome because I’m not used to hitting away like that.”
“This has happened before – two games ago,” Neely said. “I don’t know, but we start off a little iffy, but in the middle, we get that fire and energy. We should probably start off with that fire.
“Those big hits and big plays just fuel us and keep us going throughout the game. It’s really big to see each other doing well and to keep it going.”
Neely, who plays second, gave the Indians a huge lift with her play in the field, recording seven assists/putouts. She robbed Thompson of a base hit to lead off the fifth with a play behind first, and her catch of a fly ball in no-man’s-land behind first to lead off the eighth saved a run when Walters followed with a single and wound up on third when the ball got by the outfielder.
“I like to keep everyone up because we tend to get a little down and beat ourselves up after (an error),” Neely said. “I think what helps keep us up is not the words but through actions, so me making those plays (helped) the team stay up and stay motivated.”
The Indians still appeared to be in trouble with a Rock South courtesy runner on third and just one out, but then came an inning-ending double play that saw third baseman Jen Klepfer snag Patricelli’s sharply hit grounder and cap a rundown between third and home with a diving tag of the base runner. She immediately threw to shortstop Jess Lepore, who put the tag on the base runner attempting to advance to third.
“That was a huge momentum shift for us,” Parkins said. “Jen just went all out – she dove and got cleated in the face. For Jess to be heads up ready for the next runner advancing – our defense was just outstanding. A lot of heads up softball was played, and I was so proud.”
Kistler drew a five-pitch walk to lead off the bottom of the eighth and advanced to third on Lepore’s sacrifice bunt.
“We saw that (third base) was open so we took advantage of it,” Parkins said. “Her speed is killer.”
Lepore scored the game-winner when Riley York lofted a fly ball to shallow center.
“Our pitching and defense is what kept us in this game today,” Parkins said. “Abby (Burns) threw really well. She found the zone early and kept attacking.
“Naila – just outstanding defense. Every ball that was hit to her – she was a vacuum today. She made awesome plays defensively”.
Burns allowed eight eights and three runs (one earned) in the complete game win while fanning four and walking only one.
“I just enjoy being with the team because they’re all so positive – they keep me going and I never feel down because they’re so upbeat,” the Indians’ freshman pitcher said. “(The defense) really helped us. It gives me a lot more confidence because I know my defense is behind me, and I can trust them. It’s great.”
Kistler led the Indians at the plate with a perfect 3-for-3 effort that included one RBI and two runs scored. Burns was 2-for-3, and York was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Leading the Golden Hawks were Walters (2-for-4), Hopko (2-for-4, RBI) and Kerri Despirito (2-for-3).
Walters turned in a solid outing of her own in the circle, allowing nine hits and four runs (two earned) while striking out 13 and walking three.
“It’s tough because individually we’re all awesome players, so it’s tough to come out here and not be winning,” Rock South senior Karley Despirito said. “We came out here expecting to do really well, and we kind of fell apart when we stepped on the field.
“I think our biggest issue is being able to bounce back after the error, recuperating and getting back together. That’s where we lack, which is a shame, because if we were able to get back together, there’s no doubt we’d be winning games. It’s being able to come back.”
Souderton (3-2, 1-2 SOL) will host Central Bucks East on Tuesday, and Council Rock South (1-4, 0-2) will host Bensalem on Tuesday.
Council Rock South 012 000 00 3-8-3
Souderton 000 300 01 4-9-3
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 3, HATBORO-HORSHAM 1
Kylie Kenney had a no-hitter through six-and-two-thirds innings and allowed just one hit and no earned runs in yet another strong outing in the circle. At the plate, Olivia Zoolalian came up big, driving in all three runs. It added up to a win over the Hatters in a non-league tilt on Monday.
“This is a nice win,” South coach Kevin Rosini said. “Hatboro-Horsham’s a good team, and it helps our (district) ranking. That’s our goal – to get into the playoffs.”
In the top of the fourth, Tara Tumasz led off with a single, and the Hatters had a pair on board when Katie Hines drew a walk. Both runners advanced on Nicole Pilla’s sacrifice bunt. Zoolalian’s two-run single to center spotted the Titans a 2-0 lead.
“She’s been doing a really good job at the plate,” Rosini said of Zoolalian. “I’m happy with how she’s hitting – she’s hitting the ball really hard and had a home run the other day. They were big hits today.
“Nicole (Pilla) bunting them over was huge because it allowed the single to score two instead of just one.”
The Hatters plated their lone run in the bottom of the inning. Kayla Tauber was safe on an error to lead off the inning, she moved up to second on Mikayla Fedele’s sacrifice and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Tauber scored on a groundout by Alicia Tauber.
In the sixth, Hines doubled and moved up to third on a groundout. Zoolalian’s groundout plated Hines for the 3-1 final.
Kenney fanned eight and did not walk a batter.
“Anyone wondering what was wrong with Kylie – she’s just fine,” said Rosini, whose team won its fourth game in its last five after a 1-3 start.
Grace Daniels absorbed the loss despite allowing just four hits and two earned runs.
Central Bucks South (4-3, 3-0 SOL) will travel to Pennridge Tuesday for a 6:30 p.m. contest, and Hatboro-Horsham (2-3, 2-1) will host Springfield Township Tuesday.
Central Bucks South 000 201 0 3-4-1
Hatboro-Horsham 000 100 0 1-1-2
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 7, WISSAHICKON 0
Camille Larson and Soleil Dooner combined for a two-hit shutout to lead the Patriots to a much-needed win – their first of the season after four straight losses.
“We needed this badly,” coach Karl Knapp said. “What was plaguing us, of course, was not hitting.
“In all of our previous games, we played pretty good defense but just couldn’t hit. We finally hit from top to bottom of the lineup, which we just weren’t doing. Outside our loss to North Penn, we’ve been in some close games, but we just couldn’t bring anybody in.”
Larson and Dooner each allowed one hit. Larson, who threw the first four innings, earned the win, striking out six and walking two. Dooner threw three scoreless innings to close it out, striking out a pair and walking none.
“They’re pitching well,” Knapp said. “We’re splitting them in every game, and they did a good job today.”
The Patriots collected seven hits, and they were timely. They put a pair of runs on the board in the bottom of the first when Dooner helped her own cause with a two-run blast to left that plated Hailey Aspinwall, who drew a leadoff walk. It was Dooner’s third home run in five games this season.
In the second, the Patriots added a run, benefitting from a leadoff single by Bailey Schellhorn and a two-out RBI double to center by Aspinwall that gave East a 3-0 lead.
In the fourth, Juliana Meringo doubled and scored when Sophia Lindia delivered an RBI single. Schellhorn contributed an RBI single in the fifth, and in a two-run sixth, the Patriots capitalized on a costly error. Lindia had the only hit in the inning.
“Today not only did the top of our lineup hit – we got good hits from Sophia Lindia, a swing player we put in the lineup, and she came through with some hits,” Knapp said. “Bailey Schellhorn, who hadn’t been hitting, got two hits. Hailey Aspinwall got some walks today and a hit.”
Lindia and Schellhorn were both 2-for-2 with an RBI and run scored.
Central Bucks East (1-4, 0-3 SOL) will be on the road at Souderton Tuesday.
“We really need to win out the week,” Knapp said. “We have four games, and we have to get back to .500. It’s going to be a challenge, but it’s doable.”
Wissahickon (1-4, 1-2) will be on the road at Cheltenham Tuesday.
Wissahickon 000 000 0 0-2-1
Central Bucks East 210 112 x 7-7-1
QUAKERTOWN 9, MOUNT SAINT JOSEPH ACADEMY 1
The Panthers scored early and often on their way to the no-doubt-about-it win over the Magic in a non-league contest. Tori Caputo scattered four hits and allowed one run in the complete game win.
Brianna Lefkoski led off the top of the first with a bunt single and moved up to second on a groundout. Lauryn Cope’s RBI single plated a run, and Halle Frederick followed with a single. Sarah Stofik’s two-out single pushed home a pair and spotted the Panthers an early 3-0 lead.
In the second Morgan Thrush, who singled, scored on a sacrifice fly by Abby Schwartz. Stofik picked up her third RBI of the game in the third when she delivered a sacrifice fly. A four-run fourth that put the Panthers on top 9-0 was highlighted by a Syd Andrews double as well as singles by Lefkoski, Schwartz and Cope (2 RBIs).
All told, the Panthers pounded out 14 hits off a pair of Mount hurlers. Lefkoski was 2-for-2 with two runs scored while Cope was 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored. Maddie Moyer also was 2-for-4.
Quakertown (3-3, 1-2 SOL) will host North Penn on Wednesday.
Quakertown 311 400 0 9-14-0
Mount Saint Joseph 000 001 0 1-4-0
UPPER DUBLIN 8, MERION MERCY 5
Gretchen Wolpert ripped a grand slam in the fifth inning, breaking a 1-1 tie and sparking a seven-run outburst by the Flying Cardinals over the final two innings en route to the non-league win.
After the two teams exchanged runs in the first inning, Bela Soriano set the stage for the four-run fourth with a bunt single. The bunt proved to be an effective weapon for the Cardinals and back-to-back errors on sacrifice bunts by Meghan Muth and Ellie Kelcy loaded the bases for Wolpert, who delivered in a big way.
Not to be outdone, Merion Mercy tied it up in the top of the sixth, but the Cardinals had answer in the bottom of the inning. Soriano once again reached base on a bunt single, and Muth followed with a single. A RBI bunt single by Taylor Avery was followed by a defensive miscue that allowed a pair of runs to score, giving the Cardinals their final margin of victory.
Liz Baginski notched the win, allowing two hits and no runs over 1.2 innings in the circle. Chloe Foster threw 5.1 innings, allowing seven hits and five runs (three earned).
Upper Dublin (6-1, 2-1 SOL) will host Abington on Tuesday.
Merion Mercy 100 004 0 5-9-2
Upper Dublin 100 043 x 8-8-3
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