Check out the recaps for SOL softball teams in action Wednesday. CB South file photo courtesy of Tracy Valko. All SOS photo galleries for SOFTBALL can be viewed by clicking HERE.
SOL Colonial
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 12, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 2 (6 innings)
Taylor Migliore has been playing softball for 13 years, but the CB South senior had never hit two home runs in one game.
Until Wednesday, that is.
Migliore hit two round trippers – her second even harder than her first, and she made it look easy.
“When I hit the first one, I knew I hit it hard, but I didn’t think it was going to go over, and I was shocked when I hit it over,” Migliore said. “For the second one, I knew as soon as it hit my bat that it was gone.
“I was really excited. I think it was a good game for the whole team, and that just topped everything off.”
Migliore’s first home run – a solo shot to right field – came with one out in the fourth inning and gave the Titans a 4-0 lead. Her second – a two-run blast to almost the same spot – capped an eight-run uprising in the sixth inning and gave the Titans a 14-0 lead.
“I always had so much power going to the opposite field, and that’s actually where I’ve hit all my home runs in my entire career,” Migliore said.
Wednesday’s win was the third straight for the Titans, who are in the midst of a run to try and make the 24-team district field.
“Obviously, our team’s goal is to get into the playoffs, and we’ve shown this week that we deserve to be in the playoffs,” Migliore said. “Each team so far, we’ve 10-run ruled them, and I feel this was a big step because our team chemistry has been so good.
“We’ve come out each game this week and played how we know how to play softball, and that’s what makes me love this team so much. No matter how bad we do or how good we do, we’re always picking each other up after each inning. That’s what’s so incredible about us. We might be losing, and in these three games, we’ve come back and won by 10. It’s amazing to see.”
All but lost in the shuffle of the Titans’ offensive onslaught was the standout effort of Maddy Borowski in the circle. The junior hurler notched the complete game win, allowing three hits and two runs while striking out nine and walking two.
“My curve and my screw(ball) were the pitches I was using the majority of the time because they were just working better,” Borowski said. “Most of my stuff worked pretty well today.
“I feel like the key to having success for me is being able to spin it because having speed will do a lot, but it only takes a certain amount of time until they catch up.”
The Bucks managed just one hit – an infield single by Ana Glemser in the fifth – through five innings, and they got their final two hits and two runs in the bottom of the sixth. Bailey Demusz lined a one-out single to left, and Abby Lineman crushed a two-run home run to left center. It was the seventh home run of the season for the senior standout, but it could not detract from Borowski’s strong showing.
“Maddy had a ‘welcome to the world’ year last year,” Rosini said. “We had the COVID year her freshman year. She came in never playing varsity in her life, and she was our number one pitcher, and she threw 95 percent of the innings.
“It’s helped us to have two pitchers this season with Riley (Erb), the freshman. Maddy’s our horse, Maddy’s our stud, and especially this week – even on Monday, she had to come in and get us out of a tough game. When she throws strikes and she works ahead, she’s one of the best pitchers in the league. I’ll go to bat for her any day of the week. Today we got a lead, and she rode with it. We haven’t done that a lot this season.”
Borwoski fanned five in a row after inducing a fly ball to first out of the leadoff batter in the first. She took a no-hitter into the fifth inning, and the Titans gave her an early lead, erupting for four runs in the top of the third. With one out, freshman Sarah Geackel – filling in for catcher Marlena Hacker who was taking an AP test and arrived late – singled to right for her first varsity hit. Suzie Williams followed with a double to right center, and Geackel scored the game’s first run when CJ Haney hit a sacrifice fly to right.
“She’s our fifth different starting catcher,” Rosini said. “She did a good job, and I’m very, very happy for Sarah. The kids were so excited for her.”
An error – which would have been the third out – allowed a second run to cross the plate and set the stage for freshman Ella Wheeler, who ripped a two-run home run to deep center to give the Titans a 4-0 lead.
“All year long this year we’d get in a spot where we’d have runners on base and things like that, and we’d leave them on,” Rosini said. “Today a misplay opened the gates. We’ve had those chances before, but we’ve never taken advantage of them.
“This week we’ve started to take advantage of everything that a team is giving to us. You could see us all breathe a big sigh of relief. When Ella (Wheeler) hit that home run, that was it. We just felt, ‘Nobody’s getting us today.’ That was humungous.”
In the fourth, Migliore’s solo shot upped the lead to 5-0.
“She’s such a great kid,” Rosini said of Migliore. “She was one of our five catchers this year. She had to catch a game and got a concussion. She got a foul tip off her mask and was out almost two weeks. She’s just working her way back. I’m proud of her, I’m proud of how hard she’s worked to get to this spot.”
In the fifth, the Titans tacked on another run, thanks to Abby Magliaro’s RBI single to left. The Titans put eight runs on the board in the sixth with Migliore’s home run accounting for two, a West miscue resulting in two others. Highlights also included a two-run pinch hit single by Delaney Benjamin as well as singles by Williams and Haney (2 RBIs).
“The team chemistry is just so much better than what it used to be – coming back from COVID, not everyone being as social, so we were more awkward last year,” Borowski said. “But the team just works really well together. It’s a really good group of girls.
“You have to work as a team for this sport. It’s not a solo sport. You can’t just win when you’re playing for yourself. You have to be able to communicate with each other, you have to be loud on the bench and show that you want to be there. If not, there’s going to be tension throughout the team.”
The Titans got big offensive performances from Williams (2-for-4, 2R), Haney (2-for-3, R, 3 RBIs) and Migliore (2-for-3, 2HR, 3R, 3 RBIs).
“We did start the season off a little slower, but I feel like this past week, starting off by run-ruling Council Rock North and the next day doing the same thing (at Central Bucks East) – I think that just made us want to be in it and want to be competitive and want to fight for the win,” Borowski said.
Central Bucks South (8-9, 5-8 SOL) will travel to North Penn on Thursday, and Central Bucks West (4-11, 3-10) will be on the road at Central Bucks East on Thursday.
Central Bucks South 004 118 14-11-1
Central Bucks West 000 002 2-3-2
SOL Liberty/Freedom crossover
ABINGTON 3, UPPER MORELAND 2
Leanna Schenk broke a 2-2 tie in dramatic fashion with a solo home run to lead off the top of the fifth inning. That score stood the rest of the way, and the visiting Ghosts notched the hard-earned crossover win.
“Both pitchers did a great job today fooling hitters,” Abington coach Bob Baginski said. “UM really played well and gave us a tough game. We played better defense today led by junior co-captain Leanna Schenk, who also had the game-winning home run.”
Freshman Sam Wenhold notched the complete game win, scattering six hits and allowing two runs, striking out three and walking one.
The Ghosts put a run on the board in the top of the first, thanks to a two-out rally. Lauren Everitt grounded a single to center, and her courtesy runner, Shauna Rakus, stole second and scored when Hailey Hernandez singled to center.
In the second, the Ghosts added a run. Ella O’Rourke led off the inning with a single, and one out later, she moved up to second when Natalie Broskley singled. A walk to Aneesa Rohrer loaded the bases, and it looked as though the Golden Bears would escape unscathed when they collected the second out on an infield fly. O’Rourke scored on a miscue.
Upper Moreland evened the score with a run in the bottom of the second and another run in the fourth, but Schenk delivered the game-winner in the fifth.
Everitt (2-for-4) and Hernandez (2-for-3) led the Ghosts’ nine-hit attack.
Abington (8-8, 7-7 SOL) will travel to Plymouth Whitemarsh on Wednesday, and Upper Moreland (4-11, 3-9) will host William Tennent on Thursday.
Abington 110 010 0 3-9-0
Upper Moreland 010 100 0 2-6-0
Non-league
HARRY S TRUMAN 5, CONWELL-EGAN 1
The Tigers needed a win, and they got one, bringing a welcome end to a five-game skid. Jess Adams notched the win in the circle, scattering four hits and allowing one run, striking out three and walking one.
“Jess Adams was really good today,” Truman coach Rick Palmer said. “Sometimes command is an issue, but today she was locked in. Good team win that we needed.”
The Tigers scored a run in the top of the first. Courtney Nau led off the game with a single to center and stole second. She scored when Hannah Smith lined a one-out single to right field.
In the fourth, the Tigers got some much-needed insurance. Kylee Thomas singled to center to open the inning, and Nau followed with a single to left. A fielder’s choice erased Nau, but Smith delivered her second clutch hit of the game, a single to center to plate a run.
“Hannah Smith was great defensively and with the bat,” Palmer said.
With two outs, Emma Olsen lined a single to right, plating Smith, and Amariah McKnight’s single to left sent two runs across, giving the Tigers a 5-0 lead.
Conwell-Egan broke up the Tigers’ shutout bid with a run in the fourth, but that would be the extent of the scoring for both sides.
Nau’s 3-for-4 day with a run scored out of the leadoff spot led the Tigers. Smith was 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBIs. Adams had Truman’s lone extra-base hit – a triple.
Harry S Truman (6-10, 4-10 SOL) will travel to Pennsbury on Thursday.
Harry S Truman 104 000 0 5-10-2
Conwell-Egan 000 100 0 1-4-1
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