National Conference
Neshaminy 10, Council Rock North 0 (5 innings)
Lauren Quense has been coming oh-so-close to getting a no-hitter. The sophomore standout finally got one on Monday, and she did it in style, shutting down a red hot Indian offense for five nearly-perfect innings. She had only one walk and struck out five.
“She was in command,” coach Dave Chichilitti said. “Against Bristol, she had a perfect game for six innings and gave up one hit.
“Against Garnet Valley Saturday, she had a perfect game except for one hit, and she finally got it done today.”
For those who are doing the math, Quense has allowed two hits and zero runs in the last three games combined.
“Our fielding was phenomenal,” said Chichilitti. “Sarah (McGowan) made some incredible plays at third base.
“To shut down an offensive team like that – no more hitting streak for Dom Pinto. She’s one of the best players in the league, but Quense was in command today.”
While Quense was working her magic on the mound, the Redskins’ offense was pounding out 19 hits. They put four runs on the board in the first and then added two more in the second, one in the third, two in the fourth and one in the fifth.
Sarah McGowan was a perfect 4-for-4 with two RBIs, Quense was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and Courtney Clee was 2-for-4 with two RBIs to lead the Redskins’ high-powered attack.
“Every single girl except one had two hits, and she had two sacrifices and a walk,” Chichilitti said. “It’s a great win.
“We played games this year that challenged us. We had good losses, and our team is peaking right now. Those losses taught us something about ourselves, and we continue to improve on them.”
While the Redskins improved to 12-1 in league play (15-2 overall), the Indians fell to 11-3 in the league (12-5 overall).
Abington 9, Harry S. Truman 6
Truman was playing for its district playoff life. Abington was playing for pride, and in the end, it was the Ghosts – driven by the memory of the game they’d let slip away the last time the two teams met – earning their biggest win of the season in their final game.
“I think (our motivation) came from knowing Truman had something on the line with the playoffs, and we wanted to play the spoiler,” Abington coach Ellie White said. “It gave us something to shoot for.
“It was fun, it was a fun game.”
The game started out on a promising note for the Ghosts when Rachel Holden – who reached first on a walk – scored on a three-base throwing error on a pick-off attempt at first. Holden walked three times on the day and scored all three times.
Angie LaMaina, who was 2-for-3, tripled and scored on a fielder’s choice by Hannah Bratzler, putting the Ghosts on top 2-0.
The Tigers came back to take a 3-2 lead in the third, but it was short-lived as the Ghosts answered with a four-run outburst to go on top 6-3. Holden delivered a home run, and Bratzler – who had a career day – hit a three-run home run.
Truman cut the lead to 6-4, but the Ghosts plated three runs in the sixth. Bratzler’s second home run of the game – this time a two-run shot – was the highlight of the inning. She finished the day with six RBIs.
“For the past four or five games, she’s been hitting the ball really well,” White said. “She did a great job against Tennent and kept us in that game.
“Today she was killing the ball. The ball she hit for her second home run is still rolling. That would have cleared any fence. You knew it as soon as she hit it, and for her to end her career on that note was great.”
The game ended with Bratzler – after Truman had plated a single run in the seventh – catching a fly ball for the game’s final out.
“It was her day,” White said.
Monday’s win avenged a heartbreaking 9-8 loss to Truman in a game the Ghosts led 7-0.
“This win had to do with that game also,” White said. “There were a lot of emotions riding on this game, and they just came out and played.”
The Ghosts won four of their last eight games after dropping their first 12 to open the season.
“We just kept on playing, kept on driving and kept on going to work every day,” White said. “I’m glad the seniors could go out with a win.
“I’m glad that the underclassmen could end the season with a win, and they can come back in September, and we can start out brand new again.”
Continental Conference
Centrral Bucks South 6, Central Bucks West 0
Fran Carrullo celebrated Senior Day by tossing a no-hitter, striking out 11 in the complete-game gem. The Titans scored five runs in the third and one in the sixth.
Morgan Decker delivered a two-run triple in the third. Lauren Klepchick led the offense with a perfect 3-for-3 day at the plate. Kim Rowe was 2-for-2 with an RBI. Cait Bechta, Haileigh Stocks and Lauren Kleinschmidt also contributed RBIs.
Central Bucks East 6, Souderton 2
The Patriots did what no team had done since North Penn defeated Souderton on April 19, bringing to a halt an 11-game winning streak for an Indian squad that found itself trailing first place Hatboro by just one game.
A Hatter loss at the hands of North Penn and a Souderton win would have given the Indians a share of the conference title. Neither scenario happened.
The Patriots are familiar with playing the role of spoiler. Last year, they handed the Indians a loss that cost them a spot in districts. This time, the price wasn’t as high for the Indians, but coach Erin Scott is hoping this win will propel her squad – which upped its overall mark to 11-7 – into the district playoffs.
“I knew this game was going to be important,” the Patriots’ coach said. “We lost to Quakertown on Thursday, and I was disappointed because we left a lot of runners in scoring position, and we made a couple of mistakes.
“I knew it was going to be tough to get into playoffs, and I said to them after that game, ‘If we don’t beat Souderton, we won’t make the playoffs. If we win, our chances will be a lot better.’”
The Patriots responded by notching the huge Senior Day win.
“When we played Quakertown, it was their Senior Day, and I think that does have an impact,” Scott said. “I am so proud of this group. They came up huge today.
“Offensively, people were hitting, people were producing, people were doing what they needed to do, and things were falling into place. Things were going our way.”
The Indians plated an unearned run in the first, but the Patriots got that back when Allie Chase delivered a solo home run in the second. Souderton took a 2-1 lead in the top of the third, but in the bottom of the inning, the Patriots put three runs on the board when Julia Schoenewald delivered a three-run home run. Earlier in the inning, Caroline Schoenewald reached base on an error and Jess Haug singled.
The Patriots added single runs in the fifth and sixth to ice the win.
Pitchers Jayme Ziegler and Sierra Huckfeldt limited the Indians to just three hits. Megan Weisel had two of those hits.
“Our pitchers did a really good job,” Scott said. “We have two young pitchers, and they really stepped into the role and have done the best they could against a lot of really strong hitting teams.”
The Indians closed out the regular season with a 10-4 record in league play (14-4 overall).
Hatboro-Horsham 5, North Penn 2
The Hatters had a not-so-little score to settle when they traveled to North Penn on Monday. It turns out they hadn’t forgotten how the Maidens rallied for a come-from-behind win on their home field earlier this season – one of only two losses on the season for the Hatters.
There was also the equally important matter of clinching sole possession of the Continental Conference crown.
They took care of business on both counts.
“This game meant a lot,” Hatboro second baseman Jackie DiPietro said. “Winning the championship was big, and we’re all ready for it, but this game meant a lot because they beat us the last time.
“We wanted to come back and show them we’re a good team, and we’re not going to let them pound on us.”
DiPietro was the sparkplug that ignited the Hatters on Monday. The diminutive second baseman was a perfect 3-for-3, a performance that included a bunt single, a slap single and a triple over the centerfielder’s head that plated a pair of runs in the Hatters’ three-run sixth.
“I just try and mix it up,” DiPietro said. “Every pitch I look at what the infield is doing and try to find the gaps, and it was just working well today.”
On the mound, Maggie Shaffer was once again in command for the Hatters. The Maidens managed just five hits – all singles, and sophomore Michelle Holweger accounted for two of those.
“She is a good pitcher,” Holweger said. “She throws it outside and low a lot.
“I have been struggling the past couple of games. I have been hitting them right at people, but they’re starting to fall again.”
The Hatters spotted Shaffer a 2-0 lead in the second. Val Sadowl lofted a one-out double to center, and she scored on Kelsey Kolzer’s drive to the fence in right center. An error allowed Koelzer to cross the plate.
In the sixth, the Hatters added three more runs. Pinch hiter Maria Spinosa opened the inning with a bloop single, and one out later, pinch hitter Daria Edwards collected an infield single. Both runners scored on DiPietro’s triple, and Melissa Spinosa’s suicide squeeze put the Hatters on top 5-0.
According to coach Joe DiFilippo, losing Monday’s game was never a consideration.
“I knew all along, and you know what – the girls knew all along,” he said. “They wanted to play this game so bad. North Penn battled.”
The Maidens got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth.
Jess Mower led off with a bloop single to left, and Holweger drew a walk. Stephanie Kulp’s bunt single loaded the bases with none out. A one-out sacrifice fly by Kellianna Bradstreet put the Maidens on the scoreboard, and a second run crossed the plate on the Hatters’ lone error of the game.
“We’re not hitting the ball like we did at the beginning of the season,” Maiden coach Rick Torresani said. “We didn’t give up, and we didn’t let down.
“We have to take this as a tune-up for the playoffs – go out there and work hard and try and do the things we’ve been doing all year long.”
While the Hatters are 12-2 in league play (18-2 overall), the Maidens closed out the league season with an 8-6 record (13-6 overall).
“We all just need to start hitting the ball,” Mower said. “We started off the season really well, and now we’re in a slump, but we’ll get out of it. I have confidence in my team.”
Pennridge 2, Quakertown 1
The Rams celebrated Senior Night with a hard-fought win over their neighboring rivals. Both teams plated single runs in the fourth inning, and the Rams scored the game winner in the sixth inning.
Paige DeCew earned the win on the mound, scattering six hits while walking none and striking out nine. The Panthers’ lone run was unearned.
Justyna Pepkowski absorbed the loss, allowing seven hits while walking five and striking out two.
Karlie McCreary and Haley Taylor led the Rams with two hits and one RBI each.
American Conference
The Trojans put the finishing touches on another championship season with Monday’s 5-2 win over Cheltenham.
“Every game is difficult – I don’t care who it is,” coach Jerry Hartman said. “Every team is out to play well.
“A passed ball here, an error there, a timely hit – it’s not quite like basketball where you have your 20-point-a-game person. The kids played hard this year. We battled each game, and we took one game at a time.”
No one has been more instrumental in the Trojans’ success than junior mound ace Katie Ziegler, who does it all for the Trojans. In Monday’s win, Ziegler not only notched the win on the mound – allowing six hits while striking out 15, she also contributed a three- run home run.
“She’s one of the best players in the league,” Hartman said. “She can hit the ball well, and she’s a good pitcher, but even more importantly, she’s the leader of the team.
“She can play defense, she can run the bases. The only time I take her off the base paths is when I want her to get a little blow. She’s such a good athlete and such a good softball player – it’s nice to have someone like that on your team.”
The Trojans took a 1-0 lead in the first, but the Lady Panthers knotted the score in the second. Ziegler’s three-run blast in the fifth gave the Trojans a lead they would not lose.
Rebecca Marinucci contributed a triple for the Trojans while Rachel Philbin had a pair of hits. Kellie Gilman and Marina Mellor each added one hit.
The Trojans closed out their league season with a 10-2 mark in league play.
“The two losses we had we played the same team back-to-back, which didn’t help us, but you do what you have to do,” Hartman said. “We didn’t play as well as we should have in either one of those games.
“Cheltenham started off the season slow, but (Lesenia) Santiago is a good pitcher. They all have nice teams. I was proud to see my girls come through. We had a little lull here and there, but we were pretty consistent overall.”
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