Check out the recaps for SOL softball teams in action Wednesday. Pennsbury/Neshaminy photos courtesy of Darryl Rule of J&D Photography. Upper Moreland/Springfield Twp photos courtesy of Kim Supko. Check back for galleries of both games.
SOL Patriot Division
PENNSBURY 4, NESHAMINY 2
In yet another classic battle between the neighboring rivals, it was the Falcons escaping with a walk-off win when – with two outs and one on in the bottom of the seventh inning, Taylor Askey ripped a two-run home run to right field, giving the Falcons the electrifying win.
“It was a typical Pennsbury-Neshaminy game,” Pennsbury coach Frank McSherry said. “Taylor Askey hit a bomb. She’s just a great athlete, she really is, and she’s on a tear right now.”
While Askey stole the spotlight with her seventh inning blast, the story of the game was the standout effort of Quinn McGonigle in the circle. The senior was pressed into emergency duty when senior ace Ainsley McClure was injured in a gym class earlier in the day.
McGonigle scattered five hits with no extra-base hits, and she struck out 10 and walked just one.
“The story of today is Quinn McGonigle,” McSherry said. “She did everything and more for us. In the first two innings, she had five strikeouts – five of the first six outs were strikeouts.
“She was so pumped up. We’ve never seen her throw this hard, never. Her speed went down a little bit as the game went on, but still, in the last inning, she led off with a walk – her only walk, and then she struck the next two kids out and then a ground ball to Cait (Martell) to end the game. She was so good, so good, and she probably made four or five plays up the middle. She’s a great athlete.”
The Falcons put a run on the board in the bottom of the first inning when Caitlyn Martell, who led off the inning with a single, scored on Rowan Mulholland’s RBI single.
In the third inning, Askey led off with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Martell.
The Redskins evened the score with a pair of runs in the fifth inning. Carena Barr and Kennedie Ruth led off the frame with back-to-back singles. After a strikeout and fielder’s choice, the Redskins had runners on second and third with two outs. McSherry elected to pitch to leadoff batter Amanda Slabicki with a base open, and she made him pay, collecting a two-run single that knotted the score. Slabicki had two of the Redskins’ five hits, and three of Neshaminy’s hits came in the fifth inning.
Setting the stage for Askey’s seventh inning heroics was a Riley Mahony two-strike single with one out. With two outs, Mahony stole second, and the stage was set for Askey’s clutch blast.
Contributing multiple hits for the Falcons were Mulholland and Askey with two hits each.
Pennsbury closed out its regular season with a 19-1 record. Their only loss came to New Jersey power St. Dominic’s. The Falcons were a perfect 16-0 in league play and found themselves atop the District One 6A seedings after the win.
“It doesn’t happen very often,” McSherry said of his team’s remarkable regular season. “We had a tremendous group of kids who really, really bought in. From the seniors who led them to the juniors and sophomores we had playing, they all contributed.”
Neshaminy (15-5, 12-4 SOL) is the 11th seed in the latest power rankings.
Neshaminy 000 020 0 2-5-0
Pennsbury 101 000 2 4-7-1
SOL Patriot/Colonial crossover
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 3, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 2 (11 innings)
The Golden Hawks – trailing by one – needed a gutsy comeback in the seventh inning to knot the score, and neither team scored again until the Hawks’ dramatic walk-off win in the bottom of the 11th inning.
With the international tiebreaker in effect, the Hawks started the inning with Avery Tumolo on second base, and she moved up to third on a sacrifice bunt by Grace Stepp. Ameerah Wheet’s successfully executed suicide squeeze bunt brought Tumolo home with the game-winner for the walk-off win.
“The games are going down to the wire,” Rock South coach Dan Schram said. “Everybody is playing softball out in front. We played Truman yesterday, and they played great. West played great today.
“Their pitchers both pitched dynamite games. We were fortunate today to win. I always say – good teams get good breaks. This is a winning season for South, so I guess a good team got a good break today.”
Earlier, the Bucks manufactured a run in the top of the first when Chloe Dryden, who drew a leadoff walk, stole second, advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on a wild pitch.
The Golden Hawks evened the score in the bottom of the second. With two outs, Julia Scannapieco was safe on an error and was replaced by courtesy runner Maddie McLean, who advanced to second on a passed ball and then stole third. Gabby Bloom’s single plated McLean for the game’s first run.
In the top of the sixth, Abby Lineman smashed another home run – this one a solo shot to center field that put the Bucks on top 2-1.
In a wild top of the seventh, the Bucks loaded the bases with two outs. Ella Harlan doubled to right, and Sienna Lawson and Chloe Dryden drew back-to-back walks to load the bases. Lexi Waring – entering the game in relief – came up with a huge strikeout to end that threat.
In the bottom of the seventh. Bloom drew a one-out walk, and advanced to second on Devon Wach’s single. Both advanced on a dropped third strike. An overthrow allowed Bloom to score from second on the play, knotting the score and setting the stage for extra innings.
Scannapieco started the game for the Golden Hawks and threw 6.2 innings, allowing three hits and two runs while striking out five and walking five.
“She pitched brilliantly – she was great,” Schram said.
Scannapieco was relieved by Waring in the top of the seventh. The freshman hurler struck out the first batter she faced to end a two-out, bases-loaded threat and went on to earn the win.
In 4.1 shutout innings, Waring allowed one hit, struck out six and walked two.
“She just shut them down,” said Schram. “Gabby Bloom played great – she started in right field and then switched to left when Lex came in to pitch, but she made all her plays in right. Devon Wach played great at third and had two big hits for us.”
Lawson and Bailey Demusz split time in the circle for the Bucks. Lawson started and threw fiving innings, allowing three hits and one run while striking out three and walking none. Demusz closed out the game, allowing one hit and two runs, striking out three and walking three in 5.1 innings.
Demusz also had two of West’s four hits.
Council Rock South (10-8, 8-7 SOL) is 21st in the latest District One 6A power rankings. Central Bucks West (4-14, 3-13) will travel to Mount St. Joseph for a non-league game.
Central Bucks West 100 001 000 00 2-4-2
Council Rock South 010 000 100 01 3-4-1
SOL Liberty Division
SOUDERTON 8, CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 1
Abby Burns reached an impressive milestone.
The Indians’ senior pitcher notched the 400th strikeout of her standout career. This despite missing her entire sophomore season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Propelled by another strong outing by Burns in the circle, the Indians rolled to the win, opening up an early lead and never looking back. Burns allowed three hits and one run, struck out eight and walked three.
The Indians scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the first, thanks to consecutive two-out singles by Riley York, Kendell Clemmer and Taylor Nelson to load the bases. Brooke Scotti followed with a single that drove in a pair. Souderton, benefitting from four walks, added a pair of runs in the second to go on top 4-0.
The Patriots scored their lone run in the top of the fourth when Amelia Funston drew a walk, and two outs later, Chloe Urankar lined a single to left that plated Funston.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Indians capitalized on a costly East miscue and benefitted from singles by Olivia Plinke and Cam Nadolski as well as a sacrifice fly by Riley York to score two more runs.
Burns hit a solo home run to center field in the fifth inning, and one inning later, Riley York ripped a home run to left field for the 8-1 final.
York’s 2-for-3 day at the plate with a home run, two runs scored and three RBIs led the Indians. Scotti singled and had a pair of RBIs.
Souderton (12-7, 9-7 SOL) – ranked 17th in the latest District One 6A power rankings – is scheduled to host Hatboro-Horsham in a non-league contest Thursday. Central Bucks East (7-11, 4-11) – 27th in the latest district power rankings – will travel to Council Rock North for a crossover game on Thursday..
Central Bucks East 000 100 0 1-3-1
Souderton 220 211 x 8-8-1
SOL Freedom Division
UPPER MORELAND 13, SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 12
As endings go, this was definitely a good one for the Golden Bears, who entered the bottom of the seventh locked in a 12-12 tie with the visiting Spartans. With two outs and runners on second and
third, Devyn Kneise – 24 hours removed from a 4-for-5 effort in a big win over New Hope-Solebury – stepped to the plate.
“She looked down to third at me and smiled – I knew she would get the job done,” UM coach Melanie Martino said. “She ended the game and our season with a solid double to score the winning run.”
Prior to Kneise’s heroics, the game was a back-and-forth affair for seven innings. The Spartans led 3-2 after one inning, but the Golden Bears erupted for eight runs in the second inning.
“Our offense the second inning was led by our players’ pitch selection and a single by Natalie Walton, an RBI from Ava Bailey and an 
RBI double by Kniese,” Martino said.
The Spartans battled their way back with four runs in the third, and they kept chipping away, knotting the score 12-12 in the sixth and setting the stage for the dramatic seventh.
“Springfield has a solid team,” Martino said. “Our team came today to win and end our season with a win. I was proud of their efforts and how composed they stayed, especially our pitchers.
“Our senior pitcher Lea Rizzo is a quiet player who has continued to get the job done when it matters. She will be truly missed in our lineup.”
Upper Moreland (5-11 SOL) closed out its season with a 6-13 record. Springfield Twp (6-9, 6-8) will travel to William Tennent on Thursday.
Springfield Twp 314 121 0 12
Upper Moreland 280 110 1 13
Non-league
QUAKERTOWN 6, PENNRIDGE 0
Sydney Andrews made it look easy.
The Panthers’ senior ace needed just nine pitches to strike out the side in the top of the first. It turned out to be a preview of things to come. Andrews allowed just two hits – both singles – and struck out 16, including eight of the first nine batters she faced. She did not walk a batter and needed just 76 pitches in the complete game win – 62 of those pitches were strikes.
For good measure, Andrews was 4-for-4 at the plate with three RBIs.
“It was definitely the ‘Syd Show’ tonight between her pitching and her hitting,” Quakertown coach Dave Scott said. “She was very fired up to start the game. She’s an emotional kid, so she was able to channel it and do well.
“I was a little worried because she is emotional that she might let her emotions get the better of her, and she didn’t, so I was really proud of the way she played tonight. She really worked well within the strike zone, mixed in the change-up when she needed to. You kind of had a feeling after the first inning when she struck out the side on nine pitches – you kind of had the vibe it was going to be a good night for her. It was really impressive, it was actually fun to watch.”
The two teams entered the fifth inning locked in a scoreless tie as Pennridge’s Averi Dockery was turning in an impressive outing of her own.
The Panthers put their first two batters on board in the second, thanks to back-to-back singles by Andrews and Katie Muller. Dockery calmly struck out the next three batters she faced to squash that potential rally.
“Pennridge really played well,” Scott said. “Their pitcher (Dockery) has a very bright future. She really threw well. You can see there’s a lot of potential there. She kept us off balance.”
The Panthers put a pair of runs on the board in the bottom of the fifth, benefitting from a walk and a Rams’ miscue as well as singles by Ava Beal and Andrews (RBI). A second run crossed the plate on a fielder’s choice.
In the bottom of the sixth, Grace Baker and Skyler Williams led off with back-to-back singles with Williams legging out a bunt. A pair of errors as well as a two-run single by Andrews allowed the Panthers to put four more runs on the board.
Andrews put an exclamation point on the impressive win the annual rivalry game, striking out the side in the top of the seventh – this time on 10 pitches.
“It’s great,” Scott said. “The kids have been talking about this game for two weeks. Booster Club reached out and did all the legwork with Pennridge, and we used it as a joint fundraiser – we’re going to donate some funds to charity from the 50-50 we ran.
“A lot of the girls know each other. It was a great atmosphere, it was a great night.”
Quakertown (16-3, 14-2) is seventh in the latest District One 6A power rankings, and Pennridge (9-10, 7-9) is 23rd. The rankings will be finalized on Thursday night when all the scores have been reported.
Pennridge 000 000 0 0-2-5
Quakertown 000 024 x 6-10-0
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 13, MOUNT ST. JOSEPH 3 (6 innings)
The Colonials erupted for eight runs in the second inning and never looked back on their way to the convincing win in a non-league contest.
“We had our starters in for a while, got a nice little lead, and we were able to get some subs in the game and get them some reps which was nice,” PW coach Mike Perez said. “It’s good to get the subs in to get some reps, and it was good to get the starters some rest. We’ve had some emotionally draining games over the last week or so. It was nice to sit back and relax a little bit.”
Lauryn Kane had the big blow in the eight-run second with a bases-clearing triple to left field that plated three runs. Rian Reed also had an RBI triple. Haylie Lindley got the ball rolling with a leadoff double to left field. The Colonials also benefitted from three walks, a hit batter and a Mount error.
The Colonials added single runs in the third and fourth and opened up a 13-2 lead with three runs in a sixth inning that included singles by Madison Moran, Jenna Yablon and Marissa Perez (RBI). The Mount scored one in the bottom of the inning, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the early end to the contest.
Perez (2-for-3, R, 2 RBIs) and Reed (2-for-3, 2B, 3B, 3R, RBI) led the Colonials’ attack.
Moore threw two scoreless innings, allowing one hit while striking out three and walking none. Reed closed out the game.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (11-5 SOL) – 15th in the latest District One 6A power rankings – closed out its regular season with a 14-6 record.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 081 103 13-9-1
Mount St. Joseph 000 021 3-7-3
ABINGTON 9, UPPER MERION 8
The Ghosts exploded for seven runs in the top of seventh, turning an 8-2 deficit into a 9-8 win. Sydney Steiner’s four-hit effort at the plate led the Ghosts’ 16-hit attack.
“The resilience that these girls show is amazing,” Abington coach Bob Baginski said. “We had a few girls down with injuries and sickness tonight, so we had a few girls out of position.
“However, they never gave up even down 8-2 heading to the top of the seventh. As a coaching staff, we are so pleased with our team’s constant energy, effort and teamwork. Having a winning season is a true accomplishment for these fine young adults.”
The comeback rally began with a one-out error by the Vikings and included singles from Lauren Everitt (RBI), Hailey Hernandez and Liz Hippel. Sydney Steiner’s double to right field plated a run, and Ellie Pierce’s triple to left field brought home a pair of runs.
In the sixth inning, Steiner led off with a solo home run to center field. Steiner’s two-out single to center in the first accounted for the Rams’ first run.
Steiner’s 4-for-4 with a double, home run, two runs scored and three RBIs led the Ghosts. Hernandez was 3-for-4 with a run scored while Aneesa Rohrer was 3-for-5 with a run scored and RBI out of the leadoff spot. Also finishing with multiple hits were Everitt (2-for-4, RBI) and Hippel (2-for-3, R, RBI). Ellie Pierce was 1-for-2 with a double, run scored and two RBIs.
Sam Wenhold notched the complete game win.
Abington (8-8 SOL) closed out its regular season with an 11-9 record. The Ghosts were 24th in the latest District One 6A power rankings.
Abington 100 001 7 9-16-1
Upper Merion 104 102 0 8-13-6
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 4, GWYNEDD MERCY 3
The Titans closed out their regular season with a hard-fought win over the visiting Monarchs. Coach Kevin Rosini is hoping the win will be enough to propel the Titans – perched firmly on the bubble – into the District One 6A Tournament.
“We hung in there today, made some plays and got some clutch pitching when we needed it and got a couple of big hits,” Rosini said. “We managed to sneak out of there with a win, and now we’re just waiting and seeing.
“If we can find our way into the playoffs, that will be a tremendous building block for this group.”
Maddy Borowski notched the complete game win, allowing three hits while striking out 11. Her final strikeout was her 100th of the season.
“She only gave up three hits, but they had a bunch of runners on because of a few walks here and there, a couple of hit batters,” Rosini said. “We had a couple of really good defensive plays.”
Marlena Hacker had a big day at the plate, finishing 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Her two-run single in the fifth inning broke a 2-2 tie. Earlier in the fifth, Gabby DeVito doubled to lead off the frame, and Suzie Williams was safe on an error. Ella Brenner’s sacrifice put both runners in scoring position for Hacker, who delivered.
In the second inning, Allie Franck doubled, moved to third on a groundout, and one out later scored on a wild pitch. In the third, Williams collected a one-out single, was sacrificed over to second and scored on Hacker’s two-out RBI single.
The Titans took a 4-2 lead into the seventh.
“They had a single, double error and a single to make it 4-3 and then a walk to load the bases with no outs, and Maddy struck out the next three hitters,” Rosini said. “Her 11th strikeout to end the game was her 100th of the season.”
In addition to Hacker, Williams was 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored, Abby Magliaro was 2-for-3 while Franck and DeVito both doubled and scored a run.
Central Bucks South (6-10 SOL) closed out its regular season with an 8-11 record. The Titans moved up from 27th to 24th immediately after the win but fell to 25th in the latest District One 6A power rankings, which remain subject to change as results are reported.
Gwynedd Mercy 101 000 1 3-3-1
Central Bucks South 011 020 x 4-11-3
UPPER DUBLIN 18, RADNOR 3 (4 innings)
The Flying Cardinals scored early and often and brought an early end to Wednesday’s season finale with a 10-run outburst in the fourth inning.
“The coaching staff is proud of the team’s resiliency after a tough loss to Hatboro yesterday,” UD coach Heather Boyer said. “We talked about coming out today playing solid defense, throwing strikes, and being aggressive at the plate. The girls capitalized in all three categories to close out the season on a positive note.”
Leading the Cardinals’ 18-hit attack was Avery Lennon, who was 3-for-4 with three runs scored. Abby Olshefski was 2-for-3 with a two-run triple and three runs scored, and Madden Reilly was 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Emeline Bell had three runs scored and two stolen bases, and Kaelin Penna was 2-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBIs.
In the circle Meredith McKenna notched her first varsity win, allowing just three hits while striking out eight and walking none.
Upper Dublin (5-11 SOL) closed out its season with a 6-14 record.
Upper Dublin 116 10 18-18-1
Radnor 020 1 3-3-5
WISSAHICKON 12, HARRITON 0 (5 innings)
The visiting Trojan made easy business of the Rams in a non-league contest, opening up a 5-0 lead after two innings and bringing an early end to the contest with a seven-run fifth inning.
Emi Fox led the Trojans with a perfect 4-for-4 day at the plate that included a double, triple, three runs scored and two RBIs. Luca Penna was 2-for-3 with a double, three runs scored, two RBIs and a walk. Grace Franczyk was 2-for-3 with a double, run scored, RBI and walk, and Meredith Walsh was 1-for-2 with a double, two runs scored, RBI and walk. Maren Carter was 1-for-3 with a run scored.
Emma Dutill notched the win in the circle, allowing two hits in five shutout innings, striking out eight and walking a pair.
Wissahickon (12-7, 10-5 SOL) was seeded 19th in the latest District One 6A power rankings.
Wissahickon 230 07 12
Harriton 000 00 0
VILLA JOSEPH MARIE 7, HARRY S TRUMAN 4
The visiting Jems opened up a 6-0 lead before the Tigers plated four late runs, scoring twice in both the sixth and seventh innings.
In the sixth, Kylee Thomas drew a one-out walk, and she scored when Courtney Nau hit a two-run home run to left field.
In the seventh, Jess Adams doubled to left to lead off the inning, and one out later Teyana Towner singled. With two outs, Ava Kilner drew a walk to load the bases, and a pair of runs scored when Emily Davis grounded a single to center.
On a day that saw the Tigers manage just five hits, Nau was 2-for-4 with a double and home run, one run scored and two RBIs out of the leadoff spot.
For the Jems, Ava Tsiouplis (2-for-4, 2B, 2R), Maria Gordon (2-for-4, R, 3 RBIs) and Abigail Evans (2-for-4, 2 RBIs) led the way.
Leah Pagano notched the complete game win, allowing just five hits and four runs, striking out four and walking two.
Harry S Truman (5-11 SOL) closed out its season with a 7-12 record.
Villa Joseph Marie 013 011 1 7-7-1
Harry S Truman 000 002 2 4-5-2
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