Hatboro-Horsham 1, Central Bucks South 0
Megan Kelly was impassive as she talked about her team’s 1-0 win over Central Bucks South in an SOL thriller on Tuesday night.
“”We work hard, and any win is a good win,” the senior centerfielder said. “It feels good to win any game.”
This wasn’t just any game.
This was a game pitting the Continental Conference’s top two squads, and although the Titans still hold a one-game lead over the Hatters in the battle for the top spot, the Hatters – who fell to the Titans 1-0 in an earlier meeting - proved that not a whole lot separates the two teams.
“The bottom line is you can’t win every single game,” South coach Jen Robinson said. “You’d like to, and we’ve been fortunate enough to do that most of the time, but we’ll pick our heads up and play our next game on Thursday – hopefully come out and make the changes we need to make.”
The Hatters managed just three hits off South hurler Haileigh Stocks.
“She pitched incredibly,” Robinson said. “She pitched a heck of a game.”
Interestingly, the Hatters didn’t need any of their three hits to win this one as they scored the game’s only run without the benefit of a hit.
It happened in the bottom of the first. Kelly was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame, and it was safe all around, thanks to an errant throw to second on a comebacker to the mound by Chrissy James. Val Sadowl’s sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third, and Kelly raced home on Chelsea Edwards’ sacrifice fly to center field.
“Any run matters,” Edwards said. “Any time there’s a runner on base, we try and get them in.”
“That was great,” Kelly said. “The last time we played them we lost by one, and it just felt good to get a run on the board.
“We still played the game like it was 0-0 though.”
Robinson was confident her team could get that early run back.
“It was only the first inning,” the Titans’ coach said. “It’s a shame it was on mistakes. If you make mistakes against a good team, it’s going to hurt you obviously.
“You had to think we had six more innings, and our team hits well. We had runners on in every inning except the first and seventh. You’re thinking you’re going to get them in, but unfortunately, it didn’t happen today.”
Pitcher Maggie Shaffer and the Hatters spent the next six innings delivering one big pitch, one big play after another. If it wasn’t Shaffer – who fanned 12 - pulling the string on one of her nasty change-ups to baffle the Titans, it was her teammates throwing some serious leather at the Titans.
In the fourth, Lauren Klepchick collected a one-out single, and Dani London followed with a screaming line drive that had base hit written all over it. Until, that is, second baseman Chrissy James snagged it with a perfectly-timed leap and then calmly threw to first for the inning-ending double play.
“We talk about making the great play every time, just going all out,” Kelly said. “Chrissy did it right there. She’s absolutely amazing.”
The Hatters’ defense wasn’t finished yet.
In the sixth, Morgan Decked drew a two-out walk, and Klepchick hit a sharp grounder into the shortstop hole that was hauled in by a diving Jackie DiPietro. The Hatters’ third baseman got back on her feet and fired to first for the out to end the inning.
“It’s the little things,” Edwards said. “Little things win games.”
Shaffer tossed a one-two-three seventh that included the sophomore hurler freezing the leadoff batter with a wicked change-up for a called third strike.
“I’m so confident in Maggie,” Kelly said. “She’s like ‘lights out.’ She puts those sunglasses on, and she’s cold as ice and pitches it right in there.”
“Maggie pitched very well,” Hatboro coach Kelly Krier said. “She did what she’s been doing all year, which is pitching out of jams, staying calm with the heart of their lineup standing in front of her. She stood on the mound, focused in, hit her spots and did a great job.”
Despite their suggestions to the contrary, Tuesday night’s win under the lights at the Hatboro Little League Complex had to feel just a little bit more special than most.
“Senior Night – it feels good,” Kelly said. “I started playing on this field when I was young, and it felt good to be here again.”
“It’s so much fun,” senior Chelsea Edwards said. “The adrenaline is pumping. It’s a great time.”
As a result of the win, the Hatters improved to 8-2 in league play while the Titans are 9-1.
Springfield 2, Norristown 1
Ed Jones had a difficult time finding the words to describe his emotions after his team’s huge upset of the defending conference champion Eagles.
“I’m so excited,” he said. “This is something. This just might put us over the top and pull us together.”
The Spartans won it in dramatic fashion in the bottom of the seventh. Samantha Juliano singled to open the inning and moved up to second on a passed ball. Brighid Flynn was safe on an error, putting runners on second and third.
Juliano scampered home on a passed ball to knot the score. With one out and Flynn running on contact, Maggie Harkins hit an infield grounder. Flynn beat the throw to the plate, and a win was in the books for the Spartans.
“This means the whole season, the whole season,” Jones said. “To win this game like this – you play Norristown 10 more times, and they beat us 10 times.
“It meant so much to these kids, and to see them charge home plate at the end of the game almost brought tears to your eyes. Maggie Harkins is a senior designated hitter for us – what a thrill for her.”
The game started out on a shaky note when starting pitcher Samantha Juliano arrived late because of AP testing, forcing Jones to insert freshman Maria Vido on the mound.
“She doesn’t pitch – she just throws underhand,” the Spartans’ coach said.
Vido walked the first batter she faced, but catcher Carly Ludwig gunned her down trying to steal second. Shari Lynn Kluth followed with a single, and she attempted to steal single.
Again, Ludwig threw her out. Vido struck out the next batter she faced, and the Spartans survived unscathed.
Juliano took the mound in the second, and the Spartans threw some more leather at the Eagles, escaping an inning that saw Norristown put a pair on board.
“The defense was looking really sharp,” Jones said.
In the third inning, Springfield shortstop Elise DiFilippo pulled the trigger on a 6-4-3 double play. In the fourth, the Eagles collected two hits, and once again the Spartans escaped damage, thanks to a double play.
The Spartans collected their first hit of the game in the fourth when Kellie O’Donnell singled.
In the fifth, Juliano retired the side in order, but she received an assist from centerfielder Taylor Delmonte.
“She made a beautiful shoestring catch coming in,” Jones said.
The Eagles got on the scoreboard in the sixth when Kluth, who singled, scored on Gabbie Berry’s sacrifice fly to center.
That set the stage for the fantastic finish.
“It was just a great game for us,” Jones said. “No errors and we turned double plays, we’re catching balls over our shoulders, we’re throwing people out who are stealing. Carly Ludwig had the game of her life back there. They finally played like they practice.”
Kluth and Sammy Kidd each had a pair of hits for the Eagles. Daisy Foster, who worked two and a third innings in relief, did not allow an earned run but was charged with the loss. Sara Rosetti pitched four and two thirds shutout innings, striking out two and allowing only one hit.
The Spartans are 2-8 in the league while the Eagles are 8-2.
North Penn 7, Souderton 3
Souderton appeared to have some early momentum when Olivia Shoemaker lofted a solo home run over the left field fence in the top of the first. That momentum lasted all of a half inning as the Maidens – thanks to a single by Mary Ward and a two-run blast over the right field fence by Steph Farrar – answered with a pair in the bottom of the inning.
“We know we’re better than we have been playing,” said Farrar, who had a pair of hits and reached base on all three trips to the plate. “We have to move on from the past.
“We have been clicking better. We were always a strong team and now just helping each other and working with each other – it’s been great.”
After the Maidens tacked on a pair of unearned runs in the second, Steph Kulp hit her seventh home run of the season in the third – a two-run shot to deep center that put the Maidens on top 6-1. Ward’s RBI infield single made it a 7-1 game before the Indians plated a pair in the seventh.
Shoemaker was a near-perfect 3-for-4 for the Indians, and according to the senior second baseman, the tide turned in the Maidens favor in the second when winning pitcher Kellianna Bradstreet retired the Indians in order.
“She (Farrar) had a nice hit,” Shoemaker said. “I give her credit. It was a beautiful home run, but when you don’t come back from things like that and you don’t put runs on the board and you have a one-two-three innings after that – that’s when things start to collapse, and you start to lose momentum. That’s what happened.”
The Maidens improved to 6-4 in league play (9-5 overall) while the Indians fell to 5-5 in the league (5-5 overall).
“We hit the ball well and played real good defense,” Maiden coach Rick Torresani said. “That’s a very good team. There’s a reason they’re 9-4 and third in the league.
“We’re starting to play Maiden softball. Jess Mower is just playing a great shortstop and saved us – I don’t know how many times today, and we came up with some hits.”
Mower had the game’s defensive gem when she speared a line drive heading up the middle, turning a sure base hit into an inning-ending double play with a pair of Indians aboard in the fourth.
Wissahickon 3, Upper Dublin 1
Katie Ziegler fanned 10 and allowed just two hits and one unearned run. She helped her own cause with a pair of hits. The Trojans broke a 1-1 tie with a pair of runs in the fifth when Gretchen Guaglianone delivered a two-run double.
Rebecca Marinucci and Rachel Philbin also each had a double for the Trojans. Amy McCaffrey drove in the Flying Cardinals only run with a single in the first.
Upper Dublin’s Kristin Ganderton scattered four hits while allowing two unearned runs. She fanned nine and walked two.
Central Bucks East 4, Pennridge 1
Pennridge took a 1-0 lead in the first when Alicia Detweiler led off with a triple and scored on Paige Decew’s groundout to short.
East answered with a pair in the bottom of the inning. Ali Vavala tripled and scored on a groundout by Julia Schoenwald. Allie Chase put the Patriots on top 2-1 when she delivered a solo home run. Chase was 3-for-3 on the day with three RBIs. Vavala was 2-for-3 with a double, triple and two runs scored. Jess Haug was 2-for-3 with a double. Shannon Devlin and Brittany Devlin both added singles.
Robyn Zeigler had a strong game for the Patriots, fanning six and allowing five hits while walking one.
For the Rams, Detweiler was 3-for-3.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 7, Upper Moreland 1
Tori Barratucci made several great defensive plays and was 2-for-3 at the plate with a pair of RBI triples. She also scored a pair of runs. Corrine Watso also contributed a triple.
On the mound, Alycia Sabol fanned 11 and walked just one while allowing four hits. Maddie Denneny accounted for the Golden Bears’ lone run when she smacked a solo home run in the third inning.
Neshaminy 2, Harry S. Truman 0
Sarah McGowan fanned 13 and allowed just two hits while upping her record to 6-1 on the season. Laura Altenburger knocked in both runs with a single.
Cheltenham 5, Upper Merion 3
Alexis Streets hit a three-run triple in the top of the eighth inning to give the Lady Panthers a lead they would not lose.
Council Rock North 5, William Tennent 4 (8 innings)
Morgan Lewis fanned nine and scattered seven hits in the Indians’ eight-inning win. She also contributed a double while teammate Sarah Bunke had a triple. The Indians held a 13-7 advantage in hits.
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