They talk of family and camaraderie and chemistry.
Those might not be the kind of words one would expect to hear from a softball team that – on occasion - starts six sophomores and three seniors, but this isn’t just lip service for members of a Pennsbury squad that will be playing Hatboro-Horsham in Friday’s PIAA Class AAAA title game at Penn State University.
“We’re definitely like a family,” senior Kelsi Bunda said. “We take care of each other, we have each other’s back, and whatever happens, they know they can count on D’Anna (Devine) and me.
“We’re pretty much leaders on the team, and we try and bring the younger players into all the different things we do out of school also, so we get to know who they are, and we bring that onto the field. You could say we’re a pretty close-knit family.”
Coach Frank McSherry credits veterans Bunda and Devine for bringing this year’s squad together.
“I would say it starts with the seniors, and our sophomores have played beyond their years,” the Falcons’ coach said. “Sometimes you have teams where the seniors are separated from sophomores and juniors, but our kids – the age doesn’t matter.”
Talk to the younger players, and it doesn’t take long to figure out that the Falcons have found a formula that works.
Sophomore Christina Bascara played for the freshman team last year and was given a swing jersey by McSherry when the season started.
“He told me if I worked and proved myself that I’d get a spot, and luckily, I did,” she said. “It was definitely something I wanted to work hard on from the beginning of the year.”
Bascara played varsity in the Falcons’ first scrimmage, and she’s been a fixture in the lineup at third base ever since.
“From the very beginning, the seniors were welcoming,” she said. “We’ve all jelled really well ever since our Mount Saint Dominic’s Tournament.
“Everything flowed well, everyone got together, and they weren’t uncomfortable with starting a lot of younger players. It went really well.”
Rounding out the infield with Bascara are sophomore shortstop Mackenzie Obert, sophomore second baseman Jess Greenewald and sophomore first baseman Suzanne Swanicke. The foursome play behind sophomore pitcher Val Buehler, whose batterymate – senior catcher D’Anna Devine – is the glue that holds it all together. Sophomore Michelle George sees action in the outfield.
“It’s awesome,” said Obert, a two-year varsity veteran. “Last year I was a little nervous being with all the upperclassmen, trying to see if they would like me as a freshman coming in, but they all welcomed the freshman.
“We’re a big family, and this year – just to play with them is great. I love ‘D’ – she’s a great leader, and Kelsi Bunda is great. Savanna (Grantham) always picks us up and has a smile on her face.”
Winning a state title, according to Obert, would be the perfect gift to give the seniors.
“It would be great to do it their senior year because they haven’t been able to go this far before,” she said. “It would be a great memory to leave them with.
“And just being a young team – everyone was putting us down and saying, ‘There’s no way they’re getting there. They’re just sophomores with only a few seniors.’ Hopefully, we can prove everyone wrong and show them what we can do. We play our hearts out every game knowing we have to leave it on the field.”
Swanicke is another first-year varsity player, and the rookie first baseman has not only excelled but enjoyed every minute of the experience.
“I like being (friends with) older girls,” she said. “I think that’s why we do so well. We’re all really close.
“It’s better when everyone has chemistry with each other, and there are no cliques. It works for us.”
Swanicke rides to and from practices with Bunda.
“We’ve spent a whole six months together non-stop,” she said.
The team bonding, according to Swanicke, began long before tryouts were held.
“We started in January with workouts,” she said. “Just being with each other every weekday and then going into tryouts and finally starting the games and going on trips to away games – it all eventually adds up.
“I feel like ever since tryouts we were all really good friends, and it was going to be a good year because we’re all really close.”
That’s not to say anyone had reserved June 17 on their calendars to play in the state title game.
“In the beginning, we were just taking it game by game,” Bascara said. “We knew we were a young infield, and we knew we’d be facing pitchers and players that were two years older than us. We had that much confidence in each other, and we knew what we could do.
“We knew that when we pulled through and worked together that we could do well against the Neshaminys, the Hatboros and everything.”
Still, McSherry admits that even he couldn’t have predicted an outcome that would have the Falcons playing for a state title.
“It’s a bit surprising to be here at this time with the youth on our team,” he said. “We do have a good nucleus of seniors, but just people playing different positions – if you had asked me at the beginning of the year, ‘Realistically, could you have envisioned being here getting ready to play in a state championship game?’ I would be lying to say, ‘Sure, we’re going to be there.’ There were just too many question marks, but the girls have certainly answered the questions.”
The final question remaining to be answered is whether the Falcons have what it takes to avenge their 8-5 loss to Hatboro in eight innings the district title game.
“We have to be more disciplined at the plate,” Obert said. “Coach has said it multiple times – our plate discipline has gotten better since that game, and we have to work more with that.
“He thought we were nervous that game, which I guess some of us were because of the errors, which were uncharacteristic. This time we know what they can do. We can take a deep breath and step into the game confident.”
For the seniors, who graduated on Wednesday night, this is the stuff dreams are made of.
“It’s an amazing feeling just to know we’re going into the state finals our senior year,” Bunda said. “You’re already graduated, and you’re going to leave this legacy that you could possibly win a state championship.
“This is every softball girl’s dream, I’m pretty sure. It just feels so good to share this with all the girls on the team. “
Grade aside, one fact is clear - the players all share a singular sentiment.
“I know the seniors want it, and the sophomores want it because everyone underestimates us,” Swanicke said. “Our coaches tell us this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. A lot of us have two more years, but who knows – we might not come this far ever again.”
“It’s crazy,” Bascara added. “They constantly say this is something that could be once in a lifetime.
“You never know when you’re going to get this chance again. Even though a lot of us have two more years, you never know how the cards will fall. We’re definitely going to go all out on Friday.”
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