Katie Ziegler is the consummate team player.
The Wissahickon sophomore wasn’t looking to pitch a perfect game in Friday afternoon’s SOL contest against Upper Moreland, and when she did just that in her team’s 6-0 win over Upper Moreland, Ziegler was actually far more excited to see her team rebound from back-to-back losses for the win than she was about her personal accomplishment.
“I was proud of my team and how we played,” the Trojans’ sophomore hurler said. “Win or lose, perfect game or not, I was proud of the way we played.
“It wasn’t about winning. It was about playing as a team and getting better every game. We lost the last two games we played, and this was more of a team building process. For us to have a great game today really helped.”
Ziegler fanned 11 in a stellar outing.
“She really pitched well, and we actually fielded well,” coach Jerry Hartman said. “We did a nice job defensively. We made some nice plays.
“We played a good softball game. We bunted and moved some runners over. It was nice to see Katie get this because she’s such a good kid, and she works so hard.”
The Trojans were minus a pair of starters but received big contributions from those who took the field. Rightfielder Meghan Plunkett gunned down a runner at first, and catcher Gretchen Guaglianone had a pair of nice plays on bunts.
Offensively, Ziegler helped her own cause with a double and two singles. Rebecca Marinucci, Karen Laksh, Cameron Kellock, and Plunkett each had a pair of hits.
“This helped us confidence-wise,” Ziegler said. “Getting back to 3-3 was really important.
“Last year we won seven games, and hopefully this year we can win eight and keep improving from there.”
Ziegler finished the game in style, striking out the final batter she faced to put her name in the history books.
“I was pretty nervous at the end,” Ziegler said. “The last batter was their third hitter, and I knew she was a good hitter.
“I went 3-1 on her, and I knew my next pitch had to be a strike. My last pitch I was just thinking, ‘I have to throw it hard whatever I do.’ Luckily, it ended up in my favor. It was really exciting.”
Pennridge 9, North Penn 8
In one of those you-had-to-see-it-to-believe-it endings, Pennridge rallied from a 6-3 seventh-inning deficit to go on top 9-6 only to watch the Maidens trim that lead to 9-8 in the bottom of the inning.
The game broke a string of four extra-innings games for the Rams, who lost three of those contests.
“It was unbelievable,” coach Scott Didra said. “All the girls who weren’t coming through in those situations the last four games came through today.”
Sophomore Emily Hofmann continued her torrid hitting with a 2-for-3 day at the plate, which included a double. Brooke Labs had a pair of hits. Karlie McCreary had a key double in the seventh.
Alicia Detweiler started the Rams’ one-out rally with a single. Sarah Yerk followed with a single, and the bases were loaded after Paige Decew drew a walk.
Hofmann – who had the green light – drew a walk that plated a run. Labs followed with an RBI single, and McCreary’s double plated a pair to put the Rams on top 7-6. Jordan Villella’s sacrifice fly made it an 8-6 game, and Jess Youk delivered a line drive single to score another run.
The Maidens didn’t go down quietly.
Steph Kulp led off the bottom of the inning with her second home run of the game. With one out, Alexa O’Herrick singled, and it was safe all around when the Rams did not get the forceout at second on Michelle Holweger’s grounder. A walk and a hit batter sent another run across the plate, making it a one-run game, but the win was in the books for the Rams when third baseman Amber Viall scooped up a grounder and stepped on the bag for the final out.
“If we lose, we would have had five losses in the league with having to play all of these teams again, and that would have been tough to make districts,” Didra said. “I guess it was our turn.
“We have been through a lot this week – we played well enough to win all of them but only won one of them. To beat North Penn was huge. We didn’t score any runs off them at all last year – we lost 1-0 and 2-0.”
Miranda Sergas led the Maidens with three hits, including a double.
Norristown 5, Cheltenham 1
Norristown hit three home runs in its win over the Lady Panthers. Daisy Foster led the offense with a 3-for-4 day at the plate, which included a solo home run and two singles. Gina Pellechio added a pair of hits – a home run and single - while Julia Santoro contributed a double and single. Every player in the lineup had a base hit, including a solo home run by Devon King in the second.
Foster pitched her best game of the season, according to coach Jon Kandrick, fanning 15 and allowing just four hits.
Gabbie Berry, Shari Lynne Kluth and King highlighted the Eagles’ defense.
Upper Dublin 6, Upper Merion 4
The Vikings plated two runs in the second, one in the third and one in the fifth to go on top 4-1.
Amy McCaffrey led off the sixth inning for the Flying Cardinals with a single and stolen base. She scored on Sammy Sitarski’s RBI single. Melissa Wolf followed with a single, and then Rachel Mintz delivered a bunt single that was misplayed, plating Sitarski. Shannon Haggery’s suicide squeeze was misplayed to score pinch runner Lauren Jones with the tying run. Ashleigh Sharp’s two-out, two-run single to center closed out the scoring.
Kristin Ganderton - who had eight strikeouts – was the winning pitcher. Lacey Schwartz absorbed the loss.
Mia DiLella and Bianca DeLuca both had RBI doubles for the Vikings, and Nicole Battaglio was 2-for-3.
Souderton 13, Quakertown 2 (6 innings)
Alycia Stiles and Moira Golden paced the Indians, going 3-for-4 and 2-for-3 respectively. Eight different players drove in runs with Alex Faccenda leading the way with three RBIs. Five different players had multiple hit games, including Sarah Derstine (2-for-4), Elysha Sowers (2-for-4) and Faccenda (2-for-4).
Brittany Beebe earned the win on the mound, scattering four hits.
The Indians improved to 4-3 in the league (7-3 overall).
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