Pennridge picked up its biggest win of the season, downing Hatboro-Horsham 6-3 on Wednesday. Check out all the recent SOL results.
Continental Conference
PENNRIDGE 6, HATBORO-HORSHAM 3
Paul Koehler called it.
The Rams’ coach made a rather bold prediction during Wednesday’s indoor practice when his team’s game against Central Bucks East was rained out.
“We had individual meetings with the players, and I told Emily Hofmann, one of our senior captains, ‘You make sure you tell everybody that we’re going to beat the state champions tomorrow. You need to understand that,’” Koehler said. “Every kid that hit, I said, ‘Did you hear what’s going to happen tomorrow?’ They said, ‘Yes, Emily said we’re going to beat the state champions.’”
Koehler used that same positive approach with first baseman Morgan Labs.
“There probably have been three games this year where she has been the final out of the game with runners in scoring position,” the Rams’ coach said. “I said to her yesterday, ‘Morgan, life is just a bunch of numbers. It’s all about numbers. Tomorrow you’re going to be at the plate with two outs and runners in scoring position, and you’re going to get the game-winning hit. The numbers are going to fall your way.’”
Koehler once against turned out to be prophetic.
With the Hatters on top 3-2 and a runner on first with two outs, Haley Taylor, who was 3-for-4), laced a double to right center field. Koehler held courtesy runner Natalie Babik at third.
“I knew she would be dead at home because they’re going to make that play,” Koehler said.
With runners at second and third and two outs, you guessed it - Morgan Labs stepped into the batter’s box, and she delivered in a big way, ripping the first pitch she saw over the fence in left center. But not without some drama.
“The ball hits the top of the fence, bounces straight up in the air and hits the top of the fence again and falls over the fence,” Koehler said. “It was incredible. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Labs’ blast gave the Rams a 5-3 lead, but they weren’t finished yet. Alicia Phillips followed with a triple down the right field line. At that point, Nicole Casagrande replaced Hatter ace Megan Shaffer on the mound.
“I told my hitters, ‘We’re going to take pitches until we get a strike,’” Koehler said. “I told Alicia Phillips on third, ‘Watch the first pitch. She’s likely to throw a ball away,’ and that’s what she did.”
Phillips scored, and the Rams led 6-3.
The excitement wasn’t over just yet.
In the bottom of the sixth, rightfielder Alison Horne – in her first game action after suffering a broken eye orbital earlier this season – hit Taylor with a relay, and Taylor fired to Brooke Labs at third, gunning down Maria Spinosa, who was trying to stretch a double into a triple.
Hatboro’s Jackie DiPietro led off the seventh with a single. Paige DeCew retried the next two batters she faced before walking Val Sadowl intentionally for the third time in the game. DeCew struck out the final batter for the huge win.
“It was really big for the kids,” Koehler said. “They were ecstatic.
“We had one hit the last time we played them. We let Maggie Shaffer throw pitches on the outside corner of the plate, and we watched them and let her control the game.
“Today I said, ‘You’re ready for this. Let’s do it.’ They adjusted at the plate, had great at-bats, put pressure on Hatboro and got the big win.”
DeCew scattered nine hits and fanned six while walking three – all intentional to Sadowl – to earn the win on the mound.
Sadowl, who was 1-for-1, hit a solo home run in the second to give the Hatters a quick 1-0 lead. They opened up a 2-0 lead only to watch the Rams tie it up in the fourth when Taylor delivered a bloop single that plated a pair. The Hatters responded with a run in the bottom of the fifth to go on top 3-2, setting the stage for the Rams’ dramatic comeback.
“I hope it’s one of those games that makes them aware of what they’re capable of doing,” Koehler said. “My coaching staff and I have talked to our kids all year – what we believe they can accomplish and how good we believe they are, and they just haven’t trusted themselves in the last couple of games.
“We've really come around defensively, and we’re swinging the bats.”
Spinosa and Chrissy James were both 2-for-3 to lead the Hatters.
While the Hatters dropped to 8-2 in league play (13-2 overall), the Rams improved to 4-6 in the league (7-9 overall).
National Conference
HARRY S TRUMAN 6, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 4
The Tigers exploded for four runs in the fourth inning, turning a 2-1 deficit into a 5-2 lead. They never looked back on their way to the important win.
“I know Council Rock North has struggled,” Truman coach Gretchen Cammiso said. “But even when we played them the first time and beat them 17-7, I kind of walked out of there saying, ‘How did we beat them so bad?’ because I thought they were a pretty decent team.
“I thought they played a pretty good game, and I thought we played a pretty good game. Our wins and losses have been pretty lopsided and pretty ugly one way or the other. This was a pretty good game all around.”
Cheyenne Jones got the ball rolling for the Tigers in the fateful fourth with a leadoff triple. Shortstop Bridget Hunt led Truman’s nine-hit attack with a perfect 3-for-3 day at the plate, and Danielle Jones contributed a pair of RBIs.
Caitlin Brasier earned the win on the mound, scattering six hits.
“This was the first game in a really long time that Caitlin actually had command and control for all seven innings,” Cammiso said. “This is probably the best game she’s thrown all season.”
The Indians scored one run in the first, and the Tigers answered with one in the second only to watch the Indians plate a single run in the bottom of the second. The Tigers added an insurance run in the sixth inning.
Dom Pinto led the Indians with a pair of hits, including a double.
The Indians fell to 4-6 in the league (7-6 overall) while the Tigers improved to 6-4 in league play (7-8 overall).
“Losing to Bensalem earlier this week didn’t help us, and the kids know if we want to make playoffs, we have to win these games, and we have to try and steal from Pennsbury and Neshaminy,” Cammiso said.
BENSALEM 4, WILLIAM TENNENT 3 (Wednesday, May 2)
Isabel Hansbury had another monster day for the Owls, contributing a two-run home run in the third inning to turn a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 lead. Neither team scored the rest of the way as the Owls held on for the big win.
“Some of these kids when I watch them from last year to this year were in a cocoon,” coach Dan Schram said. “We’re starting to see them blossom, and they’re getting confident.
“Isabel’s confidence is really, really infectious to the entire team.”
Jackie Morell, who earned the win on the mound, allowed just two earned runs while fanning four. She silenced the Panthers over the final four innings.
“It’s just awesome to know that you have someone who is so mentally tough in the circle,” Schram said of his freshman hurler.
Centerfielder Victoria Hall turned in a 2-for-3 effort at the plate for the Owls.
“I have a couple of kids who I believe are silent MVPs,” Schram said. “You haven’t really heard about them so much.
“My centerfielder, Victoria Hall, is our most improved player from last year. She bats in the five hole, and she’s so consistent. When you talk about kids blooming or coming out of the cocoon, no one has grown more, and it’s a tribute to her hard work and her dedication.”
Tennent was led by the 3-for-4 effort of Elise Wood. Nikki Alden was 2-for-4 with a double and RBI. Rachel Raczak was 1-for-3 with a double and one RBI.
Both teams are 4-6 in league play. While Tennent fell to 10-7 overall, the Owls are 9-6.
“This was a huge win because we won the season series with them,” said Schram, whose squad has beaten Tennent in both meetings. “They have some wins over teams we didn’t beat, and we’re very much still alive for a playoff spot.
“They’re playing great softball, and we’re playing very confidently. I’m very happy to get by them. I really, really like (Tennent coach) Erika Lee. She’s doing a really nice job, and they’re going to be a force for years to come.”
To read the complete game story on PhillyBurbs.com, please click on the following link: http://www.phillyburbs.com/sports/high_school/intel/bensalem-slips-past-tennent/article_304cb06c-41ac-5c40-8d0c-2fccbbe6f907.html
NESHAMINY 15, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 0 (Wednesday, May 2)
The Redskins rebounded from their heartbreaking loss to Pennsbury one day earlier to soundly defeat the Golden Hawks. The Redskins are 8-1 in conference play (13-1 overall) while the Golden Hawks fell to 1-8 in the league (2-11 overall).
WISSAHICKON 9, SPRINGFIELD (MONTCO) 4 (Wednesday, May 2)
Alex Comonitski had a monster day for the Trojans, pounding out three hits – including a triple and home run – and driving in five runs. Rebecca Maranucci had a pair of triples, and Katie Ziegler was a perfect 3-for-3 with a 275-foot home run. All told, the Trojans pounded out 12 hits.
The Trojans jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but the Spartans made things interesting by plating three runs in the bottom of the fourth to make it a one-run game. The Trojans answered with two runs in the fifth and added three more in the seventh to all but seal the win.
Ziegler earned the win on the mound, allowing five hits while fanning 11 and walking one.
With the win, the Trojans improved to 10-1 on the season.
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