Sherba’s pitching, Stewart’s hit power CB West past Pennridge

SELLERSVILLE >> Central Bucks West softball coach Geoff Thompson had a feeling when he called on freshman Shannon Stewart in the top of the sixth inning Tuesday.

The Bucks trailed by a run in the top of the sixth inning and already had two outs when the first-year coach sent the first-year varsity player to the dish. Stewart, pinch-hitting in the No. 9 hole, came up with her first career hit and it was a big one.

Stewart uncorked everything into the first pitch she saw, launching the ball over the right field fence for a game-tying home run. It was just the spark West needed as pitcher Angelina Sherba sent a ball over the same fence an inning later then shut down host Pennridge to pick up a 4-3 win at Druckenmiller Park.

“Shannon was crushing the ball yesterday at practice,” Thompson said. “She deserved to take a cut. She made me look good.”

On a cold afternoon, CB West got a complete effort with Sherba, a sophomore, pitching a tight game, the bats coming around at the right moments and the defense giving the pitcher all the help she needed. The host Rams fought back twice, but their bats never got into a groove and three errors derailed a back-and-forth contest.

West struck early by taking an aggressive approach to the plate and swinging at pitches early in the count. Emily Dryden led off with a double and scored on Cara Hatzinger’s long single, a lead the Bucks would hold until the fourth inning.

Sherba wasn’t overpowering, striking out three, but she was consistent, recording no walks and trusting her defense to work behind her.

“We knew this was going to be our game and we wanted to come out on top so we came out with a lot of energy in the last few innings,” Sherba said. “I’m usually consistent on the pitches I throw. This year has been really good for me. It’s so relaxing to be out there and know they’re going to get everything that comes their way.”

Right fielder Grace Dryden gave the Bucks a massive boost in the bottom of the send with two terrific grabs. Her running catch robbed Rams first baseman Grace McGinley of extra bases to start the frame before tracking down a ball off Kailyn Bell’s bat for the third out.

The infield was tight too with Hatzinger at third and shortstop Abby Morrison cleaning up anything hit to them.

Pennridge knotted the game up on Krista Yerk’s sac fly in the fourth, saw CB West go back up on an RBI single by Sherba then took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth on Sam Harty’s two-run single.

“Our pitcher held strong, she threw a fabulous game but our big hitters weren’t there today,” Rams first-year coach Carol Atkinson said. “We just struggled to get that run. You just chalk it up and move on to Thursday.”

Trailing for the first time all game in the sixth, the Bucks turned to a freshman for a spark. They couldn’t have gotten a much bigger one when Stewart connected with the first pitch she saw after coming in cold. The pinch-hitter had noticed the first pitch was usually a strike and good one to hit, so that’s what she keyed in on heading to the dish.

“I was nervous going up to bat, being a freshman on a varsity team, it’s all kind of crazy,” Stewart said. “Getting a hit like this is great.

“I try not to worry about it, swing hard and hope for the best.”

As Stewart rounded the bases, she got a big high-five from assistant coach Jess Weckenman at first as the dugout started channeling the energy from the tied-up game. Sherba came out and retired the Rams in order in the bottom of the sixth then came up in the seventh with two outs.

With two hits at that point, the sophomore made it a 3-for-4 day when she clobbered a 1-0 pitch to right, restoring the lead for good. Stewart had gotten the energy up and Sherba put it to good use.

“If you come out on top of an inning, it’s the greatest feeling,” Sherba said. “I was dropping the bat in the beginning so the ball was going up. I just waited for my pitch.”

Atkinson said the Rams feel like they’re right there, but have been undone by errors the last few games. Sherba shut down Pennridge with another 1-2-3 inning to close out the victory and the Bucks hope they can carry some that mojo into a Wednesday home game with Souderton.

Both Stewart and Sherba said there’s a good vibe with the team so far and that new coaches have provided a positive atmosphere for chemistry to develop.

“It’s really helped us out, the energy is so much better,” Sherba said. “Everyone is a family here. We’re all working together.”