Double plays help North Penn hold off CB West

DOYLESTOWN >> Both of North Penn softball’s two losses this season were, in large part, due to defensive letdowns.

Monday, two days after a deflating loss to defending PIAA Class AAAA champ Parkland, North Penn’s defense was a big reason why it won. The Maidens turned three inning-ending double plays in a 4-1 win at Central Bucks West, each one getting the team out of a major jam.

Some of that goes on the Bucks, who are still learning how to play in and win tight games but the Maidens also had to make the plays and they did.

“We get in a lot of situations like that,” North Penn senior catcher Jovanna Alfonsi said. “All we do in practice is work on getting those plays done and working our best at trying to get them done. We did that very well today.”

Alfonsi was also North Penn’s (5-2, 4-1 SOL Continental) offensive catalyst reaching base four times, going 3-for-3 with a walk and a pair of RBIs. Kariam Bou walked twice, was hit by a pitch and scored two runs while pitcher Bri Battavio doubled, walked and scored a run.

CB West (6-2, 3-2 SOL) had plenty of chances to put runs on the board but couldn’t get it done, leaving runners stranded in the first, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings. West loaded the bags in the final three innings and didn’t score a run, having the fifth and seventh frames end on a double play.

“We made some good plays defensively,” North Penn coach Rick Torresani said. “Bri’s got to cut down on her walks, but she’s been working on it. Games like this test you and hopefully get you ready for the playoffs.”

North Penn put two on the board in the first when Alfonsi singled in Bou and Jamie Beer, running for Battavio, took home when the Bucks tried to throw out a base-stealer at second. West answered back with one when Emily Dryden scored on an outfield error, but that was it for the Bucks’ production.

Alfonsi doubled in Bou in the third then Bou drew a bases-loaded walk to plate Tori Chi in the sixth inning. The Maidens had seven hits and also worked six walks off of West pitcher Angelina Sherba.

Both pitchers struck out five, though Battavio also walked six batters. Every time North Penn got into trouble, the defense seemed to make a play or two that got it out of those trouble spots.

“It’s switched a lot but the players do a great job at adapting to their environment at the different bases,” Alfonsi said. “All around, we did good today.”

The biggest defensive play of the game came in the fifth inning when West had the bases loaded and one out. Battavio got West’s Cara Hatziner to ground to third and Maidens third baseman Courtney Neal was able to zip it home to Alfonsi for the force before the catcher wheeled and fired to Bou at first base for the inning-ender.

“We work on that play all the time at practice and we finally had it,” Torresani said. “It saved us in that situation.”

Saturday in Allentown, North Penn had a lead on Parkland until it all fell apart. It was a combination of walks, errors and the state champs starting to rack up hits that led to a 9-1 waxing.

Torresani said it wasn’t a fun bus ride home given how the team had played.

“It wasn’t the happiest of bus rides,” Alfonsi said. “I was more disappointed that we were up and winning against the state champs and we let them get that many runs on us. It just seemed like everyone was dead by then and that’s what was disappointing.”

To CB West’s credit, it loaded the bags three straight innings to end the game and the bench didn’t seem to take on a negative outlook late. But as a team with just one senior and a group not used to winning this type of game, the inexperience showed in some of those big moments.

In the bottom of the sixth, Battavio got a called third strike to end the frame, stranding three runners and in the seventh, a fly ball to center turned into two when North Penn was able to double off a runner scrambling back to second base.

Both teams have quick turnarounds and key matchups on deck for Tuesday. The Bucks welcome Central Bucks East while North Penn travels to Souderton. For the moment, North Penn leads the SOL Continental as the only one-loss team in the conference.

West and East each have two conference losses while Souderton is 2-3 in the SOL but certainly has the talent to get right back in the picture.

“Working really hard at practice will help us get there,” Alfonsi said. “We have to be together as a team. If one person makes an error, you can’t blame that person, you have to win and lose as a team. We’re getting there.”