Neshaminy softball captures SOL championship with William Tennent win
WARMINSTER – Entering their last game of the regular season, Neshaminy really needed a win Wednesday (May 18) at William Tennent. Tied at 1-all with the Panthers going into the seventh inning, the Lady Skins really needed a run.
They got it the hard way, though all that matters is that they got it.
“We struggled in the beginning but we just knew we had to play our game and play good defense,” said senior infielder Sophie Beretski. “We knew we would hit the ball eventually.”
“I think we were way out in front of everything and we just have to get our timing down and hit the ball hard.”
In order to emerge victorious in their most important game of the season to date, Neshaminy needed to manufacture the winning edge.
Skins junior shortstop Devan Masciulli led the top of the last frame off with a single, stole second, stole third, then stole home on Amber Brugger’s grounder to short, giving Neshaminy (16-2, 13-1: SOL) the winning edge they needed to finish a game ahead of Council Rock North in the Suburban One National League (SONL) standings.
“I’m pretty sure that William Tennent knew that a win today would have probably really increased their chances of making that field of 24. They played like they wanted to get in the playoffs and they tested us,” said Lady Skins head coach Dave Chichilitti. “We tightened up our defense when we needed to at the end and made some good plays in the field.
“We manufactured a run when we needed to and that was enough.”
Masciulli also drove the tying run home in the top of the fourth.
“Devan started the inning off then she stole a couple of bases,” added Beretski. “Then, we did some little things to get her in.”
Brugger got the win in the circle after pitching the last 2.2 innings scoreless in relief of starter Sarah Dowalo.
“Last year when we won, I was a freshman and now, I’m a sophomore,” stated Brugger. “It feels like I’m progressing through my years and it feels good.”
Coming on with one out in the bottom of the fifth inning, Brugger was tagged for a single by Tennent leadoff hitter Marissa Govan (3-for-4) on her first pitch then gave up a two-out single to Brianna Koonce and a walk to shortstop Jackie Heim before retiring Jocelyn Flores with the sacks jammed on a grounder back to the circle.
Fighting for their playoff lives, the Panthers took an early lead in this one with a lone run in the bottom of the second. After Heim reached on an error, she took second on a single to centerfield by Jocelyn Flores, then went to third on a sac-bunt by pitcher Kalisi Taufalele.
On an ensuing bunt back to the circle by Tennent outfielder Katelyn Clark, Dowalo came home with the throw to catcher Paige Metz. The home plate umpire had his hand up in the air, all set to ring up Heim up at the plate when the ball popped loose, changing the official’s call to ‘safe.’
The Panthers put a pair of runners on base in the third when Govan and Caitlyn Mitros laced back-to-back one-out infield singles. But Dowalo was able to get Koonce to foul out and retired the side when she induced a flyball to centerfield by Heim.
The Skins led the fourth inning off with back-to-back infield singles of their own by Olivia Zaino and Beretski. Tennent looked like it might extinguish the rally with no harm done when Taufalele induced a ground-ball out to Hunter Hart and striking out Rebecca Dixon.
That’s when Masciulli slapped a game-tying single to right-centerfield that drew the sides even at 1-all.
Neshaminy committed three errors in the game, which is uncharacteristic of the two-time league champs.
“I think we were all a little tense,” explained Brugger. “We all just wanted to go out with a bang.
“With the score being even, we just kept up our intensity.”
The Panthers didn’t make any mistakes in the field and in at least two situations, took hits away from the Skins. Mackensie Compton’s liner to open the fifth was swallowed up by Heim at short and Zaino’s liner back to the circle was stabbed by Taufalele.
Neshaminy knew it had to step up defensively if it wanted to win.
“We knew we had to play tighter defense at the end because they were making some plays defensively,” stated Chichilitti.
“We stood tough when we needed to and made some really good plays.”
One of those plays came in the seventh. With a runner on first and one out, Tennent infielder Brianna Koonce sliced a line toward first base. There, Dixon stabbed the ball and nearly doubled up Govan, who led the inning off with her third hit in the game.
For her part, Dowalo – a lefthander – went 4.1 innings, giving up one run on five hits with five strikeouts and no walks. With one out in the fifth inning, Chichilitti decided to make the switch to Brugger, who throws from the right.
“We were able to switch up the view on them and I think that was a big advantage,” the coach explained. “When you have two pitchers, why give them a look at the one pitcher a third time?”
Taufalele went all seven frames for the Panthers, giving up two runs on seven hits while striking out four batters and walking none.
“They played their best, I thought,” said Brugger, of the Tennent team that fell to 10-9 in the SOL, 13-6 overall. “I think they came out to play and wanted to beat us so they could get their bid in playoffs.
“I think we just knocked them out; that’s what we were trying to do.”
After reaching both the District 1 and PIAA finals in 2013, Neshaminy took an earlier than usual exit with third-round losses in their last two trips to districts. The Skins have won either the whole or a share of the SONL title in four of the last five years.
NOTES: District playoffs begin Monday, May 23 though Neshaminy could have a first-round bye, pushing the Skins next game to Wednesday, May 25.
Contact Steve Sherman at ssherman@21st-Centurymedia.com or @BucksLocalSport on Twitter
Neshaminy 2, William Tennent 1
(May 18 at William Tennent)
William Tennent 010 000 0 – 1 7 0
Neshaminy 000 100 1 – 2 7 3
WP – Amber Brugger 2.2IP, 0R, 4H, 1BB 3SO; LP – Kalisi Taufalele 7IP, 2R, 7H, 0BB, 4SO.
MULTIPLE HITS: N – Sophie Beretski 2-for-3, Devan Masciulli 2-for3, RBI; WT – Marissa Govan 3-for-4.
RBI: N – Masciulli, Brugger; WT – Katelyn Clark.
