Wild pitches Perkiomen Valley past upstart Upper Perkiomen

GRATERFORD >> She had racked up 57 strikeouts and boasted a sub-one earned run average entering Wednesday’s tilt with Upper Perkiomen.

Needless to say, Perkiomen Valley’s Abby Wild has delivered to start the year. Wednesday, she did so again when her team needed a boost in the worst way.

Wild went the distance, striking out 12 batters as Perkiomen Valley battled through “a lack of fire” to down Upper Perkiomen 2-1 in Pioneer Athletic Conference play.

It wasn’t always easy for the senior right-hander, who worked the first three innings in order. She ran into trouble in the fifth after allowing three singles to load the bases and also in the sixth where she loaded the bases on a pair of singles and a walk. She shut the door with two-straight strikeouts in the fifth and then worked herself out of the sixth with minimal damage, getting the last Upper Perk batter to line out with the bases loaded. The only run she allowed came on a wild pitch in the sixth that scored Sarah Heidler. 

“It felt really good to get out of situations like that,” Wild said. “I knew that my defense would make plays behind me so I just settled down and stayed focus on the next pitch.”

Wild allowed five hits and one earned in her seven innings of work. Her success in the circle masked an otherwise dreadful day at the plate for Viking hitters. The team stranded eight runners and couldn’t knock in runs with a second and third, one-out situation in the second and first-and-third with two outs in the third. PV’s only runs stemmed from an error by the UP right fielder that scored Alex Vullings in the third and a Brittany Donigan single through the hole that scored Jess Ott in the fourth (Ott reached second on an error by the UP center fielder).

“It’s not about results, it’s about playing the game the right way,” Perkiomen Valley head coach Dan McLaughlin said. “One of the ways we can do that is showing support for our teammates and showing some energy. We didn’t do that today. That’s disappointing and I let them know that. It won’t happen again.

“We had a lack of fire today. I knew this game was important to them, it was important to us. It was disappointing coming out flat. They’re (Upper Perkiomen) a much improved team and we knew that coming in so there’s no excuse for not matching their energy.”

It was evident how much improved this Indians squad is. Power throughout the lineup was quelled much of the day by Wild, but hard-hit singles by Heidler, Morgan Lindsay, Taylor Lindsay, Alyssa Sullivan and Kourtne Buck showed a glimmer of what the team can do.

That and the performance of Taylor Lindsay in the circle.  She did her best to equal Wild’s performance in the circle. The right-hander went six innings while allowing four hits and two runs (zero earned) to go along with five strikeouts.

NOTES >> Ashley Bangert and Sela Fusco also had hits for Perkiomen Valley.

Elsewhere across the PAC

Owen J. Roberts 18, Pottstown 3 >> The Wildcats pounded out 13 hits en route to a four-inning rout of the Trojans.

Camryn Glenn finished 2-for-2 with a triple, two runs scored and an RBI out of the lead-off spot while Brittney Dellaquila had two hits and three RBIs. Ally Maupay picked up the win in the circle, yielding five hits and three runs in four innings. Katarina Kincade and Alivia Lopez hit doubles for Pottstown.

Methacton 7, Upper Merion 1 >> Taylor Angelillis went 2-for-3 with two RBI while Sam Weil-Kaspar added three RBI and a double as the Warriors downed the Vikings in PAC play.

Ashley Narke got the win in the circle, striking out eight and allowing six hits in her seven innings of work.

Erica Triantafilou also had two RBI and a double in the win.

Boyertown 5, Pottsgrove 3 >> Sarah Reinert went 3-for-3 with two runs scored while Veronica Maryanski and Kylie Hertzler (double) added two RBI as the Bears defeated the Falcons in PAC play.

Emily Bradley got the win in the circle, tossing six innings while allowing three earned on seven hits.

Kira Livezey and Jay Dinnocenti (double) finished with two hits and an RBI for the Falcons, which finished with six errors in the loss. Rayna Markle took the loss in the circle despite her solid effort, allowing seven hits in her seven innings of work.

Pope John Paul II 22, Norristown 0 >> Amanda Butera went 3-for-5 with three runs scored, a home run, and six RBIs as the Golden Panthers routed the Eagles in PAC play.

Ashley Remington finished with three doubles and two RBI in her 4-for-4 effort with Alexandra Szpindor adding two doubles and five RBIs.  Gabby Simms finished 5-for-5 with three RBI and three runs scored with Ashley Haggerty and Nicole Bowen (two RBI) adding two hits.

Szpindor got the win in the circle, striking out seven and allowing two hits in five innings of work.

Spring-Ford 11, Phoenixville 1 >> The Rams defeated the Phantoms in a cross-divisional matchup.