Pennridge comes alive on Senior Night, tops Abington

SELLERSVILLE >> “Big Sky” had two big knocks, Morgan Henry reached base every time she was up, Kailyn Bell could laugh afterwards about being nailed with a line drive, and Senior Night went very much according to plan for a happy Pennridge softball team Friday night.

That loud thwack was the sound orchestrated by Skylar Hengeveld’s towering two-run homer to left, and also the sound of the Rams’ six-game losing streak being snapped, in a convincing 7-2 victory over visiting Abington.

“It felt good. I think it was something our whole team needed honestly because we had been really down on ourselves lately,” Hengeveld said of her third-inning home run, which provided a 2-1 lead. “It was a tough break the past week and I think now that we’ve come back and won, it’s gonna be a much better season coming up.”

The Rams raised their record to 7-7 with the non-conference win, and are 3-5 in the SOL Continental. Abington is 1-8 over in the SOL National.

Hengeveld (2-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI) was at it again in the sixth, the senior’s ground-rule double contributing to a three-run inning that broke the game open for the Rams.

Hengeveld was also behind the plate, catching a gritty performance by Bell.

A True Gamer

Bell had pitched the Rams to a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth when the right-hander got hit by a line drive off the bat of Abington’s Sam Marasheski.

It was a scary moment, but thankfully turned out to not be serious. Bell left the game for the time being but returned to close things out. 

“I got on the bench, they gave me an ice pack, and I was like, coach (Carol Atkinson), I’m going in next inning,” the senior said.

Her intensity never wavered.

“That’s kinda how I operate but I think it was a little bit more special on Senior Night,” she said. “All of our family and friends were out tonight so I think we all just wanted to get a win for them as well.”

Bell didn’t allow an earned run in the victory.

“She’s always been a great pitcher. I’ve been catching for her forever,” said Hengeveld. “And she always comes back. She never has her head down. She’s just that person in the circle that you always wanna look up to.”

Breaking It Open

Tied 2-2 in the fifth, Pennridge went ahead on a two-RBI single to left by leadoff Kiley Watson, making it 4-2.

The Rams then game themselves plenty of breathing room in the sixth. Henry (3-for-3, 2R) got it all started by drawing a leadoff walk, and Hengeveld and Gianna Iadonisi later followed with doubles to help make it 7-2.

“That’s kind of our M.O.,” Henry said of the bats erupting late. “We don’t usually get hyped enough until the sixth inning, when everyone starts ripping the ball. Every game we play, that’s how it happens.”

Ghosts Have Their Moments

Marasheski singled in the first inning for the Ghosts, and when the throw to third to get an advancing Lily Campoli sailed wide, Abington went up 1-0.

The Ghosts also tied it at two apiece in the fourth when Tori Brandenberger scored on an error.

“We’re kind of on a losing streak right now and we know what we have to fix,” Marasheski said. “We have seven games in a row coming up and we’re gonna work hard.”