Perkiomen Valley enjoying win streak after topping Boyertown 6-3

BOYERTOWN >> The end of the 2018 season stole the Perkiomen Valley softball team’s smile.

It would have for any team that was denied from any postseason despite having winning records in and out of the Pioneer Athletic Conference.

The Vikings’ smiles are back, Wednesday’s 6-3 win at Boyertown serving as the most recent reason as the lineup, defense and the pitching performance of sophomore Ava Macalis came together for Perkiomen Valley’s third straight victory.

Senior third baseman Ashley Bangert was 2-for-4 with two RBI and junior first baseman Kara Fusco was 3-for-4 with a double, triple and RBI to lead Perk Valley’s balanced, 10-hit offense.

“I definitely feel like our offense worked really well today,” said PV senior shortstop Jordan Sell, who was 1-for-3 with an RBI. “Everybody hit, 1 through 9, and Ava threw a phenomenal game so that definitely helped when we were on the field.”

Macalis, making her third pitching appearance, pitched excellently for 6 2/3 innings. She ran into a spot of trouble getting the final out as Boyertown struck for three runs – Caitlin Keenan’s two-run home run the big blow – in its final at bat before Macalis ended the threat. She allowed three runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts and a walk to her credit.

“We came out really strong and we needed it. We’ve been strong the last few games,” Bangert said. “We’re on a win streak and we’re trying to keep it going.”

PV improved to 4-2 in the PAC Liberty Division and 5-2 overall and are pushing for the postseason trips that escaped it last year when Perk Valley finished level with Methacton at 10-6 in the PAC but missed a spot in the playoffs via tiebreaker and were one place short (21st) of qualifying for the District 1-6A playoffs.

“We definitely want to make PACs and districts this year. We were close last year so we’re treating it like a redemption season,” Sell said. “I definitely feel like we have a bitter taste in our mouth after the way last season ended as abruptly as it did. I feel like we came out with more fire this season and we’re ready to make a run.”

High aspirations aren’t foreign to Sell, who was a Pa. High School Softball Coaches Association 6A All-State First Team selection last year. She has committed to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and will play softball for the Engineers.

“I was taught that school comes first and I feel like MIT is the perfect balance of high academics and getting the education that will set me up for after I graduate,” she said.

Along with an academic reputation like few others, MIT also has a strong softball program that is currently ranked No. 13 in NCAA Division III.

Boyertown fell to 1-5 in the PAC and 2-6 overall. The bright spot was the Bears truly playing to the final out, when they rallied for their three runs. But not enough went right in the preceding 20 outs as Macalis denied threats in the third and fourth innings. Boyertown pitcher Alex Schaefer threw a complete game, allowing six earned runs on 10 hits with six strikeouts and three walks. At the plate, Schaefer was 2-for-3 with an RBI and Keenan was 2-for-3, including her two-run homer.

“They absolutely did what we asked and played to the final out,” Boyertown coach Kim Musselman said. “I was proud of them for that.”

The Bears have lost five straight, being held to three runs or fewer in each outing.

“They are struggling seeing the ball; there’s a lot of strikeouts. They do great during practice but it’s been hard to translate into the games,” Musselman said. “I think they’re pressing a lot, white-knuckling the bat and stepping outside themselves. We tell them to stay within your own swing, but that’s been our struggle right now.”

PV opened the scoring on a Kara Fusco double to score Bangert in the second inning and tacked on two more in the third on Katie McGowan’s RBI groundout and Sell’s RBI sacrifice fly. PV got comfortably in front with a three-run fifth inning, highlighted by Bangert’s two-run double scoring Abby Souder (2-for-4) and McGowan.

The Vikings can enjoy their win streak for the time being, but a big one looms: PV travels to undefeated Spring-Ford (8-0) on Friday.

“We have Spring-Ford on Friday so I think this was a good one to set the tone,” Bangert said. “It’s definitely been on my mind. Coach says to always take one game at a time, and we are, but I’ve been thinking about it and I think a lot of other people are, too. It’s been a goal of ours to beat Spring-Ford and I think we have a good group of girls to do it.”

Perkiomen Valley 6, Boyertown 3

BOYERTOWN                 PERK VALLEY

                     ab   r  h bi                       ab   r  h bi

Weber            4  0   1  0    Souder         4  1  2  0

Hurlock          2  0   0  0    McGowan     2  1  0  1

Black             3  0   0  0    JCusumano 1  1  0  0

Shaner           3  0   1  0    Sell              3  0  1  1

Hertzler          3  0   0  0    Corey           0  0  0  0

Sauers           3  1   1  0    Bangert        4  2  2  2

Buckley         3  0   0  0    SFusco        3  0  1  0

Schaefer        3  0   2  1    KFusco        4  0  3  1

Wilde             0  1   0  0    Hurd             3  0  0  0

Keenan          3  1   2  2    DCusumano 3  1  1  0

                                        Crovetti        1  0  0  0

                                        Bruno           1  0  0  0

Totals          27  3   7  3    Totals         29  6 10 5

Perkiomen Valley             012 030 0 — 6
Boyertown                        000 000 3 — 3

E — Boyertown 2; 2B: Weber, Bangert, KFusco; 3B: KFusco; HR: Keenan.

                                   IP     H    R   ER   BB  SO

Boyertown

Schaefer (L)                 7   10     6      6      3     6

Perk Valley

Macalis (W)                 7     7     3      3      1     7