Souderton edges Plymouth Whitemarsh in pitchers’ duel, advances to District 1-6A 2nd round

FRANCONIA >> Gail Hartman could not put down a bunt. But that ended up working in the Souderton softball team’s favor Monday afternoon.

“I got bunted, put to bunt twice and I knew that that really wasn’t the best thing to do,” Hartman said. “But luckily that didn’t work and I just drilled the ball and got it home.”

With runners on first and second, one out and the No. 16 seed Indians tied 1-1 with No. 17 Plymouth Whitemarsh in the bottom of the seventh inning, Hartman put into motion a walk-off victory. An error after her back at the pitcher allowed a run to come home, sending Souderton to a 2-1 win and into the District 1-6A second round.

“Really excited, can’t wait for the next game since we get another shot at Pennsbury,” Souderton right-hander Abby Burns said. “Should be fun, hopefully another close game, maybe we’ll pull it out this time. I’m hoping.”

The Indians (14-7) advance to visit top-seeded Pennsbury Wednesday, their previous meeting April 29 needing nine innings before the Falcons bested Big Red 4-2.

“We really held them on, we played nine innings last time and we’re going to plan to hopefully not do the nine but hopefully really get at them again,” Hartman said.

Monday’s district opener was also a rematch, Souderton having topped PW 7-3 April 19. But the teams’ second go-round turned into a pitchers’ duel between Burns and Colonials right-hander Molly Moore. Burns struck out 14 – including eight of the first 10 batters she faced – while Moore did not give up a hit until the fifth.

“We played them earlier in the year, we knew it was going to be a tough for sure,” PW coach Mike Perez said. “Pitcher’s solid, middle of their lineup is amazing. I thought Molly did an amazing job working around them a little bit and getting them to pop up, getting some fieldable balls against that team which we did not get last time we played them. So she did an amazing job and their pitcher pitched awesome.”

The Indians grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth on Ryan Zimmerman’s RBI sacrifice fly to left but Erin Caffrey’s RBI double to right pulled visiting Plymouth Whitemarsh even in its half of the fifth.

With one out in the top of the seventh, Moore smashed a ball to right that landed just short of the fence for a double but Burns stranded her courtesy runner at second after a strikeout and groundout to first.

“It was great game, both pitchers pitched an excellent game,” Souderton coach Carol Atkinson said. “The hit of that pitch, the hit of the strike, that’s what matters the most – who comes up with that one hit.”

In the bottom of the seventh, Burns drew a one-out walk while freshman Kendall Clemmer came through with a pinch-hit single to center, putting runners on first and second for Hartman.

“She had a great season at JV, we pulled her up to travel for districts and big play for her,” said Atkinson of Clemmer. “Big thing for a freshman.”

Hartman connected on a liner that ticked off Moore’s glove and to the right side of the infield. The Colonials tried to force out Clemmer at second but an errant toss went past the base and Olivia Plinke – Burns’ courtesy runner – raced home from third to put Souderton in the district second round for the second straight postseason.

“I rounded first and I just heard, ‘Go, go, go,’” Hartman said. “And I was like, ‘Let’s go, we did it.’”

PW, which was looking for its first district victory since 2019, ends its season at 12-9.

“I’m excited where we’re heading, for sure, I like the program we’re putting together,” said Perez, in his second year as Colonials head coach. “I know a lot of the younger girls we having coming through the program and I’m really excited about what we have going on. We have three seniors leaving us that were all starters, we’re obviously going to miss them but I’m really excited for the future of the program for sure.”

Burns racked up 14 strikeouts for the third time in 2021, one shy of the season-best 15 she registered in a nine-inning victory over Central Bucks East May 10. In earning the win over PW, Burns allowed one run – unearned – on three hits and no walks.

“They really liked my rise ball – not really sure why cause it wasn’t working all the time,” Burns said. “But the seemed to really want to hit that and then my changeup they hit well the last game we played them so I wasn’t throwing that a lot but the few I did throw they were a little ahead on it so that was a little helpful once in a while.”

Moore threw 6 1/3 innings in taking the loss, giving up two runs – one earned – on two hits, walked five and struck out eight.

“She does a really good job moving the ball around the zone,” Perez said. “She’s got pretty good command of her pitches, her rise ball’s great, her changeup was on today. I thought she did a really good job just keeping them off balance, moving the ball around.”

Souderton did not get a hit off Moore until Hartman’s two-out single into center in the fifth but scored the game’s first run in the fourth. Megan Kummery and Riley York began the bottom of the inning with back-to-back walks. A wild pitch advanced the runners to second and third with Kummery coming home on Zimmerman’s sac fly to left.

Burns began the game with back-to-back strikeouts then after allowing a Lauryn Kane single retired nine straight Colonials until Hannah Suh made it to first on a two-out error in the fourth. Burns followed by collecting her ninth strikeout.

Moore, however, led off the top of the fifth by reaching first after a dropped third strike and on the next at-bat Caffrey ripped a double to right a bit inside the foul line to score Molly Lynch, Moore’s courtesy runner. Burns kept it 1-1 with a strikeout and a line out to second.