Spring-Ford claims District 1 championship over Neshaminy behind Scogna’s two-hit shutout

UPPER PROVIDENCE >> They put the “team” in their softball team.

Spring-Ford has been as close-knit a unit this spring as it has been successful. Thursday, the Rams took the “all for one, one for all” credo espoused by the Three Musketeers and rode it to a 5-0 victory over Neshaminy in District 1’s Class 6A championship game at Ram Stadium.

“You never know who’s going to something in this group,” Spring-Ford head coach Tim Hughes said, “but there’s always someone stepping up. They cover for each other.”

The Rams’ main Musketeers Thursday were pitcher Jules Scogna and sisters Brianna and Madison Peck. Scogna finished with a two-hit shutout after taking a no-hitter into the seventh, and the Pecks each homered to account for three of their runs on the day.

“Since practice March 1,” was Scogna’s assessment of how long the team has maintained its togetherness parade. “We trust the girls on the team to complement each other.”

Scogna had a perfect game going until the fourth inning, when Neshaminy leadoff batter Kylie Siwik was hit by a pitch. Another hit batter (Maddie Nelson) and Kylie Jones (safe on error) were the only baserunners the 13th-seeded Redskins managed through the first six, by which time Spring-Ford (20-0) ran its lead to the ultimate 5-0 finish.

The ‘Skins broke up Scogna’s no-no on successive one-out singles by Mia Barone and Dani Monaco. But Scogna — she had the first six outs for Spring-Ford — offered an appropriate finish by fielding Amanda Slabicki’s pop-up to the mound.

“As long as we get the win, that’s OK,” she said about losing the no-hit bid.

Scogna and Neshaminy pitcher Kennedie Ruth played neck-in-neck at the start, the duel ended when Madison Peck homered over the left-field fence in the second inning. Ruth ended the day touched for all the SF runs and eight hits, with three walks against her four strikeouts.

“She’s a battler, a fighter,” Neshaminy head coach Tim Quense said of Ruth, who yielded three of the Rams’ runs in their fifth and sixth inning at-bats. “She’s been a fighter for us all year.”

Scogna chalked up four strikeouts while walking none. Throwing just 76 pitches on the day, she was a particular model of efficiency in the fifth, needing just three pitches to retire the side.

“She is very good,” Quense noted. “She was moving the ball around, and she had a nice curve.”

Shortstop Bri Peck added to the Rams’ lead in the fifth. The older Peck, who went yard for both her team’s runs in Tuesday’s win over Quakertown, went over center field with two out in the fifth and Morgan Lester (single) on base.

“It was not too far inside,” Bri said. “I couldn’t let her (Madison) one-up on me.”

“Mine was an inside pitch down the middle,” Madison said of her home run. “I didn’t know it left the park until I rounded first.”

Spring-Ford doubled its lead in the fourth in opportunistic fashion. Bri Peck (single) went to third off a Ruth wild pitch, then scored when Redskin catcher Monaco overthrew third on her relay throw.

The Rams completed their scoring in the sixth with Danielle McNeil (walk) coming around off Madison Peck’s double to right-center. The Pecks accounted for half Spring-Ford’s eight hits, McNeil having another two-hit outing while Lexi Wescott (double) and Lester adding single hits.

For his part, Hughes wasn’t sure how his 2021 team would respond coming back from the 2020 pandemic no-season.

“We lost some quality players who didn’t play the (2020) season,” he said. “But this group had the confidence to do the best it can. We had 16 kids who covered each other.

“The ones in the dugout know they may not play, but they’re supportive of the team. I’m proud and happy how they’ve come together. They’re a team, not individuals.”

Spring-Ford, which was a PIAA semifinalist in 2019, opens the PIAA Class 6A playoffs close to home Monday, playing the District 11 runner-up at Boyertown. Neshaminy will return to Ram Park the same day for its state opener against the District 3 runner-up.

“We fought to the end. I’m proud of that,” Quense said. “We have tough people on this team. They’ll be back Monday.”

NOTES >> The game time was moved up from its originally-announced 4 p.m. start to 2:30 p.m. It actually got under way at 2:20 p.m., in response to forecasts of heavy rains in the early afternoon and evening. … Scogna’s no-hitter was first threatened in the top of the sixth when Neshaminy’s Kylie Jones hit a shot to third base, but it was ruled she reached base on an error. … The Redskins had just five baserunners for the game, compared to 10 for the Rams. … Scogna on her joy at watching the Pecks hit their round-trippers: “I lost my voice.”

District 1-6A Championship

Spring-Ford 5,  Neshaminy 0