Ruth, Shimp help Neshaminy’s high-energy act take down Pennridge

SELLERSVILLE >> Between the music blaring over the speaker, the constant noise and dancing with the energy drinks fueling it, it’s hard to miss Neshaminy softball.

It’s a a long bus ride from Langhorne to Sellersville but that did nothing to dampen the energy Neshaminy brought with it to Friday night’s SOL softball crossover at Pennridge. With one of their best hitters not available and a few others ailing, it only meant the noise and the energy had to be more plentiful.

Neshaminy’s energetic approach helped it end the week on a good note with a 10-2 win over Pennridge under the lights at Druckenmiller Park.

“That’s what we get everywhere we go, that we’re obnoxious,” Neshaminy pitcher Kennedie Ruth said. “We get in trouble for it all the time, but that’s just our personality. It’s who we are.

“The whole way here, we just screamed. It’s how Neshaminy is and I hope it stays that way.”

Zoe Shimp had a big night at the plate with three hits, including her first career home run with a three-run shot in the fifth inning while Lindsey Gorka also connected on a three-run bomb in the third. Amanda Siblicki had three hits for the visitors.

Shimp, the tiniest player in Neshaminy’s lineup, bunted for a single in her second at-bat, went yard in her third and laced a single up the middle in her last. The senior outfielder had been slowed by a couple nagging issues in recent weeks but embraced the energy coming from her team to collect a memorable first long ball.

“On-base percentage is kind of my thing, usually I look to get a single and run but sometimes, it just works out,” Shimp, a Drew University recruit, said. “It’s helpful when your teammates tell you what to expect from the pitcher, so once everyone starts hitting, that’s when it starts helping the team.

“That was my first time hitting one out, ever. I was just looking for a hit, I try to hit the ball where it’s pitched and let it work out from there.”

Ruth, who has been battling a shoulder injury that’s limited her time and effectiveness in the circle so far this season, said she’s starting to come out of it and backed it up on Friday. The right-hander struck out 12 Rams batters, punching out four of the first six she faced and finishing even stronger by fanning five of the final six while allowing just four hits.

The senior hurler, a College of Staten Island recruit, lauded the job Siblicki has done pitching in her stead but was ready to take up her share of the work. To that end, Ruth said she was up working late into Thursday night pitching and hitting and didn’t get home until after 11 p.m.

She had a remedy for that.

“I keep my cool and even feed off (the opponent’s) energy,” Ruth said. “If their energy goes up, mine goes back harder. I don’t let them get in my head, it’s very rare that it happens.

“I also drank two ‘Bang Energy’ drinks, so I’m feeling pretty good right now.”

Aside from the fourth inning, where Pennridge plated both its runs to chop Neshaminy’s early four-run lead to a 4-2 deficit, the Rams couldn’t muster much offensively. Catelyn Thrush mustered the host team’s first hit with a double in the third inning, but the Rams left two on base to end the frame.

Reagan Bauman doubled to lead off the fourth, Averi Dockery singled, Ashleigh Kenworth had an RBI groundout and Olivia Crognale singled in a run for the Rams. However, the hosts wouldn’t get another runner on as Ruth shut the door in the last three innings.

“She was throwing hard and we had a tough time timing the pitch,” Rams coach Wendy Iadonisi said.

The Rams lost their starting pitcher, Grace Hebling, when the junior was hit on her right forearm during her second at-bat. Iadonisi didn’t think it would be anything to keep the right-handed pitcher out for long.

“I have confidence that Averi (Dockery) that she can handle herself in the circle too,” Iadonisi said. “When your defense doesn’t do what its expected to do and you’re not putting the ball in play when you’re at-bat, that’s going to affect the whole game.”

In the top of the third, Gorka got a good piece of an offering from Helbling with two outs but pulled it foul down the left field line. The next pitch wasn’t so lucky as the Neshaminy first baseman caught it square and sent it flying over the left-center fence and the entire Neshaminy dugout onto the field to greet Gorka at home plate.

Neshaminy coach Tim Quense said Gorka’s home run was a big lift, as were the contributions of several other players who had to shift their spots in the lineup with their top hitter Meryn Bellacima out. Naturally, the team had a very Neshaminy way of letting their teammate know they had her back.

“She goes to the tech school and had her prom tonight, we actually passed her on the turnpike, she was in her car in her dress with her hair all done and we’re all leaning out the window screaming at her,” Quense said.

Shimp, who absorbed all kinds of random and wild cheers from her teammates throughout the game, couldn’t help but try to urge the ball out when she connected on her first home run in the top of the fifth inning. With Pennridge having cut her team’s lead in half the prior half-inning, it was the perfect momentum changer even if it came from an unlikely source.

“I was running down to first saying ‘get out, ball, get out’ and when I saw it get over, I was so excited,” Shimp said. “It makes the hour bus ride worth it, let’s just say that. Now I can go home, take a fat nap, eat some food and tell my dad about it.”

Ruth, Shimp and the rest of their teammates seemed primed to keep their rambunctious efforts going as they boarded the bus back home. The seniors were confident back-to-back wins to end the week had Neshaminy going back in the right direction but more importantly, that their team was not going to quiet down any time soon.

“It’s great when all the energy matches,” Shimp said. “Sometimes when you’re down in the count, the energy in the dugout can feel flat. As a team, Neshaminy softball, we come together which makes whoever is at bat get hype and get excited to get a hit. We feed off each other’s energy and that’s what really makes it work.”

NESHAMINY 003 141 1 – 10 12 0

PENNRIDGE 000 200 0 – 2 4 2

WP: Kennedie Ruth. LP: Grace Helbling. HR: N – Lindsey Gorka, Zoe Shimp. 2B: P – Catelyn Thrush, Reagan Bauman