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WHITEMARSH >> It was clear the game was going to end the instant Joslyn Perez made contact.
Facing a one-run deficit with runners on first and second with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, the Plymouth Whitemarsh sophomore absolutely crushed a pitch to left field. If Central Bucks West left fielder Jill Boyle could get to it and make the grab, the Bucks would be advancing to the District 1-6A quarterfinals. If she couldn’t, the ball was going to the fence and the game-winning run would likely have scored from first base to send the Colonials to the next round.
Boyle was able to get there and make the grab, securing No. 11 Central Bucks West’s 4-3 win over No. 6 Plymouth Whitemarsh at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School Wednesday afternoon.
“I have to admit, I was a little scared,” Boyle said. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I have to catch this ball.’ As I was running, I was like, ‘OK I can get there.’ I was just trying to get to it, slow it down. Sienna (Lawson) pitched an amazing game, so I was just trying to back her up.”
“I definitely held my breath the whole time before it was caught,” Lawson said. “I thought it was going a lot deeper, but Jill came out of nowhere and just snagged it. It was out of nowhere.”
The Colonials were down to their final out in the bottom of the seventh with nobody on base. Sam Skivo hit a double to put the tying run in scoring position before the Bucks intentionally walked Rian Reed, who was 3-for-3, to put the winning run on first. Perez sent a screamer into left field, where Boyle made the game-ending play.
“A couple feet left or right and that wins the game,” PW coach Mike Perez said. “If they don’t push their left fielder back, that wins the game. You can’t ask for much better than that.”
Lawson got out of jams with runners in scoring position all day. In the second, fourth and sixth innings, PW left runners on second and third. In the third, the Colonials had runners on second and third try to advance on a wild pitch, but West catcher Ava Mattes found Lawson at the plate for the third out to end the threat.
“At those times, all I hope for is, one, that I don’t get it past my catcher,” Lawson said. “I have to keep it off the ground. I’m also just praying for a pop up, something off the ground because I have total faith in everyone behind me to catch the ball. I want to make it as easy as I can for them.”
“Nine or 10 runners left on base in a game like this isn’t going to win the game,” Mike Perez said, “We had to find ways to execute and unfortunately it was just too little, too late in that sixth inning and just not enough in the seventh.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh did break through in the bottom of the sixth inning to trim a 4-0 deficit to 4-3. Kalina Childers, Skivo and Reed started the sixth with three straight singles, Reed’s scoring Childers to end the shutout. Two batters later, Anna Powel hit a two-run single to get the Colonials within one, 4-3.
The Bucks threatened to add another run in the top of the seventh, but PW center fielder Childers caught a fly ball and threw out a runner trying to score at home plate for an inning-ending double play.
West took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Ana Glemster worked a one-out walk and scored on Chloe Dryden’s RBI double. Dryden moved to third on a groundout to second and scored on an error.
They doubled the lead in the fifth inning. Molly Gibson knocked in Boyle and Dryden with a two-out, two-run single.
CB West (15-5) will face No. 3 Quakertown, a 3-2 walkoff winner over No. 14 Conestoga, in the quarterfinals Friday. The winner of that game clinches a spot in the state playoffs and advances to the district semifinals, while the loser heads to the playback bracket for another chance at states.
Plymouth Whitemarsh’s season ends with the loss. The Suburban One League Liberty Division co-champions finished with a 17-4 record.
“I’m super proud of the girls,” Mike Perez said. “Great season. Historic season as far as our school is concerned. Super proud of them. We can get through it.
“It’s been a while (since we won a league title). The juggernaut that is Quakertown, it was nice to get a big program win against them. We were looking forward to facing them again Friday. Unfortunately it’s not going to happen, but we’ll work hard in the offseason and we’ll be back next year.”
Central Bucks West 4, Plymouth Whitemarsh 3
Central Bucks West 200 020 0 – 4
Plymouth Whitemarsh 000 003 0 – 3
WP: Sienna Lawson 7 IP 7 K 1 BB 12 H 3 R
LP: Rian Reed 4.1 IP 4 K 3 BB 4 H 4 R
2B: CBW: Chloe Dryden. PW: Rian Reed, Sam Skivo.
