Perkiomen Valley caps perfect PAC-10 run with 7-0 win over Spring-Ford in title game
ROYERSFORD — On the biggest stage, Perkiomen Valley put together a game in direct comparison to its season.
Flawless.
Ana Bruni pulled the pin to an offensive explosion for the Vikings while pitcher Emily Oltman did as she usually does in another masterful start in the form of a two-hit shutout as PV came away with their second PAC-10 championship and first since 2012 with a convincing 7-0 victory over Spring-Ford in the PAC-10 Championship Friday night at Ram Park.
The win caps off an undefeated league season for the Vikings, who finished 18-0 in PAC-10 play. PV is the first PAC team to finish undefeated in regular season play since Great Valley (now in the Ches-Mont) went 14-0 in 1999.
“Tonight we were all fired up,’ Bruni said. “Everyone was like “‘˜Oh, we’re nervous’ coming off the bus but we played music, stayed loose and we knew we had this.
“We played a flawless game.’
Bruni’s statement is hard to dispute.
The Vikings — aided by a complete-game effort by Oltman, who allowed two hits while striking out three and walking one — took advantage of five Spring-Ford errors while not committing one.
Bruni finished the game with two hits and three RBI, including a back-breaking two-run triple that doubled the Vikings lead to 4-0 in the momentum-swinging five-run fourth inning. Kelsey Impink, fresh off her heroism in the PAC-10 semifinals, finished with two hits along with Noelle McCullough. Shannon Beattie, a member of the undefeated PAC-10 champion field hockey team, finished with a hit in the win.
“What a year,’ Beattie said. “Both championships felt awesome but this one I definitely felt more relaxed at the end because we had a pretty good lead. They both felt equally awesome but this one might feel a little better because this gives me two.’
Spring-Ford’s Megan Kern and Abigail Files finished with the lone hits for the Rams as they searched for their first PAC-10 title since 2013 and third in five years.
“When we play well, we play well and when we play bad, we play bad,’ Spring-Ford head coach Tim Hughes said. “We just didn’t make any plays and they made every play and they deserve to win and walk out of here with that trophy because they definitely outplayed us, outhit us and did everything well.
“We needed to play a perfect game to beat them and we didn’t have it. We had far from that so that really ended our opportunity to even be in the game.’
Perfection instead rested with the Vikings, who atoned for being eliminated by Methacton a season ago after Sarah Rambo bombed a eventual game-winning home run in extras in the PAC-10 semifinals.
“As tough as that was, I think that it was good for us,’ PV captain and lone member of the 2012 championship team Brenna Sermarini said. “It was a good lesson; we were very sophomore heavy so that was a good experience to have. Getting playoff experience is really important, especially when you’re going up against older kids.
“We don’t quit, ever. Even if we’re behind, there’s so much energy.’
The experience paid off. The fighting back from a deficit wasn’t needed.
PV opened up a 1-0 lead in the second when Sermarini scored on a misplayed ball stemming from a Bruni slap to first.
The one-run cushion was more than enough for Oltman, but the Vikings added some room for their ace in the fourth.Abby Wild reached base on a four-pitch walk that was followed by a Erin Hallahan single to center. Laura Matekovic followed suit, reaching base on a fielding error, allowing Wild to advance home for a 2-0 lead. Gillian Barrie then came in to pinch run before Bruni supplied the back-breaker, connecting with a 1-0 fastball and scorching a rocket down the right-field line, scoring both Barrie and Hallahan for a 4-0 lead. Bruni then came home on a RBI groundout before McCullough brought in Impink (who doubled to left a batter prior), with an RBI single through the middle for a 6-0 lead.
Aided by another McCullough RBI single in the sixth, Oltman went to work to close it out, getting the first two batters to ground out to shortstop Bruni before getting the final out to ground out to second baseman Helverson who casually flipped to first before they all mobbed Oltman just feet away from the rubber.
“We are just one big family,’ Beattie said. “Everyone’s relaxed and roots for each other and that’s helped us.’
“This championship’s especially nice because we went undefeated,’ Sermarini added. “It’s just another thing we can be proud of and now we can carry that over to districts.’
They’ve been flawless.
And now, in turn, they can be called champions.
