Avon Grove rallies to beat North Penn in District 1-AAAA quarterfinals

TOWAMENCIN — The North Penn softball team last took the field against Avon Grove a year ago in the District 1-AAAA final. And how each side has played this season, a championship rematch may have been in the cards if not for seeding.

With the way the math of district power rankings finally shook out, the Maidens earned the third seed and Avon Grove the sixth, setting up Friday afternoon’s quarterfinal contest. The winner earned a PIAA Tournament berth, the loser done for the season.

“I don’t understand their playoff system,’ North Penn coach Rick Torresani said. “But what are you going to do.’

Early, it looked as if the Maidens were on their way clinching their fourth straight trip to states, grabbing a 3-0 off Red Devils standout pitcher Maggie Balint with a three-run bottom of the third inning.

But as it did in last year’s district final, Avon Grove found a way to rally past NP, scoring three times in the sixth inning to take the lead and advancing to the semifinals with a 5-3 victory at North Penn.

“We made a couple errors that cost us. And we can’t do that against a team that we really felt that we had it,’ Torresani said. “Couple umpire calls that I didn’t agree with, that I thought were runs, that I still think were wrong. But we got to go out there and we got three runs, I thought that would be it, I thought that would be enough.’

Balint, the state’s player of the year in 2014, put together another strong effort in the circle and went 2-for-4 at the plate. But the clutch hits for the Red Devils came from freshman Ally Wallauer and Rhia Aurand, the later making her first appearance in a varsity game.

But as it did in last year’s district final, Avon Grove found a way to rally past NP, scoring three times in the sixth inning to take the lead and advancing to the semifinals with a 5-3 victory at North Penn.

“We made a couple errors that cost us. And we can’t do that against a team that we really felt that we had it,’ Torresani said. “Couple umpire calls that I didn’t agree with, that I thought were runs, that I still think were wrong. But we got to go out there and we got three runs, I thought that would be it, I thought that would be enough.’

Balint, the state’s player of the year in 2014, put together another strong effort in the circle and went 2-for-4 at the plate. But the clutch hits for the Red Devils came from freshman Ally Wallauer and Rhia Aurand, the later making her first appearance in a varsity game.

But as it did in last year’s district final, Avon Grove found a way to rally past NP, scoring three times in the sixth inning to take the lead and advancing to the semifinals with a 5-3 victory at North Penn.

“We made a couple errors that cost us. And we can’t do that against a team that we really felt that we had it,’ Torresani said. “Couple umpire calls that I didn’t agree with, that I thought were runs, that I still think were wrong. But we got to go out there and we got three runs, I thought that would be it, I thought that would be enough.’

Balint, the state’s player of the year in 2014, put together another strong effort in the circle and went 2-for-4 at the plate. But the clutch hits for the Red Devils came from freshman Ally Wallauer and Rhia Aurand, the later making her first appearance in a varsity game.

For North Penn, the loss ends a 12-game losing streak and marks the first time the Maidens (19-3) have not advanced to the District 1-AAAA semis since 2011.

“It’s tough. I didn’t expect (the season) to be over,’ Torresani said. “I expected us to go to the district final four and the states and all that. It’s just weird that it’s over, especially for the senior class that did so much for us.’

Balint started the sixth with an infield single, Herion walked and Rachel Butler’s ground out moved the runners up to second and third.

Wallauer hit a grounder to the left side of the infield with Beer throwing to third to force out Herion. However, Herion and third baseman Bri Battavio collided and the ball dribbled away, and Herion got up and went home for the tying score. Battavio was injured on the play and did not return.

“We played great defense there, just happened to be that the ball got away at third on that slide,’ North Penn senior Jackie Bilotti said. “I think that kind of ruined the momentum, there. I definitely don’t think anyone gave up. We definitely played the whole game.

Pinch hitting with two outs, Aurand put Avon Grove up 4-3 by lacing a double to left to bring in Wallauer.

In the seventh, the Red Devils went up 5-3 as Wallauer’s RBI single came after a two-out error kept the inning alive.

Wallauer finished 2-for-4 with three RBI and a run and Logan Needham went 2-for-3 for Avon Grove moves on to face second-seeded Perkiomen Valley, which beat No. 7 West Chester East 9-1, in the semifinals Tuesday at a site and time to be announced.

Balint earned a complete-game victory, allowing three runs — two earned — on three hits, walked two and struck out seven.

Bilotti took the loss, giving up five runs — four earned — on nine hits in seven innings. She walked two and struck out five.

“It’s definitely hard, I don’t think anyone’s ready to for it to be over,’ Bilotti said. “But we played a good season and it’s good to go out on a 19-3 record.’

Bilotti had a big part in North Penn’s three runs in the third. Anna Gill drew a leadoff walk, then went to second on a sacrifice bunt before being pinch-run for by Katie Knab. The next at-bat, Bilotti belted a doubled to center for the game’s first run and went to third on the throw home.

“I think I hit a change-up, but we were trying to be prepared for anything,’ Bilotti said. “She’s got that nice rise ball and our goal today was to stay off that rise ball and a lot of us did do that and a lot of us got caught up on it, but I think we definitely took advantage of the pitches she was throwing us.

Bilotti came home on Becky Christoffers’ squeeze bunt, with Christoffers reaching first on an error. Christoffers got aggressive on Hannah Ulmer’s sacrifice bunt and went to third, with an error allowing her to score for a 3-0 North Penn lead.

Avon Grove cut its deficit to 3-1 in the fourth as Herion — who was intentionally walked — scored on Wallauer’s double to left center.

North Penn had chances to extend its lead in the fifth, but Katie Beer was out at home on a squeeze bunt and with the two out and the bases loaded Balint ended the inning with a strikeout.