No late-inning magic for Perkiomen Valley in PIAA Class AAAA quarterfinal loss to Parkland
LYONS —There was no late-inning heroics Thursday.
No, for Perkiomen Valley, their magic ran out.
Facing a four-run deficit in the last inning, the Vikings brought the tying run to the plate but failed to achieve the same late-inning magic that gave them a win in the previous round as Perkiomen Valley fell 5-3 to District 11 champion Parkland in the PIAA-AAAA quarterfinals at Lyons Field.
“We hung with them but they were the better team today,’ Perkiomen Valley head coach Dan McLaughlin said. “We saw that on the field. We didn’t muster enough hits. We bunched a couple in the end when they made a mistake and put some pressure on them, but throughout the game, they were the better team.’
Taylor Knappenberger and Emma Varrato (two RBI) led Parkland with three hits apiece while pitcher Aubree Fritzinger displayed efficient command in seven innings of work as the team went toe-to-toe with PV before a critical two-run fifth inning gave it a 4-1 lead. The run support was sufficient for the right-hander as she went the distance, allowing seven hits and two earned runs while striking out two and walking one.
Defensively, third baseman Knappenberger stole the show as she recorded five assists in the field including a sensational play where she bobbled the grounder initially but rebounded with a perfect strike to first to nab the Perkiomen Valley batter of a single.
Parkland will face District 3’s Bekah Slattery-led Daniel Boone in the PIAA-AAAA semifinals Monday at a site and time to be determined. Parkland has shown no trouble in facing power pitching after it ran up five runs against Pa. Gatorade Player of the Year Maggie Balint in a 5-1 victory over Avon Grove in the first round.
“When we had a chance, they made the plays,’ McLaughlin said. “Their pitcher was not overpowering but she’s fundamentally sound. She hit her spots. The third baseman (Knappenberger), I asked if we were allowed to make trades. She was making plays right in front of me and I stopped complimenting her, I was wearing my voice out. The one (play) she was over there juggling just to show off I guess.
“But that’s the type of team they have there and that’s what we knew coming in. Offensively and defensively they’re fundamentally sound, try to make you hit groundballs and Fritzinger hits her low-and-away spots. We started to hit the ball hard at times but they made more plays than we did and had a good hitting lineup as well.’
Ana Bruni finished the game with three hits while Rachel Helverson added two RBI as the team was in place to work the same magic that it created in a 6-2 extra-inning victory over Archbishop Ryan in the PIAA first round. That game, Shannon Beattie’s critical two-out single tied the game at two in the seventh before Kelsey Impink delivered the knockout blow with a bases-clearing double that was the catalyst to a four-run eighth inning.
Against Parkland, the late-inning heroics simply were not replicated.
Facing a 5-1 hole entering the bottom of the seventh, the Vikings pieced together two-consecutive hits via singles from Haley Streeper and Bruni to load the bases after Gillian Barrie reached first on an one-out error. Rachel Helverson followed with a fielder’s choice that scored Barrie from third with Streeper also scoring after the first baseman ran out of play after retrieving an errant throw by the Parkland shortstop to make it 5-3.
The table was set for Wednesday’s hero as Impink dug in but she took a first pitch fastball to right that was snared by Parkland’s right fielder Abby Fritzinger to end the threat, end the game, and end Perkiomen Valley’s season.
“This was the best season we’ve had,’ McLaughlin said. “I told the girls that. Nothing can take that away, not today, not anything else. You were 25-2, no team in our league has gone through 20 games and went through the Final Four (undefeated). That’s something to be proud of.’
NOTES — Emily Oltman took the loss for Perkiomen Valley after throwing a complete game while allowing nine hits and five runs (four earned) with three walks and four strikeouts. Abby Wild tripled in the third inning. … Parkland stranded seven runners on base in the win including the bases loaded in the fifth.
