Reinvigorated Upper Merion cruises past Upper Dublin

UPPER MERION >> Upper Merion High softball coach John Whitney claims he’s followed the fortunes of the Vikings program for 40 years, and in his mind the core of the Vikings team of today represents the best group in the long history of Upper Merion softball.

Unfortunately, early this season, the team was not playing like it.

A team with the bulk of its players having played together for three seasons was outslugged by Methacton, then authored a listless win over Plymouth Whitemarsh.

After the PW victory, Whitney informed his charges that the type of ball they were playing was not good enough, and suggested the team get together — sans coaches — and figure a few things out.

Since, the Vikings have been back to their impressive winning ways.

Thursday’s 10-0 blanking of Upper Dublin was the latest in the newly invigorated Vikings’ road back.

Olivia Sborlini scattered four hits over five innings, fanned nine and the Vikings offense scored in every inning as Upper Merion demonstrated it’s back to its dominating ways in the Suburban One League’s American Conference.

Offensively, Upper Merion got a pair of hits each from Dez Kandy and Nicole Kowalski, and took advantage of some crucial Cardinals errors (only two of UM’s first eight runs were earned), to win going away and help the Vikings on their mission to reclaim their swagger.

“At first, it was tough getting back into it,” said Sborlini of the Vikings early struggles. “We didn’t have the same intensity.

“But we’ve been playing a lot better lately. We’re adjusting better to different pitching and we’re getting back to where we’ve been the last couple of years.”

The Vikings got it going early, scoring a first-inning run on Kandy’s leadoff single, a stolen base and a pair of Cardinals throwing errors.

Four more runs followed in the second with Riley Kontra and Abby Volpe delivering RBI singles and Sborlini and Micaela Ghanayem both being hit with pitches with the bases loaded.

When three more runs were added in the third, it was white-flag time for the Cardinals, although Upper Dublin head coach Heather Boyer said her young team could wind up benefitting from the setback.

“We made some key errors and didn’t hit, and you’re not going to win many games like that,” Boyer said. “But sometimes when you have a young team, you have to see how you stack up against a good team.

“You have to play through adversity and learn from the mistakes you make. This is a young team. We have three freshmen and two sophomores in the lineup, and you’re going to have those growing pains.

“And sometimes you need a reality check.”

The Vikings tacked on a couple of runs in the home fourth, and when Sborlini got the Cardinals out in the top of the fifth, the Vikings were back in a groove that has been present since that team meeting following the Plymouth Whitemarsh victory.

“This year our goal is to make it to states,” Sborlini said, “and anything less than that would be a disappointment to us.”

EXTRA INNINGS: Along with her mound win and the team win, Sborlini got another victory of sorts when she was presented with flowers and an invitation to the senior prom following the game (she accepted). … In order to get his team ready for whatever it must face in the coming months, Whitney has bolstered the Upper Merion non-league schedule to include heavyweights Conestoga (this Saturday), Villa Maria and Perkiomen Valley (which just defeated Pottstown, 47-0).