North Penn breaks tie in 7th, holds on to edge Lansdale Catholic

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LANSDALE >> With his team holding on to one of the final spots in the District 1-AAAA postseason, North Penn softball coach Rick Torresani is just looking of results — no matter what the style.

“If it keeps going in the left column, I don’t care what the score is,” he said.

The Lady Knights scrapped for a pair of runs in their non-league contest with host Lansdale Catholic Monday afternoon, but they proved to be one more than the Crusaders could post. North Penn broke a 1-1 tie with a run in top of the seventh inning on Bri Battavio’s RBI ground out then in the bottom of the frame threw out the tying run at the plate to secure the 2-1 victory.

“We knew we needed this win and whatever it took,” Battavio said. “We did well today, it was a great win.”

Along with driving in the go-ahead run, Battavio earned the win in a complete-game effort in the circle, giving up one earned run on five hits, walking four and striking out three as North Penn (9-9, 7-6 Suburban One League Continental) ended a two-game skid.

“I think I’ve had better games, but I think I did decent today,” Battavio said.

Lansdale Catholic (10-8, 8-4 Philadelphia Catholic League) tied the game 1-1 in the fifth on a Abby Caruso RBI single. The Lady Knights loaded the bases in the sixth, but LC pitcher Shannon Hill got out of the jam with a ground out to second base.

With one out in the top of the seventh, North Penn’s No. 9 hitter, Jamie Beer, reached on an error while Katie Beer drew a walk to put two on. Courtney Neal grounded to shortstop Maggie Wunder, who threw to the third base, but Jamie Beer was called safe — to the disagreement of the LC coaching staff — to load the bases.

“It was a bang-bang play, but she’s out,” Crusaders coach Paul Suder said. “We don’t get that call there, that turns out to be a huge play.”

It proved pivotal because on the next at-bat, Battavio’s ground out — third baseman Alessandra Messina making a diving stop — was enough to bring home Jamie Beer and put NP back ahead.

“I haven’t been hitting lately, so in my mind, I wanted to make contact and try (to) just get the run in,” Battavio said. “So, I hit hard enough to get the run in. I got out, but that’s OK, we got the run in.”

Taylor Molettiere led off the bottom of the seventh with a single up the middle with Delaney Smith coming into pinch run. But on the next two at-bats, NP first baseman Kariam Bou snagged a fly ball, while Battavio got a strikeout for the second out.

Ashley Seal hit a fly ball to center field that looked to be the final out, but the ball popped out of Neal’s glove. With Smith racing around the bases, Neal got the ball to second baseman Jordan Pietrzykoski, who delivered a strong throw to catcher Grace Hughes. Smith was tagged right before she could make effort at home plate and the Lady Knights held on for the one-run win.

“That’s a sophomore center fielder throwing to a freshman second baseman who throws to a junior at the plate that’s maybe caught for me twice,” Torresani said. “So there’s real young kids experience-wise and young kids playing who made a great play. The future’s great, but we want make sure we continue the tradition of making the playoffs.”

For Battavio, denying the Crusaders’ the tying run was a big relief since Lady Knights get back on the field Tuesday for a home game with Hatboro-Horsham at 3:45 p.m.

“Thank God, no extra innings,” she said. “Because we have a game tomorrow and we all just want to rest up.”

North Penn entered the week 21st in District 1’s AAAA power rankings with the top 23 making the postseason field.

“It’s been a playoff game forever for us this year,” Torresani said. “And we get good defense, we get good pitching, we can’t hit. We just don’t hit the ball and if this team every started hitting look out, cause Bri’s pitching real well.”

Lansdale Catholic, meanwhile, is the sixth seed in the PCL playoffs and facing No. 3 Archbishop Ryan in the quarterfinals Thursday.

“I thought we hit the ball hard and Shannon did a great job pitching,” Suder said. “We’ll try and clean up the defense a little bit and see what happens.”

Hill gave LC a strong pitching effort despite taking the loss. She allowed just two hits and both runs the right-hander allowed were unearned. Hill walked four and struck out three.

“Her location was really good,” Suder said. “We were able to throw the ball low and away with the change-up, getting them leaning in a little bit and then hard in. Sometimes, her pitch hard in doesn’t get enough of the inside part of the plate, it drags a little bit to the middle which you can hit, but she was on the hands a lot today. So, Shannon did a great job pitching.”

In the bottom of the first, Messina — who finished 2-for-3 —reached third on a leadoff single, Caruso sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch, but North Penn ended the threat with a 1-3-2 double play.

The Lady Knights plated the game’s first run in the top of the fourth. Battavio began the inning by reaching on an error. After a Bou infield single, Elia Namey’s sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third. Britney Moyer’s RBI sacrifice fly to center brought home Battavio’s courtesy runner Kate Knab.

Lansdale Catholic drew even in the fifth. Rebecca Tiley drew a one-out walk then went to second on Molettiere’s sacrifice bunt. North Penn elected to intentionally walk Messina to bring up Caruso, who dropped a single into shallow center field, allowing Tiley to score from second.

Mike Cabrey

Mike Cabrey
Mike Cabrey is the Assistant Sports Editor for The Reporter and Montgomery News. Email him at mcabrey@thereporteronline.com.

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