Battavio, North Penn shut out CB South in District 1-AAAA first round
WARRINGTON >> Not only did they prove they belong, they may stay for a while.
The 21st-seeded North Penn softball team traveled to No. 12 Central Bucks South on Wednesday and stunned the Titans, 1-0, advancing to the second round of the District One Class AAAA Playoffs and a trip to No. 5 Quakertown on Thursday.
“Coming in, we knew we were the underdog,” said Lady Knights right hander Bri Battavio, who had her drop curve working all afternoon, limiting the Titans to six hits, “and basically, no one was expecting us to win. But we just used that as fuel, and we’re gonna keep using that as fuel and go as far as we can.”
Battavio went the distance, striking out three and walking two. She was solid throughout, in a game that was a continuation from Monday after rain suspended the contest in the bottom of the second.
North Penn is moving on, taking on Quakertown for a chance to go to No. 4 Perk Valley on Friday.
“I kept telling the girls if you get in (the playoffs), once you get in, then you can strut your stuff,” North Penn coach Rick Torresani said, “and show everybody what you’re made of.”
The contest picked up with two runners on and one out for South in the second, and Battavio got Alexis McConomy to line out to center then struck out Maddie McShane to end the inning.
South right hander Kylie Kenney retired the first eight batters she faced, not allowing a base runner until Jamie Beer drew a walk in the third.
Katie Beer also drew a walk and Courtney Neal was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but Kenney got out of the jam by getting Battavio to ground out to short.
The next inning, however, North Penn kept the pressure on and pushed a runner across.
Kariam Bou led off with a walk and then Jovanna Alfonsi smacked a double to right, giving the Lady Knights (11-10) runners at second and third.
McConomy made a nice grab in right on a line drive by Britney Moyer, but then Elia Namey poked a single to right — just past the outstretched glove of Titans second baseman Alex DeLeon — to drive in Bou for a 1-0 lead.
South’s best chance to tie came in the fifth, but North Penn catcher Jovanna Alfonsi put the tag on Kenney on a key play at the plate, and then with two outs, Battavio got Meg Bradley to line out to left.
“We had a bases-loaded situation, and that’s a little tough on you, and you’re like, ‘okay, we gotta get the next out.’ We just were all breathing,” Battavio said, “and we knew whatever happened, we would make the play.”
McConomy, who came on in relief of Kenney in the sixth, kept it a 1-0 contest. South had one chance left.
Maddie McShane led off the bottom of the seventh with a single, Kenney bunted her over to second, and then Alexa Ortman grounded out to short, moving McShane over to third.
Battavio then faced DeLeon, the Titans’ No. 2 hitter, with a chance to end it.
“I knew that Alex was a great hitter,” Battavio said, “and I knew she was going to be a tough out. But I had to trust coach T’s calling and hit my spot, and that’s just what we did, and we got the out.”
Battavio got DeLeon (1-for-4) to hit a hard grounder to second, Julia Puia made the grab and threw to Bou for the final out of the contest.
North Penn went a perfect 3-0 this season against South, which could not overcome leaving eight runners stranded.
“We could have done better with our hitting — timing-wise and pitch selection,” DeLeon said. “I think we fought hard — 1-0 game. We left too many runners on base and we should have hit better (in those situations).”
North Penn now gets ready for the Panthers, a team they split the regular-season series with in the loaded Suburban One League Continental Conference.
“This is just the start I hope,” Torresani said. “If Bri pitches like this, yes, (we can get on a run). If Bri can throw like this, you need two or three runs and you should be okay.”
