Scogna’s no-hitter helps Spring-Ford cruise into PIAA 6A quarterfinals
GLENSIDE >> Ashley Della Guardia had been down this road before. Jules Scogna had not.
But the junior first baseman, the freshman pitcher and the rest of the Spring-Ford softball team had every reason to enjoy laying similar pavement to two years ago Monday morning.
This time, they just hope the road extends even farther.
Scogna superbly stepped into the circle and didn’t allow a hit while Della Guardia’s 3-for-3 day fueled Spring-Ford as the Rams overwhelmed District 12 champion St. Hubert, 10-0 in five innings, in a PIAA Class 6A first round game at Arcadia University.
Final: Spring-Ford 10, St. Hubert’s 0, 5 innings, PIAA 6A softball first round. Freshman Jules Scogna doesn’t allow a hit and Ks 10 as Rams roll into 2nd round pic.twitter.com/4fyQBMjZSC
— Austin Hertzog (@AustinHertzog) June 3, 2019
The one-sided win over St. Hubert called back to 2017 when Spring-Ford routed the same opponent 16-1 on the way to reaching to PIAA semifinals where it lost to Hazleton.
“It was a great day to play some softball. I’m glad we were able to get a good team win,” Della Guardia said. “We did the same thing to them (St. Hubert) my freshman year – two years ago – and we went pretty far (that season). So I think we can go as far or even farther.”
Senior outfielder Bridget Sharkey also led the Rams’ eight-hit offense with a double, triple and two RBI while sophomore outfielder Noelle Reid drove in three runs.
Spring-Ford, the third place finisher in District 1, has an embarrassment of riches in the pitching category with freshman Scogna second in the pecking order – pun only partially intended – behind Pa. Gatorade Player of the Year Bri Peck, who was at shortstop Monday and went 1-for-3.
Scogna struck out 10 in her first start since May 6, a 3-1 win over PIAA 5A qualifier Upper Perkiomen.
“I was really relaxed and knew that my team has my back,” Scogna said. “It was easy going in there, just throwing.”
Scogna cited her curveball and screwball as go-to pitches while allowing only two Bambies to reach base – a walk in the third inning and a Julia Nolan grounder that forced a low throw from Peck at shortstop.
Spring-Ford improved to 24-1 and advances to face the winner of District 11 champion Parkland and District 1 No. 5 Conestoga in the quarterfinals Thursday at a site and time to be determined.
After dropping their first game of the season to eventual champion Downingtown West in the District 1 semifinals, the Rams followed up with a narrow 1-0 win over Pennsbury in the district third-place game, earning a get-well game against a St. Hubert team that entered with a 12-8 record.
“As a team, we don’t play down to anybody. We just play our game, are focused and locked into the game,” Della Guardia said. “So even if we play against a team that isn’t at our level we still have to do what we are capable of doing.
“We hit the ball collectively extremely hard. We did what we had to do.”
Spring-Ford plated a run in the first inning and extended the lead to 4-0 after two thanks to a pair of Bambies errors, a passed ball and strong baserunning by Julia Heine (at catcher Monday in place of Maddy Cortino, who was out due to illness) on Reid’s sacrifice bunt.
The Rams’ five-run fourth inning was aided by back-to-back RBI doubles from Heine and Sharkey.
A Reid groundout to score Sharkey in the fourth inning gave Spring-Ford a 10-0 lead that enacted the mercy rule, capped when Scogna struck out the side in the fifth for the victory.
St. Hubert pitcher Lindsey Davies was let down by her defense (five errors) with only three of the nine runs she allowed being earned over four innings. Riley Long allowed a run on one hit in relief.
The road is less smooth from here with only eight 6A teams left in Pa., but Spring-Ford isn’t short on hunger.
“The goal is to win a state championship. We were extremely close my freshman year. Ugh,” said Della Guardia, the gutteral reaction to the thought of two years ago surprisingly fresh.
Whether two years ago or three games ago, the Rams’ minds are entirely on not losing again.
“Losing that district game has been major motivation for us,” Scogna said.
