The Reporter/Times Herald/Montgomery 2021 All-Area Softball Teams
Winning its first PIAA championship since 1985, the North Penn softball team is well represent with three players selected to the 2021 The Reporter/Times Herald/Montgomery Media All-Area Softball First Team, including Player of the Year senior right-handed pitcher Mady Volpe.
Volpe, who’s honors include being the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year and getting selected to the the Maxpreps All-America First Team, had a 0.68 earned-run average and struck out 335 batters as the Knights went 26-2 and claims the state Class 6A title with a 11-0 victory over Haverford.
A pair of sophomore teammates joined Volpe on the All-Area first squad with Julia Shearer at outfield and Bri Wilmot at first base, the duo helping power an offense that posted a total of 193 runs on the year.
Shearer had a blistering .568 batting average with 40 runs, 21 RBIs, 10 doubles, four triples and three RBIs while Wilmot posted a .443 batting average with 31 RBIs, 21 runs, nine home runs, six doubles and a triple.
SOL Liberty Division champ Hatboro-Horsham, which was denied a PIAA berth by North Penn in District 1 playbacks, also earned three all-area first team picks – junior Kendal Leitner at pitcher, senior Kayla Tauber at shortstop and sophomore Amya Lundy at third base.
Leitner had a 0.92 ERA with 208 strikeouts – the righty twice racking up 17 strikeouts in a game, the second time in the Hatters’ district second-round win over William Tennent. She also had .368 batting average and collected 28 RBIs, 24 runs, eight home runs – hitting two in back-to-back games against Quakertown and Central Bucks South –four doubles and a triple.
Tauber, a St. Joseph’s commit, hit .500 with 31 runs, 22 RBIs and seven doubles for an HH offense that average 10.0 runs per game. Lundy was just behind with a .492 batting average while registering 39 RBIs, 29 runs, 11 doubles and five home runs.
William Tennent, the SOL Freedom Division champ which advanced to the District 1-6A second round had two all-area first team selections in senior Mackenzie Clee at utility and sophomore Gigi DeMito at catcher.
As a pitcher and outfielder, Clee hit .554 with 12 triples, 36 runs, 14 RBIs, four doubles and three home runs while in the circle struck out 60 and had a 3.84 ERA in 58 1/3 innings. DeMito helped the Panthers go 14-5 with a .353 batting average, 26 RBIs, 13 runs, four doubles, two triples and a pair of homers.
Juniors Riley York of Souderton and Pennridge’s Catelyn Thrush complete the first team outfield. York connected on nine home runs – hitting three against Central Bucks West May 18 – as she finished with a .559 batting average with 29 RBIs, 27 runs scored and nine doubles as the Indians reached the District 1-6A second round.
Thrush, who has committed to UMBC, hit .478 with 29 runs, 19 RBIs, four doubles, a pair of triples and five home runs, belting two longballs against Truman April 20.
Plymouth Whitemarsh senior Carly Rosenberger earns first team honors at second base after the Emerson College commit hit .349 with 18 runs, 12 RBIs, three doubles and two triples for a Colonials side that went 12-9 and made the District 1-6A tournament.
Earning All-Area first team at pitcher is Methacton senior Paige Deal, who helped the Warriors battle in a tough PAC Liberty Division with both her arm and her bat, including hitting a home run and striking out seven in a 14-2 five-inning win over Conestoga in the district 6A first round.
The Reporter/Times Herald/Montgomery Media 2021 Softball All-Area
Player of the Year: Mady Volpe, Sr., North Penn
First Team
P: Mady Volpe, Sr., North Penn
P: Kendal Leitner, Jr., Hatboro-Horsham
P: Paige Deal, Sr., Methacton
C: Gigi DeMito, So., William Tennent
1B: Bri Wilmot, So., North Penn
2B: Carly Rosenberger, Sr., Plymouth Whitemarsh
SS: Kayla Tauber, Sr., Hatboro-Horsham
3B: Amya Lundy, So., Hatboro-Horsham
OF: Julia Shearer, So., North Penn
OF: Riley York, Jr., Souderton
OF: Catelyn Thrush, Jr., Pennridge
Utility: Mackenzie Clee, Sr., P/OF, William Tennent
Second Team
P: Abby Burns, Jr., Souderton
P: Maddie Seidel, Jr., Gwynedd Mercy
P: Molly Moore, So., Plymouth Whitemarsh
C: Madison Silber, Sr., Pennridge
1B: Katelyn Fitzgerald, Jr., Wissahickon
2B: Alyssa Tooley, Fr., Hatboro-Horsham
SS: Kayley York, So., Souderon
3B: Annabelle Smink, So., North Penn
OF: Kristen Myers, Sr., Hatboro-Horsham
OF: Leanna Schenk, So., Abington
OF: Cheyenne Niehoff, Jr., Archbishop Carroll
Utility: Gianna Cimino, Fr., DP, North Penn
Honorable Mention
Archbishop Carroll: Christina Jackson (Sr.), Gianna Liciardello (Jr.), Lauren Martin (So.).
Archbishop Wood: Dakota Fanelli (So.), Paige Ross (So.), Maura Yoos (Fr.).
Central Bucks West: Chloe Dryden (Fr.).
Dock Mennonite: Jocelyn Pfleiger (Sr.).
Germantown Academy: Colleen Gibbons (Sr.), Malia Walton (So.).
Gwynedd Mercy: Jenna Morrison (Fr.), Lauren Solvensky (Sr.).
Hatboro-Horsham: Abby Waeltz (So.), Marissa Rapino (Jr.), Tess Kearney (So.)
Lansdale Catholic: Ella Moran (So.).
Lower Moreland: Elizabeth Neeld (So.), Natalie Shiloni (So.).
Methacton: Serena Goodridge (Sr.).
North Penn: Sophia Collins (Jr.), Carley DiGiuseppe (Sr.), Sarah Sabocsik (So.).
Pennridge: Katie Buccafuri (Fr.), Grace Helbling (So.), Mackenzie Owens (Sr.).
Plymouth Whitemarsh: Regan Gehman (Sr.), Lauryn Kane (Jr.), Marissa Perez (Fr.).
Pope John Paul II: Kelsey Bryant (Jr.), Alex DiCampello (Sr.), Bella Ricevuto (Sr.).
Souderton: Sierra Miller (So.), Ryan Zimmerman (Sr.).
Springfield-Montco: Anna Posluszny (Jr.)
Upper Dublin: Lauren Carboni (Sr.), Gretchen Wolpert (Sr.).
Upper Merion: Vanessa Hutchinson (Jr.).
Upper Moreland: Chloe Kramer (Sr.), Gabrielle Wiley (Sr.), Natalie Walton (So.).
William Tennent: Anna Coulter (So.), Megan Curtis (Sr.).
Wissahickon: Danielle Ciliberto (Jr.), Luca Penna (Jr.).
