Former catcher Orth shining at third base for North Penn

North Penn softball coach Rick Torresani saw the skills Sophia Orth showed as a catcher and decided to have the junior instead play third base.

“We put her out there cause we knew that she could block a ball,” said Torresani after the Knights’ 1-0 eight-inning win over Chambersburg in the PIAA-6A semifinals. “She was quick enough from catching that she wasn’t afraid of it and her arm was adequate enough to make the throws.”

Orth spent another game proficiently holding down the hot corner in a tight contest at Millersville University. She came through late with her glove to back up pitcher Julia Shearer while Orth’s sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth inning brought in the lone run as the Knights earned a chance to win a second state title in three years.

“In the beginning of the season it was a little rough,” said Orth of the switch to playing third. “Just starting out I didn’t feel confident out there. But I know Julia has my back, Julia’s always there for everybody, picking each other up. And Brie (Wilmot) too. Brie’s really there for me a lot so they work with me. AB (Annabelle Smink)’s always telling me like ‘Hey, you can do this better, you can do this.’ And they’re always just working with me to help me get better.”

Tuesday’s win was just the third time in 2023 that North Penn (27-0) had a game decided by one run, previously edging Boyertown 1-0 April 3 then Plymouth Whitemarsh May 24 in the District 1-6A semifinals 4-3 in 10 innings. The Knights now look to complete an undefeated season against Hempfield in the PIAA final scheduled for 4 p.m. Thursday at Penn State’s Nittany Lion Softball Park.

“I just know always with these girls I know we can pull through somehow,” Orth said. “Everybody’s always in it. We always pick each other up and pull each other back into it. I knew we would find a way, even from the beginning when they had that runner that almost scored (in the third) – that was a little scary – but I knew we would pull through. Even if they got that run, we would pull through.”

Smink, a Drexel commit, played third the past two seasons but shifted over to shortstop this year, leaving a spot open that Orth has capably filled. Alongside Smink, junior second baseman Gianna Cimino and senior Shippensburg commit Wilmot at first base, the Knights’ infield has helped Shearer post 21 shutouts and give up just 10 runs.

“I am so proud of her,” Smink said of Orth. “She’s killing it out there. She went over to my position and I moved over and she is doing up to her expectations. She’s such a good player.”

Orth, who was selected to the All-Suburban One League Colonial Division second team at third base, had the second of North Penn’s six hits in Tuesday’s semifinal, following a Cimino one-out single in the fourth with a base hit of her own but got doubled up at first after the next batter lined out.

In the top of the sixth, Cimino hit a two-out single through the left side but Orth struck out to end the inning. Orth, however, got another chance at the plate with one out in the eight, coming up with runners on the corners after Smink led off with a double then went to third after Wilmot reached on a double.

“I just knew I needed to hit something in play,” Orth said. “I just knew I needed to make a play. I wasn’t trying to strike out again.”

Orth could not get down a bunt but the junior ended up putting a swing on a pitch to send it out to center field. Smink came home on the fly out and while she looked to have been tagged out before sliding into home plate she was ruled safe, giving the Knights a 1-0 lead.

“I mean, it looked pretty,” said Smink of her slide. “And guess what, it worked. I’m going to Penn State.”

Defensively, Orth provided a steady glove in the final three innings. In the sixth after a one-out hit by pitch, Orth collected a grounder for an out at first. Shearer struck out the next Chambersburg batter to leave the runner stranded at second.

The Trojans’ leadoff hitters in both the seventh and eighth hit grounders to the infield’s left side but Orth snagged each for outs at first. Shearer finished the eighth with consecutive strikeouts – the senior left-hander recording 15 on the night – to send the Knights to State College.

“There was definitely a lot of pressure but I feel like later in the season I’ve had a lot more confidence at third,” Orth said. “So I knew I could pull through as long as I stayed focused and stayed with my mechanics and I had to do that. I knew I did, I could do it.”

NOTES >> Both North Penn and Hempfield Area are looking to win a fifth PIAA championship in program history, a number that would tie Parkland and Pennsbury for second-most in softball state titles. District 11’s Minersville has the most with 10…North Penn is 4-1 all-time in state finals, winning in 1976, 1981, 1985 and 2021 while losing in 1980. Hempfield Area is 4-0, winning in 1999, 2016, 2017 and 2018….The Class 6A final is the third game Thursday at Nittany Lion Softball Park. First is the 2A final between (6-1) Bald Eagle Area and (5-1) Everett at 11 a.m. with the 4A final between (11-1) Blue Mountain and (7-2) Montour at 1:30 p.m.