District 1-6A softball: Spring-Ford bats awaken in time to oust Owen J. Roberts

ROYERSFORD >> It had been an extended slumber for the Spring-Ford softball team’s bats – and the Rams were running out of time to awaken.

So the No. 9 seeded hosts resorted to some old-fashioned small ball to ignite a six-run rally in the bottom of the fifth inning, erasing a 4-0 deficit and overcoming No. 24 Owen J. Roberts, 7-4, in the District 1-6A first round Monday afternoon at Ram Park.

Shortstop Riley Gancasz led Spring-Ford with three RBI, while starting pitcher Jess Fliszar went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and two RBI to lead the late comeback.

“When I got to the plate, I was just thinking about making contact with the ball,” said Gancasz. “If we put the ball in play, we can force the defense to make plays and make mistakes.”

The frustration for Spring-Ford began a week ago in the PAC semifinals with a 1-0, extra-inning loss to Boyertown. By the fifth inning on Monday, the Rams were staring at a dozen consecutive innings without a run, a status Gancasz was all too eager to reverse.

“You feel a lot of pressure,” Gancasz said, “coming off a game where we had only two hits, and then starting off so slowly in this game.”

Spring-Ford’s Riley Gancasz, foreground, rounds first base on her RBI single that scored courtesy runner Cameron Gordon during the Rams’ six-run fifth inning against Owen J. Roberts in a District 1-6A first round game on May 20 at Spring-Ford. (Austin Hertzog – MediaNews Group)

Owen J. Roberts received flawless fielding for the first four innings and had a 4-0 lead to show for their troubles, but when Spring-Ford right fielder Nova Legassie led off the fifth inning with a walk, the fun began for the hosts.

Addie Eross followed with a hit up the middle the Wildcats couldn’t corral, and Brooke Haring followed with an infield single. Fliszar’s double cut the deficit in half and led to an Owen J. Roberts pitching change, chasing starter Amelia Atkins.

But the ice was broken, and Ally Burgess kept it cracking by bringing home Haring to make it 4-3. That was when Gancasz stepped to the plate and ended the slump with authority, singling up the middle to score Fliszar and knot the game up at 4 apiece.

“Going from the Boyertown game to (OJR), we needed to adjust to the pitching,” said Fliszar. “(OJR starter Amelia Atkins) was throwing outside, different speeds – it was on us to make the adjustment.”

Spring-Ford’s Nova Legassie celebrates on first base after an RBI single against Owen J. Roberts in a District 1-6A first round game on May 20 at Spring-Ford. (Austin Hertzog – MediaNews Group)

Ava Bainbridge and Legassie followed with RBI singles to give Spring-Ford a 6-4 lead, and Gancasz added an additional RBI single in the sixth for the final margin.

Defensively, Fliszar settled down after a rocky first inning that saw OJR pitcher Atkins and designated player Grace Przborowski each deliver two-run single to send the upstart visitors to an early lead. The Wildcats received outstanding defense behind Atkins, particularly from shortstop Rachel Epps and center fielder Bella Winnick.

But they were up against a Spring-Ford squad determined to not see their season – and in some cases, high school careers – come to an end.

“That was most of the motivation,” said Legassie. “We’ve grown a lot as a team this year. It would’ve been pretty sad to see it all end today.”

It may be the playoffs, but for the Rams it continues to look a whole lot like the regular season. That’s because next up is a rubber match on Wednesday with No. 8 seed and league champions Perkiomen Valley.

Spring-Ford and PV split the regular season series, each team winning on the other’s home field – a fact that isn’t lost on Spring-Ford’s Gancasz.

“I’ve seen (Perkiomen Valley) win too many times on this field,” she said. “After the game in the regular season, all I could think about was playing them again. It didn’t happen last week (in the PAC playoffs), but now we’ve got our opportunity.”

Wednesday’s game, however, will be at Perkiomen Valley, where the Rams earned a 9-5 victory in early April.

Owen J. Roberts’ infielders have a meeting at the mound during a District 1-6A first round game on May 20 at Spring-Ford. (Austin Hertzog – MediaNews Group)

Owen J. Roberts’ 2024 season concludes at a mark of 8-13. Epps had three hits to lead the Wildcats, while junior leadoff hitter and catcher Liza Flavin reached base in each of the first two innings.

Coming off a PAC championship one year ago, a younger group of Wildcats encountered challenges this season that coach Steve Winnick says will serve the team well going forward.

“We had only one senior playing today,” said Winnick. “Sophia Cerimele, and she’s done everything we’ve asked as a teammate. First base, third base, outfield, she’s done everything for this team.”

“For this group, we’re a young team and this experience will help us for next year. With all these girls coming back, the future is bright. It’s our third time playing Spring-Ford, all three very competitive games. I give them credit, they never quit, but I think we can say the same about ourselves.”

Barring upsets down the line in Districts, Monday could be the last game at Ram Park for the Spring-Ford seniors who were sophomores when the Rams won the PIAA 6A title two years ago.

“Sophomore year for me, that’s my favorite memory here,” said Gancasz. “We lost in PACs, lost in Districts, but we just kept going (in states). Those were some of the most fun practices I’ve had.”

Thanks to her teammates and her own timely hitting Monday, she’ll get to enjoy at least one more.