Central Bucks South stops Spring-Ford

No. 2 seed Central Bucks South rallied for all of its runs in a controversy-marked sixth inning to stave off a big upset and beat 15th seed Spring-Ford, 3-1, Wednesday in the second round of the District 1 Class AAAA softball playoffs.

The victory lifted the Suburban One League Continental Conference champions into Friday's quarterfinals against No. 10 North Penn. The loss ended Spring-Ford's season at 15-5.

The Titans (16-2) had trailed, 1-0, since the first inning against the Pioneer Athletic Conference champs, and had only two hits off sophomore pitcher Kristin Robinson before their bats came alive in the sixth.

Haileigh Stocks opened the inning with a single. Morgan Decker tried to sacrifice her along and was safe at first, with Stocks ending up at third.

Spring-Ford shortstop Vikki Pettine, after making a great stop on a grounder by Lauren Klepchick, threw home to get Stocks. But plate umpire Sandy Yost ruled that catcher Steph Diegel had failed to make the tag.

To no avail, Spring-Ford coach Tim Hughes questioned the ruling.

"That [call] got to me and I think some of the kids," said Hughes, whose Rams beat South last season in the district championship game. "South's a heckuva ball club."

South coach Jen Robinson said she wasn't in a good spot to see the play at the plate.

"Did she make the tag or not? I couldn't honestly say either way," Robinson said.

The Titans went on to score two more runs, one on Taylre Stocks' booming triple.

"I had been watching their pitcher, and she had been throwing a lot of first-strike pitches. I don't know what I hit, but the first pitch she threw to me was a strike," Taylre Stocks said.

Spring-Ford got its run when Amanda Glickman led off with a single, advanced to second on Bri Rowlands' sacrifice, and scored on Jess Norris' single.

Prena Kqira followed with a single, but winning pitcher Fran Carrullo retired the next two batters on a fly ball and groundout.

"The difference at the end was we got a little more aggressive with our bats," Robinson said. "We were not swinging at good pitches early."

Spring-Ford 100 000 0 - 1 5 2

Central Bucks South 000 003 x - 3 5 2

WP: Fran Carrullo. LP: Kristin Robinson. 3B: CBS-Taylre Stocks.