Tues. Pa. girls’ roundup: Pottsgrove, John Paul II reach final
Upsets had already turned the PIAA District 1 Class AAA softball tournament on its head, with none of the top three seeds able to make it past the quarterfinal round.
Upsets had already turned the PIAA District 1 Class AAA softball tournament on its head, with none of the top three seeds able to make it past the quarterfinal round.
But No. 8 seed Pottsgrove brought another element of wackiness to the party on Tuesday, when Marisa Kinneer scored the game's only run on a wild pitch in the third inning and the Falcons held on to nip fourth-seeded Radnor, 1-0, in a semifinal at Norristown.
Kinneer was also the winning pitcher, posting six strikeouts and no walks while limiting the Red Raiders to three singles.
To complete the abstract scenario, Pottsgrove will face a double-digit seed - No. 10 Pope John Paul II - in Thursday's district championship game.
The Golden Panthers qualified by virtue of a three-run seventh-inning rally that upended sixth-seeded Sun Valley, 4-2, in a semifinal played at Villa Maria.
Amanda Light, Meghan O'Connor and Talia Catagnus each had two hits to back winning pitcher Nikki Troisi.
Katie Maloney had two hits and scored in Sun Valley's two-run first inning.
District 1 Class AAAA. D'Anna Devine had two hits, including a two-out single that drove in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth inning, as top-seeded Pennsbury put away No. 4 seed Neshaminy, 6-2, in a semifinal at Council Rock North.
The Falcons banged out 14 hits, including Suzanne Swanicke's 3-for-3 effort, which included a run and one RBI. Winning pitcher Val Buehler rebounded after giving up a pair of runs in the first inning to shut down the Redskins the rest of the way.
Pennsbury will meet second-seeded Hatboro-Horsham for the district title on Thursday.
District 1 Class A. Kiersten Cain recorded her school-record 11th career no-hitter and her second in a row by handcuffing No. 4 seed Calvary Christian as top-seeded Bristol romped, 10-0, in a semifinal at Pennsbury.
Cain struck out a dozen batters without issuing a walk. Calvary Christian's lone base runner got on via an error in the third inning. The senior righthander also enjoyed a big day at the plate, going 3 for 3 - capped by a run-scoring double that ended the game in the fifth inning.
Senior first baseman Ashley Cantiello chipped in a single, a double and three RBIs for the Warriors, who will take on second-seeded Delco Christian for the championship on Thursday.
Delco Christian pushed across five runs in the bottom of the seventh to outlast third-seeded Friends Select, 13-12, in a wild semifinal at Plymouth Whitemarsh.
Stacey McArthur's bases-loaded double got the rally going for the Knights, with Hannah Schmucker's RBI single ending the game. Winning pitcher Abby Butler contributed two hits and three RBIs.
Delco Christian was hurt by 11 errors, leading to nine unearned runs for Friends Select.
District 1 Class AA. Keli Krause struck out 10 in tossing a four-hitter, and Maddie Clemens came through with two hits and one RBI to lead top-seeded Christopher Dock past No. 4 seed Morrisville, 4-2, at Upper Dublin.
In the other semifinal, Taylor DelMonte capped a three-run seventh-inning rally by knocking in the winning run as second-seeded Springfield (Montco) came back to oust No. 3 seed Villa Joseph Marie, 5-4, at William Tennent.