Pa. Girls: Thurs. Pa. girls: Norristown gets past Springfield (M)

The shallow fly ball seemed like a sure third out on Thursday afternoon as Norristown softball coach Jim McCarthy waved his arms wildly down the third-base line.

"We were off to the races," McCarthy said.

Good thing they were. The ball dropped in with two out in the sixth inning, and two Norristown runners hustled home to lift the Eagles past visiting Springfield (Montco), 7-4, in a Suburban One American game.

Monica Levins scored the first run on Amy Iorio's infield fly, and Krista Fineran slid home to score the second.

"They're using very good softball IQ to make something good happen," McCarthy said.

Levins, a senior shortstop, finished 3 for 4 with a run and three steals. Senior righthander Sarah Rossetti pitched a complete game and struck out 11 for the win. Ninety of her 139 pitches were strikes.

Also in the Suburban One, Kellie Gillman went 2 for 2, scored once, and drove in a run to lift Wissahickon over host Cheltenham, 4-1. Alex Comonitsky and Britt Gelman each added an RBI.

Catholic Academies. Laura Hall motored home from first base on Hannah Chambers' triple to lift host Villa Maria over Gwynedd Mercy, 4-3. Maddie Abbot posted the win with nine strikeouts, and Mary Kate Butler scored a pair of runs.

Catholic. Erica Ragazzone pitched a complete game with seven strikeouts and scored the winning run as St. Hubert nipped visiting Little Flower, 2-1. Ragazzone led off the sixth with a single, moved to third on Gabby DeLeo's double, and scored on Jess Grzywna's fielder's choice.

Alicia Kradzinski went 3 for 4 and drove in two runs as Lansdale Catholic won at Archbishop Wood, 5-3.

Del-Val. Sophomore Amanda Suydan went 4 for 4 with an RBI in her first varsity game, and Interboro rocked host Academy Park, 8-3. Olivia Encarnacion pitched a complete game with 12 strikeouts.

Central. Kaity Baumann knocked in two runs with a triple in the sixth inning as Springfield (Delco) downed host Marple Newtown, 3-1.

Winning pitcher Olivia Youman went 3 for 3, drove in five runs, and hit a pair of doubles as Conestoga rolled past visiting Penncrest, 8-3.

Tyler Beccari's three hits and three RBIs helped Haverford High cruise at Garnet Valley, 7-1.

Pioneer. Freshman Gabbi Ermish hit a home run, went 3 for 3, scored three times, and drove in four runs to lead Pottsgrove past visiting Upper Perkiomen, 9-1.

Nonleague. Erin Schwab stroked three hits, including a triple, and scored three times as Pope John Paul II turned away visiting Upper Dublin, 10-8.

Garnet Valley's Coley Ricci caused seven turnovers, recovered three ground balls, and won a pair of draw controls to lead the Jaguars past visiting Conestoga, 11-5, in a Central League game.

Also in the Central League, Emily Santana had five goals and Alex Poplawski and Taylor DeBernardi scored four times each as Springfield (Delco) downed Lower Merion, 16-8.