LOWER GWYNEDD >> Gwynedd Mercy Academy’s softball team had high expectations for the 2020 season it never got to realize.

The District 1-4A runner-up in 2019, the Monarchs felt poised to take the next step and reach the state playoffs last spring before Covid-19 ended their season before it began. A strong senior class departed, but the returning players didn’t see any reason why they couldn’t set the same goals for the 2021 season and are putting themselves in good position to make them happen.

Gwynedd Mercy Academy topped rival Mount Saint Joseph Academy 6-2 on Tuesday, celebrating Senior Day with a win and securing at least a share of the AACA title.

“We’re playing for them and we’re playing for that district title,” Monarchs senior third baseman Lauren Solvensky said of last year’s senior class. “We were so close sophomore year, so we’re really playing for that, we want to go all the way.

“We feel pretty great, it’s been a strong run so far but we’re still taking it game by game.”

Solvensky had a solid Senior Day, driving in three runs that included an important two-run single in the fifth inning. She, along with fellow seniors Carly Andrews and Jorden White and junior co-captain Madison Seidel have led an otherwise young roster to a lot of success this spring in many different situations.

GMA(14-2, 10-1 AACA) can secure the AACA title outright on Thursday if it can top Villa Maria Academy on the road, but that’s no given with how competitive the league has been this spring. The Monarchs currently hold the No. 1 spot in the Class 4A district rankings, but spots 2-4 are occupied by league opponents Villa Joseph Marie, Nazareth Academy and Villa Maria.

Gwynedd Mercy Academy’s Madison Seidel (6) delivers a pitch to Mount Saint Joseph Academy’s Vivian Moore during their game on Tuesday, May 11, 2021. (Andrew Robinson/MediaNews Group)

Seidel has been a driving force for the Monarchs in the pitching circle this spring. The right-hander, also a standout catcher with her PA Chaos travel team, was also the team’s pitcher as a freshman in 2019 and is just as driven as her senior co-captains to go at least a win further this spring.

On Tuesday, she struck out 14 batters while scattering five hits and had a 22-strikeout game in an extra-inning win over Nazareth Academy in late April that was one of the team’s signature victories this season. Seidel was also the one in the middle of team huddles between innings getting everyone else fired up.

“Energy is the biggest piece, this is such a mental game,” Seidel said. “It’s important to go in with a positive attitude and if you think your team is going to prosper, it usually happens.”

Gwynedd Mercy Academy didn’t need long to get going on Tuesday. After Seidel put up a zero in the top half of the inning, the Monarchs freshman duo of Jenna Morrison and Alexa Weiss started the offense. Morrison, the catcher, led off with a single, stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball before scoring on a single by Weiss, the shortstop.

Weiss moved up on a wild pitch and stolen bag, setting her up to score on a sac fly by Solvensky that gave the hosts a 2-0 lead early on.

In the third, Weiss collected another RBI when her triple to deep right-center again plated Morrison but she was denied an inside-the-park home run thanks to a nice relay by the Magic that ended with catcher Kylie McMullen making the tag at home.

“Our offense has been such a big factor,” Seidel said. “You can keep them from scoring, but if you’re not scoring any runs, you’re not going to win. Everyone’s been doing so well stringing hits together, getting runners on and taking the time to move them and not being selfish with their at-bats.”

Gwynedd Mercy Academy catch Jenna Morrison (22) collects a hit off Mount Saint Joseph Academy’s Emily Vinal during their game on Tuesday, May 11, 2021. (Andrew Robinson/MediaNews Group)

The Mount (2-11, 2-9 AACA) has faced some hard luck this spring but the Magic battled all game on Tuesday. Senior Alex Ritter hit a double in the second inning that put runners on second and third with one out, but Seidel was able to lock in with a strikeout and ground ball to end that threat.

In the fourth, the visitors made things very interesting. Sophomore Emily Vinal, the Mount’s pitcher, laced a one-out single that got her to second with an errant throw before scoring when senior third baseman Clare Moxey clobbered an extra-base hit to the outfield. Moxey tried for a third base, drawing another errant throw that sailed out of play, allowing the senior to score and cut the lead to 3-2.

Seidel ended the frame without further damage and after holding serve in the top of the fifth, gathered her teammates for another pump-up talk before their at-bats.

“Sometimes we just need that reminder to keep our energy up,” Solvensky said. “We all have our bad games but we want to keep everybody up, keep the team’s energy up and picking each other up is really important for us. I think we’re really great at picking each other up on and off the field, it’s how we keep it going.”

In her talk, Seidel asked for some hits and she got them. Morrison hit a one-out single, Weiss was hit by a pitch and Seidel worked a walk to load the bases for the seniors hitting 4-5-6 in the order. Solvensky, the clean-up batter, filled her role by chopping a two-run single through the third base gap and Andrews drove in another with a two-out RBI single that plated Seidel for the final margin.

Solvensky has liked the growth the Monarchs have shown offensively in adjusting to different pitches and finding ways to score when they aren’t stringing multiple hits together. Aside from a crazy 23-10 loss to Nazareth and an 8-3 setback to Class 5A No. 3 West Chester Rustin, the Monarchs have solved every puzzle put in front of them.

Senior Carly Andrews (11) of Gwynedd Mercy Academy puts a ball in play against Mount Saint Joseph Academy during their game on Tuesday, May 11, 2021. (Andrew Robinson/MediaNews Group)

“We struggled with staying up at the beginning of the season, we had one big loss, but we learned from that and realized energy is our key,” Solvensky said. “Keeping that up in games is really, really important”

A handful of Monarchs alumni were on hand Tuesday to watch the program continue its recent ascent. Seidel said it was a point of pride for the team to secure at least a share of the league title and be able to

“This is the best our team has ever been, so we want to show out,” Seidel said. “We don’t want people to think of Gwynedd softball poorly and we all love the sport. We want to get on the board in our school, we have other programs that are always winning so to do that with softball would be huge.

“We came out knowing we were going to be good, but I think for sure we exceeded our expectations. We’re a strong team and now we feel like we have a chance to compete and go pretty far.”

GWYNEDD MERCY 6, MOUNT SAINT JOSEPH 2
MOUNT SAINT JOSEPH 000 200 0 – 2 5 2
GWYNEDD MERCY 201 030 x – 6 7 2
3B: GMA – Alexa Weiss. 2B: MSJA – Alex Ritter, Clare Moxey.

North Penn 11, Perkiomen Valley 1 (5) >> Bri Wilmot hit a pair of home runs, Mady Volpe also homered as North Penn ended its regular season with a 13th straight victory, rolling past Perkiomen Valley in five innings in their nonleague contest Wednesday.

Volpe and Wilmot connected on back-to-back longballs in North Penn’s five-run bottom of the first – Volpe belting a three-run shot to left for a 4-1 lead with Wilmot following with a solo blast to center. In the fourth, Wilmot hit a two-run homer to put NP up 9-1.

Wilmot also doubled as she finished 3-for-3 with three RBIs and three runs scored for the Knights (19-1, 15-1 SOL Colonial). Julia Shearer was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run, Gianna Cimino went 2-for-3 with two doubles, an RBI and two runs while Annabelle Smink was 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.

Volpe earned a complete-game win, allowing one earned run on two hits, walked four and struck out seven.

Perk Valley scored its lone run on Serena Crovetti’s RBI single in the top of the first. In the bottom of the inning, a Smink RBI single tied things while Wilmot and Volpe homered the next two at-bats for a four-run NP lead.

The Knights made it 6-1 in the third on a Cimino RBI double and Shearer RBI single then scored their final four runs in the fourth.

Abington 12, Mount St. Joseph 5 >> Jess Sokolski hit a home run and pitched 6 2/3 innings to get the win as Abington used a pair of five-run innings to finish its season with a victory in the nonleague matchup.

Mackenzie Marcotte was 2-for-4 with an RBI and run scored with Bella Oquendo having two RBIs for the Ghosts (8-11, 6-10 SOL Liberty), who snapped a four-game losing streak.

Sokolski finished with three RBIs and a run scored while in the circle allowed five runs – two earned – on eight hits, walked four and struck out five. Annie Sokolski and Julia Bruestle both scored twice.

Paige Moore was 2-for-4 with two runs scored for Mount St. Joseph while the Magic’s Clare Moxey, Alex Ritter and Katie Convey each had an RBI.

A Mount run in the top of third tied the game 2-2 but Abington took the lead for good with five in the fourth on RBI singles from Jenna Doyle and Annie Sokolski, a Bruestle RBI sacrifice fly and Jess Sokolski’s two-run home run to right to put the Ghosts up 7-2.

The Magic plated a run in the top of the fifth before Abington produced another five spot in its half of the sixth. Annie Sokolski scored on a wild pitch with Jess Sokolski’s RBI ground out made it 9-3. An Oquendo RBI single, a RBI double by Meghan Strange and Marcotte’s RBI single extended the lead to 12-3.

Pennsbury 11, Plymouth Whitemarsh 0 (6) >> Pennsbury scored three runs in the top of the third then pulled away with eight in the sixth as the Falcons (19-1, 16-0 SOL Freedom) topped Plymouth Whitemarsh in six innings for their 12th win in a row.

Hannah Suh collected the lone hit for the Colonials (12-8, 11-5), who had a three-game win streak snapped.

LOWER GWYNEDD >> All she’s lost has given Carly Andrews a greater appreciation for what she has.

The Gwynedd Mercy Academy senior is a three-sport athlete, a leader and at the moment, a productive starter for the softball team one win away from a District 1 title. She’s also very grateful for the opportunity to lace up her spikes, dig into a batter’s box and play this spring after two years of injury and setbacks no one could have prepared for left her an unwilling spectator.

Bound for Penn State in a few weeks, Andrews is hoping to make the most of her final stretch in a Monarchs uniform.

“The fact I’m able to play, I really didn’t think the season I’m playing right now was how it was going to end up,” Andrews said after going 2-for-3 in Tuesday’s District 1-4A semifinal win. “I’m hitting way better than I thought. I’m playing a position I wasn’t supposed to be playing, I haven’t played second base in a very long time but overcoming everything and being able to bring everything I’ve learned over the last 18 years to this team is amazing.”

Andrews, who would have been a four-year varsity player in softball had the COVID-19 pandemic not robbed her and fellow seniors Jorden White and Lauren Solvensky of a junior season, has been one of the best bats in the Monarchs’ lineup. The senior, who hits No. 6 in the order, was swinging to the tune of better than .450 at the end of the regular season.

That lost season became an all-too familiar refrain for Andrews the past two years, where she’s had part of four athletic seasons and a summer of travel ball taken due to injury or the pandemic. Even this year has been taxing, with the senior breaking her foot two games into her soccer season in the fall and not returning to action until her Senior Day game at the end of the basketball regular season.

“I was very upset because it was my senior year,” Andrews said. “Of course it was against Mount (Saint Joseph Academy), our rival school and I wasn’t really sure how the rest of my year was going to go. It delayed my playing time in basketball and softball, I was ready but then we were hit by COVID and lost two weeks so we weren’t sure how that was going to be moving forward.”

As a junior, Andrews got through soccer season unscathed but broke her foot during basketball season, missing much of the Monarchs’ run to a District 1-4A title and PIAA second round. Then the pandemic hit and the Monarchs lost their season before it even began, having to turn their bus around and go home while on the way to a scrimmage.

Andrews, who said she was still in a walking boot most of last spring, credits her time at Gwynedd for preparing her to handle everything that’s been thrown at her. An outstanding student, she’s balanced honors and AP courses on top of a three-sport schedule and aims to study biobehavioral health at Penn State with the goal of becoming a physician’s assistant.

“When I got hurt in soccer, I thought it was going to bring me down knowing I wasn’t going to play but instead it brought me closer to my teammates,” Andrews said. “The softball team knows through my injuries how it’s made me grow as a player but it’s made me appreciate the other sports I play way more than I thought I was ever going to because it’s made me play every game like it’s my last.”

A co-captain along with White, Solvensky and junior Maddie Seidel, Andrews came into her senior softball season knowing she had to be a leader and example. The Monarchs start two freshmen and three sophomores who didn’t get a single varsity rep last spring and at first, so things didn’t come together right away.

The young players proved themselves quickly, positions got figured out and Gwynedd Mercy Academy started rolling. There was also a specter of a COVID stoppage bringing everything to a halt, so Andrews tried to bring her mentality of making the most of every opportunity to her team.

“I knew I would be a captain and I knew the role I would be taking on,” Andrews said. “I’m constantly talking to the coaches. I knew what I wanted for my senior season but again with COVID, I wasn’t sure it was going to happen so I just try to hype everyone up and tell them they need to bring it all the time, the same in practices as it is in games.”

In her four years, the Monarchs have taken great strides as a program. They went from out of the playoffs in 2018 to the district title game in 2019 and looked poised for another strong season in 2020 before going 15-2 this spring and capturing an outright AACA title and returning to the District 1 final.

The league title, which saw GMA go 11-1 in AACA play, is a point of pride for the seniors. They’re hoping to add to it Thursday when they host No. 2 seed Villa Joseph Marie in the District 1 Class 4A championship with another title and berth in the state tournament.

“I can definitely say I did not think we were going to be in the spot we are right now,” Andrews said. “I did not think we’d be a win away from the championship, not due to our team or anything but with COVID still having an impact on everything that was happening, we didn’t know if we would get the chance.”

Initially, the senior didn’t think her athletic career would extend past high school but sports have meant so much to her, she doesn’t want to leave them behind either. She’s talked to the coaching staff at Penn State about trying to walk-on and is also exploring playing for the university’s club team.

Andrews is excited to see what the returning players do in the coming years and believes this year is a benchmark the program should strive for. Right now, however, she’s excited to see what her team can do with a championship at stake.

“I’ve learned so many things from the people and experiences that you have to play every game and do everything in the classroom like it’s your last day,” Andrews said. “I thought today could have been my last game so I went and gave it my all. Maybe I didn’t hit as well as I could or field as well as I could but I’ve learned the last four years at Gwynedd, especially through sports, it’s the people you meet that are going to make the experience better for you.”

LOWER GWYNEDD >> Jenna Morrison’s birthday dream didn’t quite play out, but she was more than happy to take what reality had as a gift.

The Gwynedd Mercy Academy freshman catcher, who celebrated her 15th birthday Tuesday, set the table for her team with a solid playoff debut. While the District 1-4A softball tournament has set up as a de-facto AACA playoff, that didn’t mean the Monarchs were overlooking a Hurricanes team they’d beaten twice in the regular season.

Morrison notched three hits and scored three runs as top-seeded GMA topped No. 4 Villa Maria 8-1 to return to the district title game.

“Before the game, I said to Lex (Weiss) we’re going to get back-to-back home runs in the first inning,” Morrison said. “We ended up getting back-to-back singles, so that’s something and we got the win, which was the important thing.”

Technically, it’s the second straight District 1 final appearance for the Monarchs, who fell to Nazareth Academy in the 2019 title game. With no 2020 season due to COVID-19, the four upperclassmen starters for Gwynedd Mercy Academy made it their season goal to get back and this time, win in the championship.

Senior second baseman Carly Andrews, a starter in 2019 as well, couldn’t hold back a smile when she described what it meant to play for the district trophy. GMA will host No. 2 Villa Joseph Marie on Thursday with only the winning team advancing to the PIAA tournament.

“Sophomore year, it didn’t end the way we wanted it to so the fact we’re going back is insane, we’ve had such a great season so far,” Andrews, who had two hits Tuesday, said. “We’re hoping for that championship and hoping for that win.”

Monarchs pitcher Maddie Seidel had an excellent game, striking out 13 batters and helped herself out with two hits, two RBI and two runs scored. Her battery partner wasn’t bad either, with Morrison making a couple nice plays behind the dish to go with her offensive production.

It’s been a productive pairing all season and Morrison said Seidel’s made it easy for her while also offering plenty of tips. Seidel, who is also a catcher for her PA Chaos travel ball squad and a co-captain for the Monarchs, has taken Morrison on as an understudy.

Gwynedd Mercy Academy’s Maddie Seidel (6) spins a pitch in to Villa Maria Academy’s Ari Butler during their District 1-4A semifinal on Tuesday, May 25, 2021. (Andrew Robinson/MediaNews Group)

“She’s given me more advice than any catching coach I’ve ever had,” Morrison said. “She’s taught me where to put my signs, how to frame better, everything really.”

After losing to West Chester Rustin on May 1, the Monarchs ripped off six straight wins that saw them secure an outright AACA title before ending the regular season with a loss to Perk Valley. During that stretch, the players got a lift from a parents’ cowbell-ringing but the bell got banned for the postseason.

“Before the game, we said we need to be our own noise-makers,” Morrison said. “We wanted to bring the energy up and start hitting early.”

After Seidel retired the side in order to start the game, Gwynedd Mercy Academy got right to hitting. Morrison wanted a leadoff homer as a birthday present but instead legged out an infield single and stole second to start up a nine-batter, six-hit, four-run first that gave the Monarchs all the offense they would need for the day.

Weiss followed with a single and a ball hit in the infield dirt by Seidel loaded the bases before senior Lauren Solvensky looped a two-run single to left that plated the two freshman. Senior Jorden White brought in Seidel on an RBI groundout and after Andrews singled and moved up on Bridget Scanlon’s infield hit, No. 8 batter Kalie Mogg ripped an RBI single that scored Andrews to complete the frame.

“Once we start that early, that’s what gives us the push to finish the game,” Andrews said. “As soon as we started getting hits right in the beginning, we knew we were going to be in position to close out the game.

“We’ve seen that throughout the season, once we get it going, it usually keeps on going.”

Villa Maria didn’t get the result, but the Hurricanes played with a lot of heart and energy throughout the game. Grace Wisler, who started in the circle, led off the second with a ground-rule double for the first of her two hits. She advanced a base then scored when Alex Kilpatrick hit an RBI groundout to make it 4-1.

Wisler shut down the Monarchs in the second inning and pitched around two hits in the third but the hosts didn’t stay quiet for too long.

Morrison collected a one-out single in the fourth, moved up on a passed ball and got to third on a Villa Maria error before she scored on a liner single by Seidel. Another error allowed Weiss to score and finally Seidel capped the inning when she came home from third on a passed ball to extend the lead to 7-1.

The pitcher-catcher tandem combined for another run in the home sixth. Morrison started off with a shot to right-center and rounded third thinking about home before settling for the leadoff triple. She didn’t stay there long as Seidel’s groundout brought the freshman home for the final margin.

“I’ve just tried to stay calm and instead of playing for myself, play for my team,” Morrison said. “That helps me get in a better mindset and lets me relax in the batter’s box.”

A team that starts five freshmen and sophomores, the Monarchs have come a long way in a couple months and they now sit a win away from the state tournament. Gwynedd Mercy Academy won both regular-season games against the Jems, but that’s all off the table in the postseason.

All the Monarchs can do is come ready and if form holds true, there’s a good chance that part will be a given.

“Our first game against Nazareth, there was no confidence and I think we struggled early because we knew we were a young team,” Andrews said. “As it’s gone on, you can see through the wins we’ve come closer as a team.

“I never would have thought through a crazy year and COVID we would become as close as we are but it’s all brought us together.”

GWYNEDD MERCY 8, VILLA MARIA 1
VILLA MARIA 010 000 0 – 1 4 2
GWYNEDD MERCY 400 301 x – 8 12 0
3B: GMA – Jenna Morrison. 2B: VMA – Grace Wisler

LOWER GWYNEDD >> Villa Joseph Marie’s pregame talk followed some pretty sound logic.

To go somewhere they hadn’t been, namely the PIAA softball tournament, the Jems had to do something they hadn’t been able to do this season, namely beat Gwynedd Mercy Academy. The Monarchs had won two tight games over VJM in the regular season, but the stakes were different when the No. 2 Jems visited No. 1 GMA on Thursday.

Following their logic, the Jems are going to states after beating the Monarchs 5-2 to capture the District 1-4A softball title.

“Our coaches said if you want to win something you’ve never won before, you have to go do something you’ve never done before,” Jems second baseman Ava Tsiouplis said. “I think we definitely took that into account and knew we had to do whatever it took so we’re really happy to come out on top.”

Tsiouplis had the play of the day when she hustled out a two-run inside-the-park home run in the top of the fifth inning but even from the first pitch, the visiting bench was loud, lively and locked in. That was of utmost usefulness to pitcher Jill Evans, who befuddled Gwynedd Mercy Academy’s pitchers without being overpowering.

Evans, a junior righty, did strike out five but it was her ability to get batters to chase or swing into pop-ups or ground balls that kept the Monarchs mostly off balance. The VJM pitcher, who never trailed, thanked her teammates for keeping confidence in her and giving her an early run in support.

“I was throwing screwball pretty much every other pitch and it seemed to be working well,” Evans said. “More than that, everybody was just confident today. This team was just ready.”

Villa Joseph Marie took advantage of an uncharacteristically off start by GMA ace Maddie Seidel. The Monarchs’ junior right-hander walked the first two batters of the game then gave up a one-out single to load the bags before she walked in a run when Abby Evans drew a free pass.

Seidel, a co-captain on the team, had some props for her defense’s work behind her Thursday with GMA coming up with a few key plays that prevented more damage. While it was Gwynedd Mercy Academy’s second straight District 1 final, falling to Nazareth Academy in 2019, for five of the team’s starters, it was a new experience.

Even with strong fan support, it took a while for GMA to find its energy while the Jems were amped up from the first pitch.

“I think we were all a little nervous, a lot of these girls had never been in this situation in a high-pressure game like this,” Seidel said. “We had a great turnout of fans, which we’re thankful for, but that may not have helped calm their nerves. Emotions get in the way too, you want to win for the seniors and the coaches and everybody who came before us.”

The loss ends Gwynedd Mercy Academy’s season but doesn’t take away from what the Monarchs accomplished this spring. With three sophomores and two freshmen in the starting lineup, GMA won its first-ever AACA title and got back to the district title game with six of its nine starters projected to return.

Senior co-captains Carly Andrews, Lauren Solvensky and Jorden White, along with Seidel, helped bring the team together after a shaky start and went 11-1 in AACA play. The three seniors and Seidel spent a few extra minutes by themselves in the outfield after the final team huddle before walking back to the bench together.

“There were a lot of emotions, we didn’t want to walk in here a mess,” Seidel said. “We’ve played together for four years, this has been their school for four years and I wanted to win it for them as much as anyone else.”

The Gwynedd Mercy Academy softball team receives its District 1 4A runner-up medals after falling to Villa Joseph Marie.

Despite putting two runners on in the second and third innings, the Jems were hanging onto a 1-0 lead heading into the fifth. That would soon change thanks to a big spark from their speedy sophomore second baseman. Maria Goodman led off with a single, then had to go for a run as Tsiouplis flared a ball to left field that ended up breaking VJM’s way.

Tsiouplis figured she had at least a hit barring a spectacular play but when a GMA outfielder dove for the catch, the ball slipped by and rolled to the fence and it was a footrace from there.

“I was just thinking ‘run,'” Tsiouplis said. “My coaches and everyone in the dugout started getting super-hyped so I knew I had to go for it. I was really happy I was able to get all the way home, it felt like a really good moment for that and fired us up.”

Gordon was running too but Tsiouplis started to gain ground as she rounded third and the relay throw made its way in.

“I wasn’t worried (about passing Gordon), Maria is fast so I knew she was good,” Tsiouplis said.

The sophomore slid in just ahead of the ball arriving, staking VJM to a 3-1 lead as the eventual winning run and the Jems would tack on an insurance run in each of the next two innings.

“I think it was pretty big, but I have to credit my teammates for helping bring up the energy,” Tsiouplis said. “The energy came up after that, we kept putting up runs and worked together as a team. We knew we were playing a good team and had to put in 110 percent or else we weren’t going to win, I think we did that and we worked all season for this.”

White, who played great defense at first base that included an unassisted double play to end the top of the second, went out battling for the Monarchs. The senior first baseman led off the bottom of the fifth with a double, but her pinch-runner got thrown out at home when VJM’s defense recovered quickly on an errant throw to quell Gwynedd Mercy’s Academy’s momentum.

An inning later, White doubled again and this time gave her team something more to cheer when the ball rolled to the base of the fence allowing two runs to score and cut the VJM lead to 4-2.

Evans got out of the inning without any more damage and said she didn’t lose any confidence in her ability to get outs going into the seventh inning.”

“If we wanted to do something we hadn’t done before, we knew we needed to do something different and that was the mindset we came out with,” Evan said. “We stayed really, really confident in ourselves and that’s what got us through.”

Seidel will be the Monarchs’ leader next year, a role she’s looking forward to but the junior is also eager to see which underclassmen come back ready to step up next to her. Her message to the returning players was to let Thursday’s second place finish light a fire of motivation they can then share with the new players stepping into starting roles or coming into the program.

Sometimes, the hardest part isn’t getting to a title game but actually winning it. The Monarchs have tasted defeat in two tries, so Seidel wants another shot at winning something she’s never won before by going and doing something she’s never done before.

“We have to learn not to get caught up in the fact it’s a championship game,” Seidel said. “There’s always a next step. You play a whole season, you work so hard so you can’t forget all the work you did to get here so you just keep playing through it.”

Needing three outs to seal the deal, Evans went right back to work. She handled a grounder for the first out of the seventh, got a spectacular diving grab by Gordon at third on a liner for the second and got a ground ball to short that Becca Minnichbach fired to first in time to end the game and send the Jems mobbing to the pitching circle.

“It was the same way the game ended in the semifinals Tuesday, so I knew she had it all the way,” Evans said. “This has been the goal all season, we said right away we wanted to go to states and we knew this was the team to do it with so we were feeling really great at the end.”

VILLA JOSEPH MARIE 5, GWYNEDD MERCY 2
VILLA JOSEPH MARIE 1oo o21 1 – 5 10 0
GWYNEDD MERCY 000 002 0 – 2 5 0
HR: VJM – Ava Tsiouplis. 2B: VJM – Allie Byrne, Becca Minnichbach; GMA – Jorden White (2), Maddie Seidel.

Baseball

Pennridge 8, Dock Mennonite 2 >> Pennridge’s Matt Atchley had a great day at the plate, going 5-for-5 with three doubles and two run scored as the Rams racked up 16 total hits in starting their season with a nonleague win over host Dock Mennonite.

Ryan DeHaven was 2-for-4 with a double and three runs scored, Joey Calabretti went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a run while Jaden Morgan was 2-for-2 for Pennridge (1-0).

The Rams plated the game’s first five runs – one in the first, three in the second then one more in the fourth. Dock broke through with a pair in the bottom of the sixth but Pennridge answered with three in the top of the seventh.

Sam Laux doubled in the third for the Pioneers.

Abington 12, Norristown 2 (5) >> Abington scored the nonleague matchup’s final 12 runs, the last seven coming in the bottom of the fifth.

Luke Sydlowski went 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored and also pitched the first four innings for the Galloping Ghosts (1-0), allowing two runs – both earned – on two hits while striking out five and walking two.

Brian Murtha was 2-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored while Alex Dardaris finished 2-for-4. Cody Frazier had two RBIs and two run scored while Matt Worek and John Dzielawa both scored twice.

Norristown took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first but Abington went ahead with four runs in the bottom of the third. The Ghosts added a run in the fourth before their seven-spot in the fifth.

Pennsbury 6, Hatboro-Horsham 4 >> Pennsbury erased a 3-1 deficit by scoring five runs in the top of the seventh inning and knocked off host Hatboro-Horsham in an SOL nondivision contest.

Ryan Zuckerman pulled the Falcons even with two-run home run. After Pennsbury put two on with a walk and hit by pitch, Jackson Freeman put the visitors ahead with a two-RBI double. Joe Tiroly followed the next at-bat with an RBI double.

In the bottom of the seventh, The Hatters pulled within two on Trey Porter’s RBI double. HH had runners at second and third with no outs but stranded both and dropped their season opener.

Will Bruner hit a two-run home run as the Hatters plated all of their runs in the bottom of the sixth. Freeman was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored while Zuckerman went 2-for-4 with two RBIs for the Pennsbury (3-0). Tiroly finished 2-for-3 with an RBI.

Lower Moreland 16, Jenkintown 6 (5) >> Lower Moreland scored four runs in the top of the first then added five more in the second as the Lions cruised past Jenkintown for a nonleague win.

Mike Pennisi was 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored while Aidan Ricciardi had a double and three RBIs.

Andrew Dorval finished with a double, two RBIs, two runs and a walk. Matt Dymowski scored three runs, Donato Incollingo had a double, RBI and two runs scored while Aiden Stepansky scored two runs.

Softball

Upper Dublin 13, New Hope-Solebury 3 (5) >> Madden Reilly collected four RBIs as she went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles as host Upper Dublin rolled to an SOL crossover victory in its season opener.

Brianna Kesslick went 2-for-3 with a double, three RBIs and three runs scored with Lizzie Tambourino finished 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored for the Cardinals (1-0). Rayla Kratchman was 2-for-2 with two run scored and a stolen base.

UD pitcher Chloe Foster earned the win striking out eight in four innings in the circle. She gave up three runs – one earned – on two hits, three walks and one hit batter.

Ciara Carter had a single and run scored for New Hope-Solebury.

Girls Lacrosse

Archbishop Carroll 13, Cardinal O’Hara 9 >> Kiley Mottice had five goals, an assist and a draw control as Archbishop Carroll started PCL play by jumping out to an 8-2 halftime lead then holding off Cardinal O’Hara at The Proving Grounds.

Chloe Bleckley collected two goals, two assists and four draw controls while Ava Bleckley had two goals and six draw controls for the Patriots (2-0, 1-0 league).  Emma Talago added two goals and two assists with Cate McConaghy finishing with two goals and an assist.

Lexi Culp scored three goals to pace O’Hara while Maddie Sharkey had two goals.

Carroll goalkeeper Bridget Robinson made 10 saves while Lions goalie Mack Hand had eight saves.

Mount St. Joseph 16, Merion Mercy 5 >> Amelia Clair had four goals and a draw control while Katie Westmoreland scored three times as Mount St. Joseph rolled to a Catholic Academies victory.

Maggie Rezza, Lauren Maher and Devon Loome all had two goals for the Magic – Rezza adding two assists and a draw control while Maher had an assist.  Ava Rossi finished with a goal and two assists with Kate Donovan collecting a goal, an assist and three draw controls.

Kiersten Pumilia tallied a goal, Quinn Shields picked up an assist while Mount goalie Annie Shields made five saves.

Upper Perkiomen 16, Pope John Paul II 6 >> Jill Cobaugh scored three goals for Pope John Paul II but Upper Perkiomen’s strong first half was too much for the Golden Panthers in the PAC contest.

Payton Bettys and MaryKate Sitko both had five goals for the Indians, who led 10-3 at halftime.

Boys Lacrosse

Owen J. Roberts 12, Pennridge 5 >> Frankie Fanelli paced Pennridge with three goals as the Rams lost a nonleague contest with Owen J. Roberts.

The Wildcats led 5-0 after the first quarter and 9-1 at halftime.

Ryan Carickhoff added two goals for Pennridge. Matt Kriney had two assists, Drew Ferguson collected an assist while goalie Kieran Banks made 14 saves.

Boys Volleyball

Souderton 3, Central Bucks East 2 >> Nate Brown finished with 17 kills, eight digs three aces while Andrew Brown totaled 15 kills as Souderton rallied to edge Central Bucks East in five sets 25-21, 20-25, 21-25, 25-23, 15-8.

Dock Mennonite 3, Lower Merion 0 >> Dock Mennonite opened Independent League play with a sweep of visiting Lower Merion.

Pennridge 3, Central Bucks South 0 >> Nick Smith had eight kills, Alex Derk made 13 digs and Pennridge swept Central Bucks South for an SOL American victory.

Riley Kodidek finished with four blocks for the Rams while Jude Rotondo had four aces.

Boys Tennis

Methacton 7, Pope John Paul II 0 >> Dylan Wen, Ethan O’Brien and Nolan Ngoran all earned straight-set singles victory as Methacton claimed a sweep in the PAC match.

Spring-Ford 7, Upper Merion 0 >> Spring-Ford’s Cameron Moore won first singles over Upper Merion’s Josiah Kotright 6-2, 6-1 as the Rams swept the PAC match

Baseball

Upper Moreland 7, Springfield-Montco 4 (10) >> It took extra innings for Upper Moreland to claim the outright SOL Freedom Division title Wednesday, the Golden Bears scoring three runs in the top of the 10th to complete a comeback win over Springfield.

Upper Moreland (9-7, 9-7 division) tied the game 4-4 in the top of the seventh as Shawn Townsend tripled with one out then came home on Nate O’Connor’s RBI groundout.

Three straight singles to begin the top of the 10th loaded the bases for Bo Meakim, who connected on a two-RBI single for a 6-4 Bears lead. An error brought another run home, putting UM up three.

Townsend was 3-for-6 with a run scored while Kaleb Powell went 2-for-4 with a double. Jared McCellan finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored with Meakim going 2-for-5 with two RBIs.

Springfield (2-15, 2-13) scored three times in the bottom of the fifth to take a 3-2 lead. The Bears pulled even with a run in the top of the sixth but the Spartans went back up 4-3 in the bottom of the inning on Ben Cooney’s RBI double.

Cooney was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored while Will Hastings went 2-for-4 with a run scored.

Council Rock South 4, North Penn 2 >> Council Rock South led 4-0 after four innings and North Penn could only cut the deficit in half as the Golden Hawks won the SOL crossover contest.

Justin Egner was 3-for-4 for the Knights while Quinn Marett went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.

Kyle Bruck went 2-for-2 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored while Keith Lippincott was 2-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored for CR South, which posted a run in the second, two in the third then one in the fourth.

North Penn scored its first run in the top of the fifth on Zach Warner’s RBI fielder’s choice. A Marett two-out RBI double in the seventh made it 4-2.

Central Bucks West 10, Pennridge 5 >> Central Bucks West broke a 4-4 tie with five runs in the top of the fifth – the last four coming on Jackson Cunnane’s grand slam – as the Bucks went on to claim an SOL Colonial win.

Kevin Bukowski and Aidan Quinn both hit solo home runs for West (10-9, 8-7 division). Cunnane finished 2-for-4 with four RBIs and a run scored, Burkowski was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored while Max McGlone went 2-for-4 with a run scored. Quinn had two runs scored.

Pennridge’s Joey Calabretti connected on a solo homer in the third and was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Aidan Fretz went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored for the Rams (8-12, 5-11).

Central Bucks West 3, Neshaminy 1 >> Central Bucks West earned a second win Wednesday by scoring all three of its runs in the top of the seventh to rally past Neshaminy.

With one out and the bases loaded, Kevin Bukowski’s RBI sacrifice fly tied the game. Max McGlone put the Bucks (11-9, 9-7 SOL Colonial) ahead with an RBI single while Aidan Quinn followed with an RBI single for a two-run lead.

Neshaminy (12-7, 10-6 SOL Patriot) scored its lone run in the fourth on a Jake Kozlowski RBI single

Souderton 10, Central Bucks East 3 >> Justin DiCesare was 2-for-4 with a double, three RBIs and a run scored as Souderton capped its regular season with its 12th consecutive victory.

Central Bucks East scored twice in the bottom of the third to pull within 4-3 but the Indians answered with four in the fifth on DiCesare’s two-RBI single and two more coming home as Liam O’Leary reached on a two-out error.

A Carter Jagiela RBI sacrifice fly and DiCesare’s RBI double made it 10-3 Big Red in the sixth.

Ethan Warner went 2-for-2, Chris McKenna was 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored while Kaden Pasternak had four runs scored for the Indians (17-3, 14-2 SOL Colonial).

Souderton starting pitcher Jackson Morrissette earned a complete-game win, allowing three runs – two earned – on four hits. He walked two, hit one batter and struck out seven.

Archbishop Wood 9, Abington 8 >> Aiden Meyers hit two home runs as he went 3-for-3 with six RBIs and three runs scored and Archbishop Wood used a three-run bottom of the sixth to rally for a nonleague victory.

Myers’ three-run homer in the third gave Wood a 6-1 lead but Abington scored twice in the top of the fourth then plated five in the fifth — the first three on Chase Goodson’s home run — to go up 8-6.

Myers led off the bottom of the fifth with his second homer. In its half of the sixth, Wood (15-3, 10-2 PCL) scored three runs on Patrick McKinney’s RBI double, Myers’ RBI sac fly and an error on Richie Bonino’s two-out grounder.

McKinney was 2-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored while Bonio went 2-for-3 with an RBI.

Brendan Cabry and Colin Haney both had two RBIs for Abington (9-11, 7-9 SOL Liberty) while Colin Hamsher scored twice.

Upper Dublin 11, Quakertown 8 >> Quakertown was up 8-0 after the top of the second but Upper Dublin did the rest of the scoring – pulling even in the fourth then taking the lead in the fifth as the Cardinals claimed a second straight win.

Kyle Rizzo was 3-for-5 with three RBIs for Upper Dublin while Jared Levis went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored. Ethan Madnick was 2-for-2 and scored three runs, Leo Soriano finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored while Nick Harley scored twice.

The Cardinals (14-6, 13-3 SOL Liberty) scored a run in the bottom of the second, four in the third then three in the fourth to knot things 8-8. In the fifth, Nick Lombardo came home on a passed ball while Levis’ RBI single gave UD a 10-8 lead. Shane Monaghan’s RBI single in the sixth made it 11-8.

Brandon Pierce was 2-for-2 with two doubles, two RBIs and two runs scored for Quakertown (11-7-1, 10-5-1 SOL Liberty). Vince Pellegrini also hit two doubles and went 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

Ty Everitt was 3-for-4 with two runs scored, Ethan Beil finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored while Cooper Natisin was 2-for-4 with two RBIs for the Panthers.

Lower Moreland 6, New Hope-Solebury 5 >> Lower Moreland scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth to push its lead to 6-3 then held off New Hope-Solebury in the later innings to earn an SOL Freedom win.

Mike Pennisi was 2-for-3 with an RBI for Lower Moreland (8-10, 7-9 division). Aiden Stepansky hit a two-RBI double in the fourth while Xavier Gonzales had two runs scored.

Matt Rickert went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored for New Hope-Solebury (9-7-1, 8-7-1).

Softball

Souderton 8, Central Bucks East 1 >> Abby Burns struck out eight in pitching a complete game and also hit a solo home run in the fifth as Souderton earned a second straight win.

Riley York belted a solo homer in the sixth and finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs scored for the Indians (12-7, 9-7 SOL Colonial). Brooke Scotti had two RBIs while Olivia Plinke scored twice.

Burns allowed one run — earned — on three hits and three walks.

Scotti gave Souderton a 2-0 lead in the first with a two-RBI single. Big Red made it 4-0 in the second then after East plated a run in the top of the fourth the Indians scored twice in the bottom of the frame to go up 6-1.

Upper Dublin 18, Radnor 3 (4) >> Abby Olshefski was 2-for-3 with a two-run triple and three runs scored, Avery Lennon finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored and Upper Dublin used a 10-run fourth inning to roll to a nonleague victory.

Kaelin Penna went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored while Madden Reilly was 2-for-3 with two RBIs for the Cardinals (6-14, 5-11 SOL Liberty). Emeline Bell had three runs scored and two stolen bases. Pitcher Meredith McKenna earned her first varsity win, allowing three hits and no walks while striking out six.

Abington 9, Upper Merion 8 >> Abington scored seven runs in the top of the seventh to erase an 8-2 deficit and rally for a nonleague victory

Ellie Pierce’s two-out RBI triple pulled the Galloping Ghosts even 8-8 then scored the winning run on Aneesa Rohrer’s RBI single.

Sydney Steiner was a triple short of the cycle for Abington, going 4-for-4 with a double, a leadoff home run in the sixth, three RBIs and two runs scored. Rohrer was 3-for-5 with an RBI and run scored, Liz Hippel went 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored while Lauren Everitt finished 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Vanessa Hutchinson hit a two-run home run in the third that put Upper Merion up 3-1 and went 2-for-4 with four RBIs and a run scored. JoEllen Johnson was 3-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI and a run scored while Ava DiDonato and Emma Ricci both were 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Vikings.

UM’s Rebecca Shuler went 2-for-3 with three runs scored with Cady Legerton going 2-for-4.

Plymouth Whitemarsh 13, Mount St. Joseph 3 (6) >> Plymouth Whitemarsh plated eight runs in the top of the second and rolled to a six-inning nonleague win.

Rian Reed was 2-for-3 with a double, triple, an RBI and three runs scored while Lauren Kane drove in three runs in the second with a bases-loaded triple. Marissa Perez went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored.

Mount St. Joseph’s Paige Moore hit a two-run home run in the fifth.

Girls Lacrosse

Archbishop Carroll 26, Lansdale Catholic 2 >> Emma Talago and Shannon Wood both scored three goals as Archbishop Carroll cruised past Lansdale Catholic to reach the Philadelphia Catholic League championship game.

Chloe Bleckley, Katie Karoly, Lydia Malone and Kiley Mottice each had two goals for the Patriots (19-0), who led 17-2 at halftime.

Kiera Trainer and Emily Simpson each scored a goal for the Crusaders. LC goalkeeper Caroline Kerr made six saves. Carroll keeper Bridget Robinson had two saves.

The Patriots face Cardinal O’Hara in the PCL final 6 p.m. Friday at Neumann University.

LOWER GWYNEDD >> Villa Maria Academy has been working on its baserunning and it finally paid off.

The third-seeded Hurricanes scored two first-inning runs on first-and-third situations and added another run set up by a stolen base in the third inning of their District 1-4A semifinal against No. 2 Gwynedd Mercy Academy Tuesday afternoon.

Villa Maria pitcher Ariana Butler dominated in the circle and the early run support proved to be enough for a 3-2 win at Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School.

Villa Maria Academy’s Ariana Butler, right, and Anna Stroup celebrate after the final out of a District 1-4A semifinal win against Gwynedd Mercy Academy Tuesday. (Ed Morlock – MediaNews Group)

Ella McHugh led off the top of the first inning with a walk, advanced to second on a grounder to third and moved to third on a groundout to second. GMA intentionally walked Natalie Bacallao, for the first of three times, to put runners on the corners. Bacallao stole second and got caught in a rundown. McHugh scored and Bacallao ended up safe on second base.

Bacallao moved to third on a wild pitch while Alex Kilpatrick worked a walk. When Kilpatrick stole second, the throw went to third base, hitting off Bacallao’s helmet and allowing her to score to make it a 2-0 game.

“We’ve been working on our baserunning,” Villa coach Nicole Hartshorn said. “We’ve been working on basepaths. We’ve been working on traffic patterns. I will tell you today it all came together. I’m so glad that we worked on those little things. We worked on a first-and-third situation when there are two outs because so many people have been throwing it down. The more we see that happen, the more we’re like, ‘OK let’s take advantage of this.'”

McHugh reached on an error to open the third inning and stole second base. She scored on a Grace Wisler one-out single to increase the Hurricanes advantage to 3-0.

Villa Maria Academy’s Ella McHugh runs home in the top of the third inning against Gwynedd Mercy Academy Tuesday. (Ed Morlock – MediaNews Group)

That was all the offense Villa needed with Butler in the circle. The sophomore right-hander threw all seven innings, striking out nine batters to one walk and allowed two runs – one earned – on six hits.

“She is at her gym six out of seven days,” Hartshorn said of Butler. “She’s been doing that. I started pitching coaching with her when she was in seventh grade… Watching her flourish and grow and become this solid athlete – she’s going to be one to watch these next couple of years.”

Butler started the game with three scoreless innings before GMA’s Maddie Seidel hit a one-out triple in the bottom of the fourth. She scored on a Jenna Morrison single to make it 3-1. With Morrison and Lexi Weiss on second and third with one out, Butler recorded back-to-back strikeouts to strand the tying run in scoring position.

She did it again in the fifth. GMA’s Abby Howard and Bria Mahoney hit back-to-back one-out singles and advanced to second and third on a wild pitch. Bacallao caught a bunt from third base for the second out before Wisler caught a foul pop up at first for the final out to end the threat.

“Just keeping my composure the whole time,” Butler said of her success in the clutch, “because I know if I let my emotions get too high, then I might slip up. I just make sure that I’m relaxed and executing the way I know I can.”

GMA added a second run in the sixth when Weiss reached on an error, stole second and scored when Kiersten Dunlap hit into an error, but Butler responded with a strikeout and grounder to second to, yet again, leave the tying run on base.

“We had some things that didn’t go our way,” Hartshorn said, “and that is when you really know if you have a championship team or not. When they can come back from that and just not let it slide like that. I’m very proud of them because they had a lot of things that went wrong… in a crucial time and that still didn’t kill us. That’s usually what kills people who aren’t ready for championships.”

Butler did it herself in the bottom of the seventh. She threw out a batter bunting before closing the game out with two strikeouts to start the Hurricanes celebration.

Villa Maria Academy’s Ariana Butler celebrates after the final out of the District 1-4A semifinals against Gwynedd Mercy Academy Tuesday. (Ed Morlock – MediaNews Group)

Butler also reached a milestone in the game. In the third inning, she recorded her second strikeout of the game and 100th of the season.

Seidel started for the Monarchs and threw all seven innings. She struck out nine batters to six walks – three intentional. She allowed three runs on five hits.

Seidel also got out of some tough jams to keep GMA in the game. She stranded runners on first and second in the fourth, left the bases loaded in the fifth and threw out two runners at third in the seventh.

Gwynedd Mercy Academy’s Maddie Seidel warms up before the first inning of a District 1-4A semifinal against Villa Maria Academy Tuesday. (Ed Morlock – MediaNews Group)

The Hurricanes will face the winner of No. 1 Villa Joseph Marie and No. 4 Lower Moreland for the championship Thursday at 4 p.m.

Gwynedd’s season is over with an 11-8 record.

Villa Maria Academy 3, Gwynedd Mercy Academy 2
Villa Maria Academy 201 000 0 – 3
Gwynedd Mercy Academy 000 101 0 – 2
WP: Ariana Butler 7 IP 9 K 1 BB 6 H 2 R
LP: Maddie Seidel 7 IP 9 K 6 BB 5 H 3 R
2B: VMA: Ariana Butler, Grace Wisler.
3B: GMA: Maddie Seidel.

Overall Pennsylvania Position Player of the Year: Deirdre Flaherty, Catcher, Mount Lebanon

Overall Pennsylvania Pitchers of the Year: Payton List, Beaver Area and Julia Shearer, North Penn

Class 6A

Position Player of the Year: Emily Riggs, Second Base, Penn Manor
Pitcher of the Year: Jules Scogna, Spring-Ford

FIRST TEAM

SECOND TEAM

Class 5A

Position Player of the Year: Bella Mackison, Catcher, Donegal
Pitcher of the Year: Gianna Adams, Pittston Area

FIRST TEAM

SECOND TEAM

Class 4A

Position Player of the Year: Maren Metikosh, Outfield, Belle Vernon Area
Pitcher of the Year: Emma Hipps, Clearfield

FIRST TEAM

SECOND TEAM

Class 3A

Position Player of the Year: Lacey Lynn, Third Base, Central
Pitcher of the Year: Mea Consentino, Central Columbia

FIRST TEAM

SECOND TEAM

Class 2A

Position Player of the Year: Natalie Bowser, First Base, Keystone
Pitcher of the Year: Addy Frye, Neshannock

FIRST TEAM

SECOND TEAM

Class 1A

Position Player of the Year: Anna Gunby, Second Base, Conemaugh Valley
Pitcher of the Year: Faith Persing, Montgomery

FIRST TEAM

SECOND TEAM

FIRST TEAM

Pitcher

Payton Hale, So., Avon Grove

The most consistently dominant pitcher in the county, Hale struck out 285 hitters in 135.1 innings, bringing her career total to 355.  Opponents hit a mere .143 against Hale, who allowed just 25 earned runs all year, for an ERA of 1.29. Hale also fielded her position well, notching a sparkling .944 fielding percentage.

Peyton Hale, Avon Grove (Bill Rudick for MediaNews Group)

Catcher

Nicki Sudall, Sr., Downingtown East

A four-year starter, Sudall was the consummate catcher, shutting down opposing running games with a rifle arm, and calling all the pitchers for the Cougars’ hurlers.  With the bat in her hand, this season Sudall hit .470, with a slugging percentage of 1.030, driving in 28 runs.  Sudall had 31 hits, with 17 going for extra bases, including nine home runs.

Nicki Sudall, Downingtown East (Bill Rudick for MediaNews Group)

First Base

Grace Wisler Jr., Villa Maria

A game-changer for the Hurricanes, Wisler led Villa in four different offensive categories.  Wisler topped the team with a .477 average, 31 hits, 12 doubles and 25 runs batted in.  Credited with 128 put outs, Wisler posted a .986 fielding percentage.

Second Base

Olivia Springer, Jr., Coatesville

The catalyst for the Red Raider offense and one of the top lead-off hitters in the area, Springer was able to hit for power, and add speed on the basepaths, swiping 12 bases on the season.  Springer hit .486, with 36 hits.  She scored 26 runs, and had 16 RBI.

Olivia Springer, Coatesville (Bill Rudick for MediaNews Group)

Third Base

Mia Kulp, Jr., West Chester East

Junior: Kulp was a leader on a young Vikings team, displaying great glove work at the hot corner while swinging a hot bat.  Kulp had 29 base hits on the season, hitting .429.  Kulp knocked in 18 runs, while scoring 14.

Mia Kulp, West Chester East (Courtesy photo)

Shortstop

McKenna Frank, Jr., Oxford

A top hitter for the Hornets during the regular season, tied for the team lead in hits with 28, Frank turned it up when the games got bigger.  Over the course of Oxford’s post season run to the state semis, Frank hit a whopping .619, with 13 hits in six games.

McKenna Frank, Oxford (Bill Rudick for MediaNews Group)

Outfield

Darby Weller, Sr., Downingtown West

Weller was great both offensively and defensively for the Whippets. With a cannon arm and great range, Weller ran down every ball that came her way.  Weller hit .500 on the season, while slugging .986, with a team-leading five home runs.  Weller, with 34 hits, scored 28 runs and knocked in 24.

Darby Weller, Downingtown West (Bill Rudick for MediaNews Group)

Meghan Sinkus, Sr., Downingtown West

One of the very best ever to wear a Whippets uniform, the speedy Sinkus was never caught stealing in her career, while swiping nearly 100 bases.  Sinkus finished her three-year career with 99 hits. This season, Sinkus had a team-high 35 hits, for a .405 average.  Sinkus had 30 stolen bases for the season.

Meghan Sinkus, Downingtown West (Bill Rudick for MediaNews Group)

Mairead Hopkins, Sr., Rustin

The Golden Knights centerfielder was its top power source, with eight home runs and eight doubles.  Hopkins hit .443, with 39 hits.  She knocked in 35 runs, and scored 34.   Hopkins will continue her academic and softball careers close to home at West Chester University.

Mairead Hopkins, West Chester Rustin (Bill Rudick for MediaNews Group)

SECOND TEAM

Pitcher
Ava Zettlemoyer, Sr., Downingtown West
Catcher
Cait Long, Sr., Avon Grove
First Base
Morgan DeFreitas, Sr., Downingtown West
Second Base
Jamie Lofland, Fr., Conestoga
Third Base
Molly Friel, So., Oxford
Shortstop
Carey Werley, Jr., West Chester East
Outfield
Gina Del Giorno, Sr., Rustin
Natalia Donofrio, So, Oxford
Catherine Stone, Jr, Unionville

Honorable Mention

Avon Grove—Lexi Smith, Melissa Sebastro
Bishop Shanahan—Ava Laughlin, Julia Vito
Coatesville–Megan Gochenauer, Emma Friel, Ahley Stringer
Conestoga–Allison Roessler, Marisa Francione, Sydney Tartaglio
Downingtown East—Julia Thornton, Lilly Waterer, Rachael Schumann
Downingtown West—Lizzie Kern, Nicole Lioumis, Julianna Diodato
Great Valley–Chloe Becker, Sydney Baur
Kennett—Shannon Harvey, Genevieve Ebaugh
Oxford—Ashley Flynn, Emily Basilio, Hannah Aker
Unionville–Madison Parisi, Lucy Brucker
Villa Maria–Natalie Bacallao, Ariana Butler, Alex Kilpatrick
West Chester East—Emma Pinto
West Chester Henderson–Gabrielle Nanni
West Chester Rustin—Allison Black, Laney Lacey, Emily Gillis, Paige Bentley, Taylor Kuhn

COACH OF THE YEAR

Josh Socash, Oxford

Oxford head coach Josh Socash (Bill Rudick for MediaNews Group)

Deep into April, the Hornets didn’t look like a team poised to do much of anything.  The team was languishing just around the .500 mark, and plagued with inconsistency.  But then a light switched, and the Hornets were suddenly the hottest team in District 1.

“We have a fairly young team with only one senior,” said Socash. “I think it just took some time for us to gel and gain experience playing with each other.  Along with experience, the girls’ confidence grew with each and every game.”

Thanks in part to the tough Ches-Mont schedule, Oxford, despite a regular season record of just 10-9, snuck into the District 1, 5A playoffs as the No. 7 seed.  After opening with a 4-3 win over Phonexville, Oxford knocked off the No. 2 seed, Springfield (Delco) 4-1, Oxford routed third-seeded Upper Perk in a 13-3 Mercy Rule game.  All of a sudden, Oxford was playing for a District title.

“My assistant coach Rick Nelms was constantly telling the girls that they can play with anyone and to visualize success,” said Socash. “Confidence in each other, our defense, and hitting is what propelled us in the playoffs.  These girls have a lot of fight in them along with mental toughness and would grind out games in the late innings.”

Playing against top-seeded Rustin in the district finals, the Hornets fell behind 7-0 after just two innings.  But, slowly but surely, they battled back in it, cutting the Rustin lead to 7-6 in the seventh.  The comeback bid fell short, but the energy on the Oxford bench was palpable.

Their confidence now through the roof, the Hornets moved on to the state tournament, where they knocked off  the District 12 champion Cardinal O’Hara 6-1, then followed with a 7-3 win over the District 3 champ, Exeter.  The road ended in semi-finals, losing 8-4 to the eventual state champ. Pittston Area.  The seven hits and four runs were the most against Pittston all season.

“This group of young ladies encompasses all of the attributes that make a great team,” said Socash. “They persevered during challenging times and banded together.  They were hard working and exuded confidence which carried them further than any softball team in Oxford school history.  In the process they united a school and community, while inspiring others that anything is possible.

UPPER DUBLIN >> Upper Dublin has had some big innings early this season, but none bigger than the bottom of the fifth against Gwynedd Mercy Academy.

In a matchup featuring two of the top three teams in District 1-5A, the Cardinals found themselves trailing by two runs in the middle of the fifth inning. They responded with an eight-run outburst. The first seven batters reached base and scored and another crossed the plate later in the frame to turn the tide in Upper Dublin’s 12-4 win at Upper Dublin High School Tuesday afternoon.

After surrendering two runs in the top of the fifth, the Cardinals (5-1) faced their first deficit of the game, 4-2.

“We knew we had to get the bats alive,” UD sophomore Bella Fiore said. “We left a couple people on base and we couldn’t do that again. We knew we had to amp it up.”

Upper Dublin’s Bella Fiore, left, and Madden Reilly went a combined 5-for-8 with four RBIs and three runs scored against Gwynedd Mercy Academy Tuesday. (Ed Morlock/MediaNews Group)

Fiore started the inning with a single and stole second. Kaitlyn Smith worked a walk before Anna Levin laid down a bunt. Her sacrifice bunt was thrown away, scoring Fiore and putting the tying run on third and go-ahead run on second.

“You get the energy going if you get off on a good foot,” Fiore, who went 3-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored, said. “I feel like it definitely helped as you could see the rest of the inning play out.”

Kaitlyn Zacharia worked a walk to load the bases and Lizzie Tambourino’s grounder tied the game, 4-4.

Rayla Kratchman’s bases-loaded walk put Upper Dublin ahead and two more runs scored when Kaelin Penna grounded into an error, making it 7-4.

Madden Reilly made it 9-4 with a long, two-run double to centerfield.

“It was scary,” Reilly said. “Two strikes, I knew she was throwing outside. I knew I just had to wait on it and hope for the best.”

Fiore followed with an RBI double of her own to make it 10-4 and complete the eight-run inning.

The Cardinals worked three walks in the innings and the Monarchs (4-2) committed two errors.

“We just lost our composure,” GMA coach Charlie Ball said.

“Every game is important. You want to win them all. You want to win your conference, but you also want to get into districts. We just had a bad game. It wasn’t our typical game.”

Gwynedd Mercy Academy pitcher Kerstein Dunlap pitches against Upper Dublin Tuesday. (Ed Morlock/MediaNews Group)

Upper Dublin added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth on a Kyra Garrison double to make it 12-4.

Garrison threw all seven innings for the Cardinals. She earned the win striking out six batters to four walks and allowed four runs on seven hits.

Kerstein Dunlap took the loss for GMA, allowing 10 runs on nine hits in five innings. She struck out two batters to four walks.

Upper Dublin took an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Fiore and Levin each had RBI singles to get the scoring started.

Gwynedd Mercy Academy responded with two in the third to tie the game. Lexi Weiss and Natalie Kelley each had RBI singles to make it 2-2. The Monarchs took a 4-2 lead in the top of the fifth when Brea Mahoney scored on an error and Kelley had another RBI single.

Weiss went 3-for-4 with an RBI and run scored while Kelley went 2-for-3 with two RBI.

Gwynedd Mercy Academy shortstop Lexi Weiss throws to first during a game against Upper Dublin Tuesday. (Ed Morlock/MediaNews Group)

Upper Dublin 12, Gwynedd Mercy Academy 4
Gwynedd Mercy Academy 002 020 0 – 4
Upper Dublin 200 082 x – 12
WP: Kyla Garrison 7 IP 6 K 4 BB 7 H 4 R
LP: Kerstein Dunlap 5 IP 2 K 4 BB 9 H 10 R
2B: GMA: Lexi Weiss. UD: Madden Reilly, Bella Fiore, Kyla Garrison.

WARMINSTER >> Paige Ross had already hit one home run Tuesday afternoon but Archbishop Wood’s senior catcher was confident she was not done.

“My athletic director actually came up to me and was like ‘I missed your first one,’” Ross said. “And I was like ‘I got one more in me.’”

Ross came through on that promise in the bottom of the sixth inning, connecting on a pitch to send it over the center-field fence for her second two-run homer of the Vikings’ nonleague contest with visiting Gwynedd Mercy.

“I’m definitely a power hitter but warning-track power, so I get those ones that are right off the fence or drop right before the fence,” Ross said. “But I usually don’t get one over the fence let alone two.”

Archbishop Wood teammates celebrate at home plate with Paige Ross (6) after Ross’ two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning against Gwynedd Mercy on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. (Mike Cabrey/MediaNews Group)

The Monarchs cut a 4-0 deficit down to one but Archbishop Wood batted around in the sixth, Ross’ blast helping the home side score six times in the frame to pull away and secure a 10-3 victory.

“She’s been working really hard – really hard with her hitting and the power that she has is unbelievable,” said Wood coach Jackie Ecker of Ross. “And we’ve joked all season so far that our fence has been the nemesis because it wasn’t tacked into the ground. So we made sure it was today and they went over – well over.”

Ross, who has committed to play at Gwynedd Mercy University, went 2-for-3 with a walk, four RBIs and two runs scored as the Vikings (7-3, 4-0 PCL) extended their win streak to four.

“I was warming up and I was like I don’t really feel confident in my swing,” Ross said. “And I guess just talking myself down from that and just being confident in what I can do and what I know my team can do helps me out a lot especially if my team’s doing well. I just play 10 times better.”

Parker Kraus finished 2-for-4 with a double, three RBIs and two runs scored for Wood while Maura Yoos was 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and scored twice.

“They’ve been really hitting the ball well all season long,” Wood coach Jackie Ecker said. “Hitting everyday – everyday we’re hitting and I think all the practice is paying off and all their extra hitting that they’re doing on the side is really paying off so I’m not surprised that they were able to have the bats come alive.”

The Vikings’ win, however, was tempered by starting pitcher Dakota Fanelli being hit in the circle by a comebacker in the top of the first inning. Last season’s Catholic League Pitcher of the Year stayed in but eventually left the contest after keeping Wood up 4-3 with a bases-loaded strikeout to end the top of the fifth.

“In the beginning I was like ‘Oh my God,’” Ross said. “She got hit in the state game last year and I was like ‘Oh it’s just something like that, whatever.’ But towards the ending, when she came out you could tell, she was asking me to throw the ball high, you could tell she was in pain but she worked through it and I bless her for that.”

Gwynedd Mercy’s Lexi Weiss (31) hits an RBI double in the top of the fourth inning against Archbishop Wood on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. (Mike Cabrey/MediaNews Group)

Fanelli picked up the win, giving up three runs – two earned – on two hits, walked five and struck out six over five innings. Freshman Maddison Conlon took over in the sixth and struck out three in pitching consecutive 1-2-3 innings.

Gwynedd Mercy (8-3, 5-0 AACA), which had a four-game win streak snapped, returns to Catholic Academies play hosting Villa Joseph Marie 3:45 p.m. Thursday.

Wood also plays Thursday, visiting Archbishop Carroll in a Catholic League contest at 3:30 p.m. The Vikings, who last year won the PCL title and reached the PIAA-4A quarterfinals, have outscored league opponents 43-3 so far this season.

“We haven’t dwelled on last year because it’s last year and the teams are all different,” Ecker said. “Our schedule’s pretty tough, we play a lot of Suburban (One) teams and a lot of good (Catholic) Academy teams and I think that that only making us better for our PCL games.”

Archbishop Wood pitcher Dakota Fanelli (8) throws a pitch against Gwynedd Mercy on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. (Mike Cabrey/MediaNews Group)

Kraus gave Wood a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third with a one-out, two-RBI single to left. Two batters later, Ross made it 4-0 when she belted a two-out, two-run homer to center.

“In the beginning I just knew I had to do my job,” Ross said. “There was a runner on either second or third and I just knew I had to get her in, especially being such a close game at that point so I just looked for a good pitch I liked.”

GMA cut the margin to 4-1 in the top of the fourth as Jenna Morrison drew a one-out walk, stole second then scored on a Lexi Weiss RBI double.

In the top of the fifth, three walks loaded the bases for the Monarchs with one out. Kalie Mogg drove in a run as she reached on an error while on the next at-bat Morrison’s RBI sacrifice fly to right scored Abby Howard to make it 4-3.

Archbishop Wood’s Parker Kraus (11) watches after hitting a two-RBI single in the bottom of the third inning against Gwynedd Mercy on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. (Mike Cabrey/MediaNews Group)

A Weiss two-out walk loaded the bases again but Fanelli struck out the next batter to maintain Wood’s one-run edge.

Riley Nolan and Maggie Devlin started Wood’s half of the sixth with back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners. After Devlin stole second, Yoos doubled to left to bring in both Nolan and Devlin for a 6-3 lead.

Kraus followed with an RBI double to left, putting the Vikings up four. Ross’ second two-run homer came two batters later with one out.

Julia Yogis singled, stole second, went to third on a groundout then scored on an Allie Higdon RBI single.

Gwynedd Mercy pitcher Kerstein Dunlap (11) throws a pitch against Archbishop Wood during their game on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. (Mike Cabrey/MediaNews Group)

Archbishop Wood 10, Gwynedd Mercy 3
Gwynedd Mercy 000 120 0 – 3 2 2
Archbishop Wood 004 006 x – 10 12 2
WP: Dakota Fanelli 5 IP 2 H 3 R 2 ER 5 BB 6 SO.
LP: Kerstein Dunlap 5.2 IP 12 H 10 R 10 ER 4 BB 1 SO.
S: Maddison Conlon 2 IP 0 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 3 SO.
2B: GMA-Lexi Weiss; AW-Parker Kraus, Maura Yoos; HR: AW-Paige Ross 2.
Archbishop Wood: Kraus 2-4, 3 RBI, 2 R; Ross 2-3, 4 RBI, 2 R; Yoos 2-3, 2 RBI, 2 R.

LOWER GWYNEDD >> Mount Saint Joseph Academy’s Daria Yohe got things done in the batter’s box and the pitcher’s circle against Gwynedd Mercy Academy Tuesday afternoon. The freshman threw a complete game and went 3-for-5 with two runs scored in the Magic’s 9-2 Athletic Association of Catholic Academies win at Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School.

Yohe scored the first run of the game with one out in the top of the first inning and the Mount (7-5, 5-2 AACA) led the rest of the way. Yohe and Emily Vinal hit back-to-back one-out singles and Charlotte Gale worked a walk to load the bases. Jewel Schaefer followed with a two-run single.

Yohe doubled to lead off the top of the third inning and courtesy runner Mary Kate Martin scored for her on an error to put the Magic ahead, 3-1.

Yohe led off again in the fifth inning, singled and scored – alongside Vinal – on Gale’s two-run single to make it a 5-1 game.

On the mound, the right-handed Yohe scattered five hits across seven innings. She allowed two runs – one earned – while striking out three batters to one walk. She credited her curveball and screwball for the successful outing.

Her biggest jam came in the bottom of the sixth inning with a 6-2 lead. The Monarchs (10-4, 6-1 AACA) had runners on first and second with one out and were one batter away from the top of their lineup. Mount second baseman Vivian Moore snagged a hard-hit line drive and touched second base to turn an unassisted double play and end the threat.

The Magic carried that momentum to the top of the seventh. Emily Markowski hit a solo home run before Kayla Funk and Meghan Martin scored on an error to make it 9-2.

Mount Saint Joseph Academy’s Emily Markowski runs home after hitting a seventh-inning home run against Gwynedd Mercy Academy Tuesday. (Ed Morlock/MediaNews Group)

“That was incredible,” Yohe said of Moore’s play. “That was such a good play. That was awesome.

“A lot of us took AP tests today. A lot of us are really tired. (Moore’s play) brought the energy back into the game and really helped us finish it off.”

Vinal, who bats in the No. 3 spot behind Yohe, finished the game 4-for-4 with two runs scored, one RBI and one stolen base. Her two-out single in the top of the sixth gave the Magic their sixth run.

“Our first couple games we had sporadic hits,” Yohe said. “As our team bond has become a little closer, we’ve definitely built off each other and the hits are really contagious.”

GMA scored in the first and fifth innings. Jenna Morrison got the Monarchs on the board when she hit a two-out single, stole second and scored on an error. Brea Maloney singled, stole both second and third and scored on a Morrison groundout in the fifth.

“(Mount is) a good team,” GMA coach Charlie Ball said. “We have to step up against a good team. You can’t just put cleats on and think you’re going to win.”

Kerstein Dunlap and Alexis Mulado split the game in the circle for Gwynedd. Dunlap started and went four innings, allowing four runs on six hits with three strikeouts to one walk. Mulado allowed five runs across three innings with one strikeout to two walks.

The result puts Mount Saint Joseph and Villa Maria Academy within one game of Gwynedd Mercy in the AACA standings.The Magic’s win also improves their chances of earning a spot in the 12-team District 1-5A playoffs. They entered Tuesday as the No. 10 seed.

“We need someone else to beat (Gwynedd) and then we’re tied for first in the league,” Yohe said. “Last year we had not-so-great of a record. This year I think we’re stepping it up. This is my freshman year, so it’s pretty exciting for me.”

Gwynedd hosts Villa Maria Thursday.

“Any game is a league championship game,” Ball said. “Any time you play. Any time you walk on the field.”

Gwynedd Mercy Academy pitcher Kerstein Dunlap threw four innings against Mount Saint Joseph Academy Tuesday. (Ed Morlock/MediaNews Group)

Mount Saint Joseph Academy 9, Gwynedd Mercy Academy 2

Mount Saint Joseph Academy 201 021 3 – 9

Gwynedd Mercy Academy 100 010 0 – 2

WP: Daria Yohe 7 IP 3 K 1 BB 5 H 2 R

LP: Kerstein Dunlap 4 IP 3 K 1 BB 6 H 4 R

2B: MSJ: Daria Yohe.

HR: MSJ: Emily Markowski.

FAIRVIEW VILLAGE >> Ariana Butler says pitching is her favorite part of playing softball.

But she’d had enough of it for one day.

“I mean, I could’ve and I would’ve gone back out there,” said the Villa Maria junior. “But I really didn’t want the game to go another inning.”

Emma Trainer’s walk-off double allowed Butler to take matters into her own hands, racing around from first base with the winning run as the Hurricanes of Villa Maria claimed the District 1-4A softball championship with a 2-1 victory in eight innings over Upper Perkiomen at Methacton on Thursday afternoon. 

The Villa Maria softball team poses with the district championship trophy after defeating Upper Perkiomen, 2-1 in the eight innings, in the District 1-4A championship game on May 25 at Methacton. (Austin Hertzog – MediaNews Group)

“All 20 games we played this year built up to today,” said Villa coach Bill Miller. “I don’t know if we’ve seen a pitcher that tough.”

The pitcher in question was Upper Perk’s lone senior, Shippensburg-bound Madalyn Dyer, the hard-luck losing pitcher who struck out 11 Hurricanes on the afternoon.

But Butler matched Dyer pitch-for-pitch all afternoon, then extended Villa’s turn at bat with a two-out single in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Trainer followed, sending Dyer’s first offering deep into center field and bringing home Villa’s first since 2016 — the last year of the four-classification system.

The win sends the Hurricanes to the PIAA 4A state tournament starting June 5. 

“She [Butler] has so much speed,” said Trainer. “I knew if I put one into the outfield, she had a chance to score.”

“Never,” said Butler, asked if she considered stopping at third. “When I saw it in the air, I picked up my coach at third and kept on going.”

Villa Maria pitcher Ariana Butler rounds third base to score the winning run against Upper Perkiomen during the District 1-4A championship game on May 25 at Methacton. (Austin Hertzog – MediaNews Group)

Ironically, a similar play with a different outcome put the game into extra innings.

Upper Perk had the go-ahead run in scoring position with two outs in the top of the seventh when second baseman Darby Gazda singled through the middle. 

But Villa center fielder Ella McHugh fielded the ball cleanly and came up firing with a perfect throw to catcher Anna Stroup to prevent Upper Perkiomen from regaining a one-run lead.

One inning later, Villa was celebrating.

“This has to be one of the top moments of my career,” said Trainer. “I had a walk-off hit in a travel game once, but I’m pretty sure this goes right to the top.”

The winning run momentarily overshadowed Butler’s excellence in the circle. She scattered five hits and a single run over eight innings, striking out three and working five 1-2-3 innings.

It almost wasn’t enough, thanks to the brilliance of Upper Perk’s Dyer.

The Villa Maria softball team celebrates with the district championship trophy after defeating Upper Perkiomen, 2-1 in the eight innings, in the District 1-4A championship game on May 25 at Methacton. (Austin Hertzog – MediaNews Group)

Villa Maria coach Bill Miller smiles with his team after being doused with the water bucket after defeating Upper Perkiomen, 2-1 in the eight innings, in the District 1-4A championship game on May 25 at Methacton. (Austin Hertzog – MediaNews Group)

On a team that features a majority of underclassmen and several freshmen, Dyer provided leadership both by seniority and by example throughout the Tribe’s season.

“I wish every player was just like her,” said Upper Perk coach Dean Sullivan. “She’s our team leader, and she’s the biggest fan of every one of her teammates.

“She’ll be very successful both at Shippensburg and in life because of the way she carries herself.”

Dyer went the distance in the circle, allowing two runs but setting down 11 Hurricanes on strikes.

“I’m just very blessed to be here,” said Dyer. “We’re a young team, and there’s such a bright future. 

“But there has to be a winner and a loser. It’s tough today, but all in all it was a great experience.”

Sullivan credited Dyer for setting the example that allowed such a young team to play with poise throughout 2023, reaching not only the District title game but the PAC championship as well.

“I think taking the challenge, the opportunity to lead allows us to succeed,” said Dyer. “It’s about having a positive attitude. Pressure is a privilege, and that was my attitude all season.”

Dyer plans to major in business management and play softball next year at Shippensburg.

Butler and Dyer each allowed only a single run in the first seven frames. 

UP struck first with Kristina Molnar’s fourth-inning single and back-to-back steals, the second of which drew an errant throw that allowed Molnar to advance home and give the No. 2 seed Tribe a 1-0 lead.

But Villa Maria would answer in the sixth, rallying with two outs with a Grace Wisler single. Wisler moved to second on a wild pitch, and Butler’s speed forced a hurried throw on an infield grounder, allowing Wisler to race home and tie the contest.

Upper Perk catcher Ashley Forrest played a huge role in getting the game to extra innings, firing to first base to pick off a Villa Maria runner in the bottom of the seventh. 

Her heads-up play turned a subsequent fielder’s choice that could’ve ended the game into an inning ended.

But Trainer made the most of Villa’s next opportunity, delivering Butler with the big hit to send the Hurricanes back to states for the first time in seven years. 

“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity,” said Butler. “I’m just glad I had an opportunity to contribute.”