skip navigation

SOFTBALL: Dramatic Ending Lifts Blue Devils Past Relentless Baldwin

By Emilee Cochrane (videos by Emilie Cochrane), 05/06/21, 9:00AM EDT

Share

By Emilie Cochrane

PHILADELPHIA – The rainy forecast cleared up just in time for an Inter-Ac battle between the Springside Chestnut Hill Academy (SCHA) Blue Devils and the Baldwin School Polar Bears.

Going into the game with a league record of 6-1, SCHA was expected to lock in another success, but the Bears would not make it easy. The visitors turned a 6-2 second-inning deficit into an 8-7 lead in the sixth, but the Blue Devils took a dramatic 9-8 victory with two runs in the bottom of the seventh.

In the beginning and the end, it was Blue Devil freshman Kamaha’o Bode to the rescue. More on that a bit later.

“I was a little nervous when the game got really close,” said SCHA senior Trinity Smith. “We weren't exactly sure what to expect.”

SPRINGSIDE CHESTNUT HILL VS. bALDWIN SCHOOL GAME HIGHLIGHTS/ eMILIE cOCHRANE

With a strong arm on the mound, the Blue Devils’ pitcher, Samantha Klug, pitched a scoreless first inning, and her teammates scored three runs in each of the first two frames for a 6-2 lead. However, in the fourth inning, Baldwin scored three runs to make it 6-5. The Polar Bears then tied the game at 6-6 in the fifth.

After Springside regained a 7-6 edge in their half of the fifth, a determined Baldwin refused to fold, scoring twice in the sixth to forge an 8-7 lead. Ultimately, it wasn’t enough. 

SCHA senior Trinity Smith tried to maintain composure during intense game. (video/Emilie Cochrane)

SCHA junior pitcher Sam Klug lauds her team's determination through entire game. (video/Emilie Cochrane)

SCHA freshman Kamaha'o Bode hits a 3-run Homer in the 1st & ties game with a double in the 7th.. (video/Emilie Cochrane)

“It hurt,” said Baldwin senior first baseman Tessa Pearlstein. “But we had a lot of fight in our team, and I thought that the girls did a really good job. We had a lot of nice clutch hitting and some clutch plays. It’s just a stinky one to lose.”

With Baldwin leading 8-7 in the bottom of the seventh, SCHA freshman Kamaha’o Bode stepped up. Earlier, Bode had slammed a three-run homer in the bottom of the first to give SCHA a 3-0 lead. Now, with the game on the line, Bode came through again when she roped a double to center field that scored sophomore Courtney Oliver with the tying run. Bode crossed the plate with the winning run thanks to an error, setting off a Blue Devils celebration. 

 

Baldwin senior Tess Pearlstein is enjoying her time getting to play this season.(video/Emilie Cochrane)

Baldwin senior Presley Daggett compliments her team's dynamics. (video/Emilee Cochrane)

“As a team, we fought to keep the momentum,” said Bode. “I had a very strong game both offensively and defensively.”

It was an unexpected fight and a hard win to maintain for the Blue Devils, but at the end of the day, they brought the energy to improve their record to 7-1.

“We came into the game not knowing what to expect,” said Blue Devil Trinity Smith. “It was a fight harder than we wanted, but it was a fight we were able to win.”

On Friday May 7th, the Blue Devils travel to William Penn Charter for another Inter-Ac league match-up.