SOFTBALL: Plenty Remains Unsettled Down Home Stretch as PCL Playoffs Loom

By: John Knebels

Photos/Videos: John Knebels, Kathy Leister, James Williamson & Mark Zimmaro

PHILADELPHIA – With less than a week remaining in the regular season, a horde of “What If’s” still buzz around Philadelphia Catholic League softball.

Only three of the 10 teams that comprise Philadelphia Catholic League softball have solidified their final destination and await a post-season in which every team qualifies.

At 8-0 with one game left, Archbishop Ryan has clinched first place. Conversely, at 0-8, Lansdale Catholic will finish as the 10th and final seed and will visit the seventh seed – 3-6 Cardinal O’Hara– in the first round of the playoffs that begin May 17.

The eighth and ninth seeds – currently Little Flower and John W. Hallahan, respectively – will supply the other first-round matchup. With both teams at 2-6, Little Flower currently owns the tiebreak because of its 8-6 victory over Hallahan on April 8. The only way those two would switch places is if Hallahan shocks Ryan on May 12 and Little Flower loses at Conwell-Egan on May 14.

As for teams two through six, while they have successfully avoided needing to win a first-round contest, they desperately seek to place among the top four to secure a quarterfinal home game on May 19.

The possibilities remain plentiful.

* Archbishop Carroll (7-1) would clinch second with a win at St. Hubert on May 16, or two losses by Hubert. The lowest the Patriots could fall is third place.

* St. Hubert (4-1) is playing almost every day to make up for lost time to earlier COVID issues. If the Bambies somehow win out during this brutal stretch against Bonner-Prendergast, Archbishop Wood, Conwell-Egan, and Carroll, they would finish second. Though extremely unlikely, the Bambies could drop as low as sixth.

* Archbishop Wood is 5-3 with a huge game at Hubert on May 13. The Vikings could place as high as third or as low as sixth.

* Bonner-Prendergast is 4-4 and hosts St. Hubert on May 12. The Pandas could finish as high as fourth or as low as sixth.

* Conwell Egan is 3-3 with Little Flower, St. Hubert, and Lansdale Catholic still on the docket. Win all three and the Eagles could finish as high as third, but they could also finish as low as sixth.

Resilient Archbishop Wood Keeps Plugging

Despite key injuries that could have sent the program plummeting, Archbishop Wood has won three straight. In the Vikings’ 10-0 win over visiting Cardinal O’Hara on May 6, junior pitcher Gianna Anzideo fired a five-hit shutout with no walks and seven strikeouts.

Hitters two through five – freshman Julia Yogis, sophomore Dakota Fanelli, junior Kiersten Reeser, and sophomore Paige Ross– contributed two RBI apiece.

Arch. Wood vs. Cardinal O'Hara highlights by John Knebels

Wood pitcher Gianna Anzideo analyzes her 1st ever varsity shutout

O’Hara senior Leah DiGiandomenico keeps optimistic in defeat.

Two days later, complete-game pitching by sophomore Riley Nolan and a 13-hit attack that included four hits, three runs scored, and two RBI by Fanelli, homers by Anzideo and Reeser, and three RBI by Ross, fueled an 8-1 victory over visiting Little Flower.

“They all meshed together,” said Wood coach Jackie Ecker. “Communication has been great to help each other with the different positions they’ve been playing, and I think we’re getting stronger game by game.”

Yogis agrees.

“I do think we’ve adjusted well,” said Yogis. “We’re all out of position at the moment, and I think for everyone being out of position, I think we’re playing really well and I think we’re working all together.”

Hustling Julia Yogis had three hits, two RBI, and a run scored

Dakota Fanelli says good hitting can become contagious

Wood coach Jackie Ecker compliments her team's strong performance

Cardinal O’Hara senior Leah DiGiandomenico can sense what needs to be done quickly for O’Hara to make some noise in the playoffs.

“Definitely picking each other up,” she said. “We need more communication out on the field. It’s definitely something we need to work on. After a mistake, we have a tendency to put our heads down. I think we need more positivity.”

Freshman Heroics Sends Little Flower Home Happy

Regardless of where and when the season ends, Little Flower displayed a measure of fortitude that can’t be understated.

Trailing Lansdale Catholic, 11-3, in the sixth inning on May 6, the Sentinels dug as deeply as possible and found eight runs to tie the game at 11-11. After the Crusaders regained a 12-11 lead in the seventh, Little Flower loaded the bases for freshman Meaghan Dugan.

“I was very nervous,” said Dugan, who had never before driven home a game-winning run. “We had been battling the whole game. I didn’t want to let my team down.”

Archbishop Wood celebrates a home run by Gianna Anzideo in an 8-1 victory over Little Flower. (Video courtesy of Maeve McGill)

Freshman Meaghan Dugan’s 2 run double lifted Little Flower to a dramatic 13-12 come-from-behind win over Lansdale Catholic. (courtesy of Kristie Dugan)

Dugan didn’t. With her senior sister Sarah Dugan on third and Haley Jacuk on second following earlier singles to start the inning, Dugan smacked a double in the right-center-field gap to plate both runners, thus supplying Little Flower an unforgettable 13-12 triumph.

Labeling it a “relief” and “an unexplainable amazing feeling,” Meaghan Dugan described the atmosphere that ebbed and flowed throughout the affair that ultimately made LF’s traditional “Senior Day” much more festive.

“The mood before, when we were losing, everyone was nervous and worried about the outcome of the game,” said Meaghan Dugan, who had pitched strong in relief and earned the victory. “After my at bat, before I knew it, everyone was cheering and the team was running over to me. I felt so relieved that the seniors got their win, especially for my sister Sarah, who has worked so hard and deserves it.”

Sarah Dugan shared Meaghan’s sentiments.

“It was so exciting coming back to win the game,” she said. “It was even better that my sister was the one to bring me home. It was really special for the seniors. The win was more important for us because we know we have the potential. This win gave us a needed boost to our attitudes and our confidence. It was a big win all around.”

Emotional Last-Ever Home Game for John W. Hallahan

Like everything with John W. Hallahan this season since the school will be closing forever in June, nostalgia ran rampant on May 6 when the Mighty Mice faced visiting St. Hubert in their last-ever home game.

For the team’s two seniors who spoke with PSD’s Kathy Leister after the game, losing to the Bambies did not detract from the most important elements of what the game represented.

“It’s a bittersweet feeling, because it just stinks that everything got cut short with the school closing,” said senior Hallee Mawhinney. “Since this would have been our last game anyways, I was happy that I could play and that everybody on the team stayed safe until the end.

“I think we grew throughout the season. It felt good, win or lose.”

Hallahan vs. St. Hubert's - PSD Photo Gallery by Kathy Leister

Senior teammate Paris Balilonis waxed similarly wistful.

“It was definitely a bittersweet feeling,” she said, “but the group of girls that I played with definitely make it fun. I love the game and they love the game.”

Game Highlights from Hallahan's final home game vs. St. Hubert - By Kathy Leister

Hallahan seniors Paris Balilonis & Hallee Mawhinney said playing their final home game was bittersweet:

Conwell-Egan Does it on the Mound, at the Plate

The best medicine after suffering a loss is to find a win as quickly as possible.

Just ask Conwell-Egan.

After dropping a decision against undefeated Archbishop Ryan a day earlier, the Eagles bounced back yesterday and defeated visiting John W. Hallahan, 10-0.

Conwell-Egan vs. Hallahan - Game Highlights by Mark Zimmaro

Conwell-Egan left-fielder, Katey Brennan - PSD Photo by Mark Zimmaro

“Today, our team knew we had to step up,” said sophomore pitcher Ahlana Sesar, who notched her second shutout of the season. “I knew I had to throw my pitches and hit my locations as much as possible. Having a strong support system behind me really helped.”

Trying hard to supply lone senior Laura Wang with a victory in her last-ever regulation game, the Eagles scored throughout the afternoon.

As she did against Ryan by slugging her sixth home run of the year – a three-run blast that had pulled the Eagles to within 8-5 in the fifth – Katey Brennan supplied key hits. The sophomore bashed a pair of doubles and knocked in two runs. Junior teammate and leadoff hitter Angelina Bresnan added a home run.

Brennan preferred to talk about Sesar’s two-hit performance.

“I’ve been playing with Ahlana since we were eight years old,” said Brennan. “She has always been one of the fiercest competitors on the team.

“Yesterday, Coach (Sandy Hart) told us that it was crunch time, and by only allowing two hits in today’s game, Ahlana showed her toughness.”

St. Hubert’s Keeps on Winning

Four games straight and six in seven days? Such is life for St. Hubert’s.

So far, so good.

After blanking Little Flower, 14-0, behind the combined 15 strikeouts and one hit allowed over five innings by senior Emily Murphy and junior Riley Long, and the bats of junior Sarah McLaughlin (3 for 5, two doubles), sophomore Maura Gorman (bases loaded triple), and freshman Alyse Jewell (2-4, walk), the Bambies doubled Cardinal O’Hara, 10-5.

St. Hubert's sophomore Maura Gorman makes it home in victory vs. Hallahan - PSD Photo by Kathy Leister

“It was sloppy,” said Hubert coach Dan Milio. “We got five of our runs on walks and two on passed balls. Our pitching combined for 13 strikeouts, but we also had five errors.

“We haven’t had practice time, so we are working through it on the field.”

The Lions shot to a 4-0 lead before the Bambies righted the ship with 10 unanswered runs over a three-inning span.

Now comes the season’s first defining moment – four games in five days against teams that sport a collective record of 19-11. For the Bambies to remain successful, they must receive strong pitching – and that’s just the start.

“I think it is important to have two dependable pitchers on the team,” said Long. “Yes, Murphy is capable of throwing all of these games herself, but what if she gets hurt? I will be there to help her out when she needs it.

“I feel we are on a roll, and I do feel that our confidence has definitely went up. Quarantine has been bad to us. Now that we are making up six games the week before playoffs, we are managing. We are just taking it one game at a time and playing our best.”

Murphy hopes she and her teammates can emulate their masterpiece against Little Flower rather than their struggles against O’Hara.

“Our pitching was really strong (versus Little Flower), and what we couldn’t handle, our fielders really stepped up and had our backs,” said Murphy. “And Sarah McLaughlin came up big today catching and hitting for us.

“We both have a lot of pitching to do this week. I’m not worried about striking out every batter at this point because I see my fielders stepping up, and I have my full confidence in them.”

Perfectionistic Ragdolls Remain Unblemished

Though Archbishop Ryan received strong offensive contributions from freshman Kayla Gray (two hits, three RBI), senior Dana Bell (two hits), and senior Deana Moser (two hits) to clinch first place with an 11-6 win at Conwell-Egan on May 10, the Ragdolls emerged a tad annoyed because they had surrendered six runs in their three previous PCL gamesand 15 in their previous five.

Three pitchers – freshman Emma McDermott, junior Serena Sringfield, and senior Dana Bell– were needed to keep the Eagles at bay.

“In most cases, you’re usually lucky to have one decent pitcher,” said Ryan coach John Kidwell. “We have three, and another decent freshman pitcher that can also pitch varsity.

“With the shortened schedule this year, it’s been hard to get them all some innings, so we always try to do some live hitting every practice.”

Archbishop Ryan vs. Archbishop Carroll - PSD Photo Gallery by James Williamson

Big Seventh Saves the Patriots

In what almost became the season’s top upset, Archbishop Carroll defeated Bonner-Prendergast by a misleading final score of 16-8. The Patriots fell behind by 4-2 in the first, tied it at 4-4 in the third, snared an 8-4 lead in the top of the fifth, but then gave up four runs in the bottom half.

With the score tied at 8-8 after six, the Patriots sent 13 hitters to the plate in the seventh. Junior leadoff hitter Cheyenne Niehoff (3-4, two runs scored), junior Maya Preston (2-5, two runs scored), senior Christina Jackson (three RBI), three RBI), junior Gianna Liciardello (2-5, two runs scored, two RBIs, two earned runs allowed over complete-game pitching), and freshman Emma Lamlin put the game out of reach.

“It was nerve racking in the beginning, but it was great feeling when we all started to come together,” said Preston. “We all knew that we had to come together as a team to win that game, and that’s what we did.

“It was very important to get back on track (after a 6-2 loss to Ryan on May 4), and even though it was a tough loss, we needed it to learn and to help fix our mistakes.”

(Contact John Knebels at Jknebels@gmail.comor on Twiiter @johnknebels).