BY JOHN KNEBELS

(Photos by Donna Eckert, James Quinn, Lennie Malmgren, Ryan Nix, Gabriel Petrecz & Mark Zimmaro)

PHILADELPHIA – When they came off the field following a dominant victory over the only undefeated softball team in the Philadelphia Catholic League, Archbishop Ryan celebrated on the pitcher’s mound, lined up, shook hands, and gathered privately on an adjacent hill for a postgame chat.

Despite having just upended Archbishop Wood, 8-0, on April 25 behind sensational pitching, power hitting, and superb defense, the Ragdolls were not celebrating with any noticeable exuberance.

For Ryan coach John Kidwell, his players’ balanced response to their best performance of the season supports his PCL theory.

For Ryan, the win over Wood, which left the Ragdolls at 3-1 and Wood at 5-1 and also gave the Ragdolls a tiebreaker if the two teams finish tied for first, received the nod.

“We played pretty much a complete game,” said Kidwell. “Pitching, hitting, defense. We knew coming in that it was going to be a tough game and that we had to play all three phases really, really well. They executed and grinded at bats. They were really aggressive going for fly balls and making plays.”

Steady and efficient, sophomore pitcher Moira Maw allowed only two hits and two walks while striking out nine. Specific defensive gems were contributed by senior left fielder Sabrina Pastino, sophomore second baseman Isabella Baron, junior right fielder Emma McDermott, and senior third baseman Janine Swift.

Pastino’s two-run homer jumpstarted the Ragdolls to a 2-0 lead four batters into the game. Ryan took full advantage of uncharacteristic struggles by Wood’s defense for single runs in the second, fourth, and fifth. In the seventh, junior Mya Diorio slammed a home run, and two batters later, junior Maya Chambliss smashed a two-run shot. All three of Ryan’s homers were to dead center field.

Though losing in the PCL for the first time since last year (9-7 at Archbishop Ryan on April 21, 2022) and waving goodbye to a phenomenal 13-game PCL winning streak, Archbishop Wood’s players and coaching staff remained poised. They are preparing for key games at Lansdale Catholic and home against Cardinal O’Hara scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday, respectively. 

After Carroll tied the game with three runs in the sixth, resilient Wood tallied three in its half and survived a bases loaded, no-out situation in the seventh. The Vikings finished with 18 hits – four of them by junior Elise Cawley – and three RBI apiece by senior Paige Ross and junior Parker Kraus.

“Going into the game I just thought about our games against them last year and I knew they were gonna be a team to beat this year,” said Wood junior infielder/outfielder Julia Yogis, who had two hits and played strong defense in left field. “Going into the game, we knew that we had to play with confidence and we had to play loose.

“I remember having so much energy that day. The moment we stepped off that bus, I knew we were ready to play. Winning that game had to be one of the best feelings so far this season.”

In third place at 6-2 with one game remaining, Archbishop Carroll’s 6-5 victory over visiting Archbishop Ryan on April 11 necessitated a clutch home run by senior Lauren Martin in the bottom of the sixth that broke a 5-5 tie. The Patriots’ first win over Ryan since at least 2017 felt more special than simply a regular-season victory.

“This year, we have had a few big games,” said Martin, who in the aforementioned earlier loss to Archbishop Wood knocked in six runs. “Our biggest game of the year was definitely Ryan. Every time we play them I know it’s going to be a competitive game.

Now at 5-2, Conwell-Egan’s offense has imitated a yo-yo. While losing twice by shutout (to Archbishop Wood and Cardinal O’Hara), the Eagles outscored Archbishop Carroll, 10-7, and in an 11-3 win at Lansdale Catholic, they trailed 3-0 after five before waking up with seven runs in the sixth and four more in the seventh.

Ultimately, if a tie results between two teams, head-to-head decides the outcome. With three or more teams deadlocked, composite records versus each other come into play. Still a tie? Look for best victory against common opponents. Currently, that edge goes to Cardinal O’Hara, thanks to the Lions’ 4-0 win at fourth-place Conwell-Egan (more on that later). 

Now in fifth place at 3-2, Lansdale Catholic faces an arduous task because its remaining opponents own the best overall record at 16-8. Along with a makeup match at 2-4 Bonner-Prendergast on May 8, the Crusaders host the PCL’s best teams with a composite record of 14-4 – Wood, Carroll, and Ryan – during a brutal one-week stretch. To have a realistic chance of making the playoffs, the Crusaders need to win a minimum of one of them, and possibly two.

“The Egan game (an 11-3 loss despite leading 3-0 after five innings) was quite thrilling for the first five innings. It was a shame we lost our focus and Egan took advantage of us falling back on our heels. I think both those games proved anyone can beat anybody in this league.”

“Being in the circle, I knew I had to barrel down and do my job. I always tell the girls to just do your job and I’ll do mine. I feel like if we play every game how we did in our Lansdale Catholic game, we will go far and prosper in the PCL.”

Junior Maddie Jones and sophomore Hayden Sissons were spectacular on the mound, with only two base runners via a single (by senior Katey Brennan) and a walk denying a perfect game. Four different hitters, including Jones and Sissons, scored in the visiting sixth.

“Because of the level of competition in the Catholic League, I think the majority of teams would agree that any win is a big win,” said senior catcher Caitlin Jordan. “Going into the Conwell-Egan game, we knew that they weren’t just going to sit down and hand us the win, and we had to play our best softball if we wanted to come away with a win.

“We had high expectations for the season, and up until that point, we hadn’t been living up to the expectations we had set for ourselves, and the Conwell-Egan win was a huge step in the right direction for us to get back on track. We knew it would be a hard game, and it absolutely was. It was one of the best games we played this year, and I am proud of my team for how well we fought for that win.”

“However, I think the Ryan game (14-8 loss on the road on April 18) showed everyone that we are capable of something great. We’re a young team, with a freshman pitcher (Julia Brown) who showed everyone that she belongs out there on a varsity squad. We adjusted and adapted throughout the entire game and made it a lot closer of a game than many expected it to be.” 

At 0-6, Little Flower is hoping to defeat Neumann-Goretti on May 2 for its first league win of the season. If the Sentinels perform as well as they did in a 5-4 loss at Cardinal O’Hara on April 18, coach Tori Sherwood would be pleased.

“Our game versus O’Hara was awesome. It was our best game of the season all around. We made key plays in the field and our pitching from (junior) Ava Lawrence was outstanding. Offensively, bunts were executed and we had key hits with runners on. Our (junior) centerfielder Allie Szychulski had some outstanding catches that day along with (starting) a double play.” 

(Contact John Knebels at jknebels@gmail.com or on Twitter @johnknebels.)