By John Knebels
PHILADELPHIA – It’s becoming a trend.
Following Thursday’s semifinals that saw Conwell-Egan dispatch Archbishop Carroll, 10-3, and Archbishop Ryan trim upset-minded Archbishop Wood, 5-3, the Philadelphia Catholic League finalists have been determined.
For the third time in four years, familiar foes will meet to decide the championship when the top-seed Ragdolls take on the two-seed, defending-champion Eagles 4:00 Monday at Neumann University.
This will mark Conwell-Egan’s fourth straight trip to the final and provides a rematch of last year’s title bout, won by C-E, 6-3. In 2021, the Ragdolls outlasted the Eagles, 10-6.
“It’s gonna be another great game,” said Ryan coach John Kidwell. “They’re a very good team. Sandy’s a great coach. They’re going to be prepared and it’s going to be another Catholic League battle. It’s going to be fun.”
Kidwell was referring to Conwell-Egan coach Sandy Hart. Since 2022, including the playoffs, Archbishop Ryan has only lost six PCL games. Four of those defeats were at the hands of Hart’s Eagles (the other two against Archbishop Carroll). During the regular season on May 6, Ryan beat a shorthanded Conwell-Egan squad, 8-1, ending a four-game losing streak against the Eagles.
In Conwell-Egan’s win over three-seed Archbishop Carroll, senior pitcher Lauren Bretzel dominated on the mound, at the plate, and even on defense. After surrendering a first-inning, two-run homer to junior pitcher Dakotah Johnson, Bretzel set the Patriots down in order from the second inning through the fifth.
“It’s really satisfying because everything was working,” said Bretzel. “When I was warming up, I was really feeling it. And then in the game, I was in a groove. I wasn’t thinking. I was just in a mode. Just set and ready.
“It felt great that my team backed me up (after the two-runner homer in the first). We knew we could really get the runs in. We had our minds set for the whole game.”
It was Bretzel’s two-run single in the first that tied the game. In the end, Bretzel went three-for-three with a walk and three runs batted in. Of the four times that Bretzel reached base, sophomore courtesy runner Lauren Berard came around to score all four times.
But throwing 54 of an uncommonly low 70 pitches for strikes and not issuing any walks made the most difference. After giving up three hits in the first (and seven for the game), Bretzel cruised over the final six and one-third innings.
“One of the coaches said she could probably pitch another game because her pitch count was so low,” said Hart. “She was accurate. She was pinpoint. She hit her spots.”
Conwell-Egan vs. Archbishop Carroll PCL Semifinal Game. (highlights/ John Knebels for PSD)
When Carroll did manage to make contact, Conwell-Egan’s defense rose to the occasion.
Manning the infield, senior third baseman Molly Milewski (two assists), junior shortstop Cecelia McBeth (two assists), sophomore second baseman Angelina Pandolfi (cool backhand up the middle that prevented a single; three assists; three putouts), junior first baseman Amariah McKnight (seven putouts, one of them after a scorching line drive) and Bretzel (snared a liner back at the mound and fired to McKnight for a double play in the seventh) combined for errorless ball. In the outfield, senior Cassidy Blaskopf perfectly tracked down two long drives to left field, sophomore Deanna Porter caught three fly balls, and sophomore Avery Kenworthy nabbed one more.
“I’m so proud of our defense,” said Hart. “When you get to these playoff games, defense wins championships. We talk about it all the time. It helps that you have players that want to work at it.”
Milewski, the leadoff hitter who walked, singled, and scored C-E’s first run, extolled her teammates for their game-long resolve.
“Our mindset was to get the game started early,” said Milewski. “It’s really vital in games like these – energy and momentum. After that home run, we were like, ‘We have to have to get that back. Have to do something.’”
After scoring three in the first, the Eagles added two in the third, four in the fourth, and one in the sixth. Simultaneously, C-E’s gloves stayed flawless.
“Coach Hart really emphasizes defense,” said Milewski. “Defense wins games. Every practice, it’s a really big focus, along with hitting. Getting sharp . . . focusing on the little things . . . keeping everything poised . . . not rushing . . . getting the plays done. It feels awesome. That’s all I have to say. I’m really excited to go back.”
Conwell-Egan’s opponent experienced a different type of semifinal.
Molly Milewski is returning to the PCL championship for a fourth straight season after 10-3 win over Archbishop Carroll.
Taking on an Archbishop Wood team fresh off an impressive 17-6 quarterfinal win romp at four-seed Cardinal O’Hara, Archbishop Ryan raced to a 4-0 lead with the bases loaded and one out in the first inning. With a chance to deflate the always-energized Vikings, the Ragdolls left the sacks loaded.
In the bottom of the second, senior stud Mya Diorio lined a home run over the right-field fence – her fourth of the season and 16th of her career – to make it 5-0. But shockingly, despite seven hits, eight walks, and two hit batters, that was the end of Ryan’s scoring. The Ragdolls ultimately left 11 runners on base, unable to capitalize on having the bases loaded in both the fourth and fifth innings.
Meanwhile, Archbishop Wood chipped away, scoring single runs in the third, fifth, and sixth innings. Senior leadoff hitter Maura Yoos contributed four hits and scored a run. In Wood’s two playoff games, the standout second baseman went a perfect nine-for-nine with one walk, a home run, a double, five runs scored, and five runs batted in.
“Typical Catholic League game,” said Kidwell. “We took advantage of some opportunities early in the game. Scored some runs. Had some chances, but couldn’t get some hits. Credit their pitcher (sophomore Jackie Cobb). We knew it was going to be a going to be a close game. They’re a good team.”
During their post-game interviews, the RBI clan of senior Ashlynn Clarkson (two-run single in the first), senior Maya Chambliss (one-run single), junior pitcher Maddie Velez (bases-loaded walk), and Diorio (homer) enveloped a combined mood of relief, relaxation, fun, excitement, and anticipation.
“This game was really tough,” said Diorio. “You definitely knew they were coming in very hot – especially their quarterfinal game when they came out and smoked O’Hara – and we knew we had to match it. It was a battle back and forth. Archbishop Ryan-Wood is a great game every year. It’s always competitive. You never know what way it’s going to go. But now we play Egan.”
On the mound, Velez made numerous key pitches to wiggle out of some jams, as the Vikings left nine runners on base. Striking out six while allowing two earned runs on nine hits and two walks, Velez benefitted from a Diorio snag of a bases-loaded line drive by Wood sophomore Allison Siegfried that ended Wood’s third inning.
Archbishop Ryan vs. Archbishop Wood in PCL Semifinal Game. (Highlights/ John Knebels for PSD)
Archbishop Ryan coach John Kidwell returns to the PCL final for the third time in four years. (video/ John Knebels for PSD)
(L-R) Complete game pitcher Maddie Velez, Mya Diorio, Maya Chambliss, and Ashlynn Clarkson knocked in all five runs in win over Archbishop Wood. (Video/ John Knebels)
“Without defense, you’re not going to win games,” said Velez. “All of us have been practicing all week on defense. You have to go into games knowing you’re going to make the plays.”
While Clarkson said that it “felt amazing to be able to contribute and get that hit,” Chambliss said the timing of another title would be “just perfect.”
“To win it freshman year and then our senior year,” said Chambliss. “That would be a big thing. That would be amazing.”
(Contact John Knebels at jknebels@gmail.com or on ‘ X’ – formerly Twitter – @johnknebels.)