PHILADELPHIA – The reigning champions of Inter-Ac softball, Penn Charter, faced off against a familiar opponent yesterday morning, Springside Chestnut Hill Academy. Even though they found success against the Blue Devils all year, Penn Charter found themselves an out away from extra innings. Donald (Doc) Mittica, head coach of Penn Charter, talked about the challenges of facing such a familiar opponent.
“They beat Episcopal, and as we always talk about, it is really hard to beat a team 3 times,” said coach Mittica.
On a day, which felt more like summer then spring, both teams took the field poised and excited to play. Players appeared to be having a good time just enjoying the moment of being in the finals.
In the early innings of the game, both teams got runners on, but were unable to accomplish much due to some great pitching from the teams’ starters.
A simple mistake from Springside Chestnut Hill pitcher Maddie Saltzman would break the game open for the first time.
Bottom of the 3rd, with two outs, Saltzman had two runners on base, but only one in scoring position on second. It would have taken a well-hit ball into the outfield to score either runner. Saltzman stepped into the circle and threw the ball into the dirt and past the catcher, moving both runners over a base, leaving her in a tight position. Up to bat for Penn Charter would be Eileen Hennessy, who would take full advantage of the defensive error. Hennessy stroked one through the infield for a 2 RBI single, and the games first runs.
The Last Out
From Left to Right: PC's Brigitte Gutpellet, Eileen Hennessy & Devon Loftus pose with the PAISAA trophy - PSD Photo
Top of the 4th, Faith Fenton, Penn Charter’s starting pitcher, answered her team’s offense with a little defense of her own. Fenton manages to sit down the side in order and get her team through another half-inning, up 2-0.
In the bottom of the 4th Springside Chestnut Hill again give up a run due to defensive mistakes, although it could be said that without the play of the shortstop, the damage could have been much worse.
With one out in the inning, Zoe Neefe for Penn Charter, ripped one almost up the middle, but it was knocked down by SCH’s diving shortstop. Having laid out for the grounder, she missed her throw to first. As the ball passes the first base, Neefe for Penn Charter decides to try for two and is almost thrown out but the ball is dropped on the tag attempt. The next batter for Penn Charter grounds out, leaving Saltzman of SCH with two outs and a runner in scoring position for the second time in two innings.
Next to bat for Penn Charter is Emily Zurcher. She, like her teammate hit the ball to shortstop, who again made a great effort to keep it in the field but was unable to make a clean throw to first, leaving the runner safe and allowing Penn Charter to score its third run of the morning. PC led 3-0 going into the 5th.
Top of the 5th, Fenton for PC had shut out the SCH side so far, but her demeanor seamed to change after the first batter, which she walked. She was constantly grabbing at her lower back, an indication of a possible injury. After a bunt single from the next batter, Fenton began to wince in pain every time she stepped in the circle to pitch.
With tears welling in her eyes, she managed to get a batter to a 3-2 count but ended up walking her, which signaled coach Doc Mittica to take her out of the game. In for Fenton came Ava Nicolucci who would be stepping into a lead but not much of one considering the magnitude of the game. Nicolucci explained what was going through her mind when she had to step in to fulfill such a pivotal role during the game.
“My coach told me to be ready if we need you, and I just went out and I was ready… I’m just thinking, like, ‘oh my God!’ What my coach always tells me is ‘go in, throw some strikes, hold them, and you’ll be fine.’ So the first thing on my mind is if you have to go in, just throw some strikes, you’ll be fine,” said Nicolucci.
Mittica had this to say about the switch in pitchers:
This was the first PAISAA Championship appearance for the SCH Blue Devils - PSD Photo
“She’s a little lefty, throws strikes, a little different, and doesn’t over power you, and I knew if I could get Faith to about four innings, that she is a change of pace,” said Mittica. “Because in softball, that’s all it is, a change pace, and you have to get used to the pitcher. But she was enough of a change of pace, if she threw strikes, with my defense we could just keep going.”
Nicolucci ended up being a huge factor the rest of this game after racking up some huge strikeouts, including the first batter she faced. With the bases loaded, Rachel Razlauskas would hit an RBI single for SCH, but Nicolucci stayed calm and struck the next batter out, which would lead to a ground out by the following batter to end the inning. Considering she had the bases loaded behind her with no outs, it was an absolutely brilliant effort from Nicolucci to keep her team in a great position to win the game. PC still led 3-1.
Bottom 5, SCH’s defense again comes up just a little short. After Saltzman walked the first batter, Ayanna Matthews for Penn Charter lined one directly through the legs of SCH’s second basemen, leading to an RBI double and putting PC up another run 4-1. Still, that’s all Penn Charter would do that inning, giving SCH six out to overcome the three run deficit.
The 2016 PAISAA Champions - PSD Photo
With a three run lead once again, Ava came out in the top of the 6th firing. Sitting down the side in order, and recording two more strikeouts in the process.
Eager to finish the game and claim the title, Penn Charter went to the plate swinging. Saltzman saw three step up and saw all three sit down for a very quick bottom inning, as all three batters hit it directly to a SCH player for an out.
Top of the 7th, SCH was down to three outs to extend or perhaps win the PAISAA title, and boy did they come close. With two outs gone in the top inning, SCH began to rally. And I mean nearly rallying themselves to a victory.
“I could feel a rally coming on, and they did,” said SCH head coach Stephanie Mill. “It was awesome you could feel it coming and I’m just so proud of my girls for battling back. Penn Charter is a really good team, and we were really happy to be here. I don’t think anyone thought we would be here. We beat a very good Episcopal team to get here and we were thrilled to get here. This was our very first time being in the PAISAA Championship, so we were thrilled.”
After getting a runner on base, Razlauskas stroked a RBI double into the outfield scoring a run to make it 4-2. Then Saltzman hit an RBI single into left field scoring Razlauskas and putting the Blue Devils within one run of extra softball. With the pressure of the entire team, fans, and school behind her, Lucy Lamb stepped into one of the toughest positions in an athlete’s career, trying to be the hero with two outs and a runner on base.
In the end, Lamb put the ball in play, but a great catch and throw from Penn Charter's shortstop would end SCH’s rally and result in a back-to-back PAISAA Softball title for the Penn Charter Quakers.