Upper Dublin advanced to the PIAA 5A State Tournament semifinals with a 2-1 win over Springfield-Delco Thursday. Souderton and PW saw their successful seasons end – both lost in extra innings. Check out the TNT (Tough ‘n Tougher) recaps.
PIAA Class 5A State Tournament quarterfinal
#1-3 UPPER DUBLIN 2, #1-2 SPRINGFIELD-DELCO 1
The dream postseason lives on for a Flying Cardinal squad that advanced to the final four of the state in Class 5A.
“This is the best feeling ever,” said UD junior Kate Brannigan, who drove in the game-winning run. “We’re definitely all super excited. A little bit surprised because this is the first time in school history this has happened, so we just could not be more happy and proud of each other.”
The Cards’ junior shortstop acknowledged it’s not a spot she expected to find her team in when the season began.
“If someone had told me, I just would not have believed them,” Brannigan said. “The team chemistry definitely started to go up, so that’s definitely helped a lot. And just being there for each other. Mistakes happen, but you really just have to rely on or just lean on your teammates when you are struggling, so that’s definitely helped a lot.”
The Cougars took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third when pitcher Payton Feeney delivered a two-out RBI single.
The Cardinals responded with a run in the top of the fourth. Ava Renye singled to center to lead off the inning, and she advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Kyla Garrison. Sophia Vitella hit a hard ground ball that was misplayed, allowing Renye to score the equalizer.
“It was a miscue, and I just sent Ava because she’s on the faster side, so she scored on that,” Boyer said.
That 1-1 tie held until the sixth when Brannigan delivered a single that plated a run that turned out to be the game-winner.
“We’re sitting there with two outs, and Kate Brannigan came up with a two-out RBI single to center field,” Boyer said. “She’s come up with some big at-bats throughout the postseason. She’s really stepping up to be the girl, to be the one in the box, and she had a couple of nice plays in the field today.
“She recorded the last out – it was a popup to shortstop. That could always be nerveracking when you are in the bottom of the seventh, and it’s a one-run game.”
The win vaulted Upper Dublin in the final four in the state.
“It’s uncharted waters for us,” Boyer said. “These guys are making history. They’ve been a very even-keeled team throughout the year. I don’t want to say unemotional because they’re having fun, and they’re enjoying it, but that fire wasn’t necessarily there.
“I think now they’re like ‘Wow, this is legitimate, this is awesome, and this is really fun.’ So, I think they’re doing a really good job of appreciating the opportunity and just really soaking in the moment and not taking it for granted. They’re playing as a team and playing hard together with one another and just enjoying the experience as they go, which is really fun to watch. I’m so happy for them.”
Garrison rewriting the record books: Kyla Garrison turned in another gem for the Cardinals, scattering six hits and allowing one run.
“It’s very consistent the way she pulls through,” Brannigan said. “We could not be more lucky having her as out pitcher. Pitching every game must be difficult for her, but she definitely pulls through, and it’s amazing having her on our team.”
Garrison struck out 12 and walked only two and reached yet another milestone when she recorded the 900th strikeout of a stellar career. She also recorded her 300th strikeout for the season.
“So, she got 300 and 900 -it’s staggering,” Boyer said. “This was a very good team today. They hit the ball hard.
“They’ve played some really good softball to get to this point, and they played good softball today too. They had six hits to our two. We just had timely hitting, and Kate Brannigan’s was one of them.”
Brannigan comes up big: Stepping to the plate in a game with the season hanging in the balance is the very definition of pressure, but if Brannigan was feeling the pressure, it certainly didn’t show as she delivered a clutch two-out RBI single in the top of the sixth.
“Going up to bat, my main goal – as always – is just to get the ball in play and just move the runners,” Brannigan said. “Definitely having two strikes did not help as much because I usually get very nervous when that happens.
“So, I just looked down to my first base coach and my third base coach and just looked at them for reassurance, and they just gave me a nod, and that definitely helped calm me down. I took a deep breath and stepped in the box. I saw the ball coming in, so I just swung as hard as I could.”
Brannigan, who fouled off a pair of two-strike pitches in a tough at-bat, grounded a hard single to center that plated courtesy runner Jolie Sheppard.
With a Cougar runner on second and two outs in the seventh, a popup to the infield was squeezed by Brannigan for the game’s final out
“When I caught the last ball in the field – the look on all of our faces was just pure joy, and it was amazing,” the junior shortstop said.
By the numbers: Upper Dublin: Kyla Garrison (W) (7.0 IP, 6H, 1R, 1ER, 2BB, 12K), Kate Brannigan (1-for-2, 1RBI)
Key inning: Top of sixth – UD broke a 1-1 tie with a run that stood as the game-winner. Ava Renye drew a leadoff walk, and Kyla Garrison was safe on an error. With two outs, Kate Brannigan grounded an RBI single up the middle, giving UD a 2-1 lead.
Up next: Upper Dublin will face District 2 champion Abington Heights, a 9-5 winner over District 1 champion West Chester East.
Upper Dublin 000 101 0 2-2-3
Springfield-Delco 001 000 0 1-6-2
PIAA 6A Tournament quarterfinals
#3-1 CENTRAL DAUPHIN 4, #1-2 SOUDERTON 3 (9 innings)
The Indians threw a scare into the defending state champions, proving they could play with the best and forcing the highly regarded Rams to play nine innings before they eked out a win.
When it was over, there were tears, but Ava Detwiler didn’t need a whole lot of time to put Souderton’s season-ending loss in perspective.
“This season has been so incredibly special,” the senior captain said. “All the girls love each other. I’ve never been on a more supportive team. We all trust one another, and honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a better senior year.
“There were a lot of tears shed when it was over. We did the speeches at the end, and all the seniors said something. I couldn’t even get the words out because I was just so emotional. The team is what really got to me rather than the actual loss.”
As for the game, the Rams took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second and added a run in the top of the fifth. Down but hardly out, the Indians rallied to knot the score in the bottom of the inning. Detwiler hit a one-out single, and Skyler Byrnes followed with a line double to left field. Emma Messmer’s double to right field plated a pair, and just like that, it was a 2-2 game.
“Emma (Messmer) scoring two runs – that was really incredible and really brought our spirits up,” Detwiler said. “From there on, we just felt like we could compete at that level because we definitely went in and were like, ‘These are the state champs. It’s a big game,’ and from there, we knew we could hang with them. We kept answering what they were giving us.”
Central Dauphin took a 3-2 lead in the top of the sixth, and it was still a 3-2 game heading into the bottom of the seventh when Kathryn Jones led off the inning with a solo shot to center field, knotting the score 3-3.
The Indians had a pair of two-out base runners in the bottom of the eighth but came up empty, and the Rams took a lead they would not lose with a run in the top of the ninth, bringing to an end a remarkable postseason run for the Indians.
“Honestly, this game was probably my favorite one to play in because both defensively and offensively, both teams were really strong, and I felt at the end it was just a really great battle,” Detwiler said. “We were all hyped for each other. It was just really special, and even though it’s my last game, I felt like what’s a better way to go out than this game?
“I said earlier this season – ‘Imagine a travel ball team like this. That would be awesome, playing three games together a weekend.’”
Souderton coach Tyler Bui had nothing but good things to say about his team’s final contest.
“This was a classic battle between two very good teams,” the Indians’ coach said. “I wanted our girls to put pressure on them early, but instead we found ourselves behind by two runs. I told the girls yesterday that I expected us to be on top early, but if we fell behind, we would not panic.
“Our pitching was exceptional again today with Kathryn Jones and Madi Mott battling to keep the game close for us. The girls fought and hit a lot of hard balls, but Central Dauphin's defense was sharp. We just kept hitting the ball and were able to get a few runs on the board to keep us in the game before Kathryn tied up the game in the bottom of the seventh with a solo home run.”
By the numbers: Souderton: Kiera Fadden (3-for-4), Ava Detwiler (2-for-4), Emma Messmer (1-for-3, 2B, 2RBIs), Skyler Byrnes (2B, 1R)
Kathryn Jones (5.2 IP, 8H, 2R, 2ER, 0BB, 4K) (HR, 1RBI, 1R), Madi Mott (3.1 IP, 4H, 2R, 1ER, 1BB, 2K)
Souderton coach Tyler Bui:
--The season: “We obviously didn't get the result we wanted, but what we experienced as a team this year is worth more than any state title. We are a very closely knit group, and they love being around each other. There were a lot of tears during our final team huddle and all the way home during the hour bus ride. They didn't want the season to end, but more so, they know what we had is special, and we are never getting it back again. Mostly because we have four special seniors that have given their blood, sweat, and tears to this program. I am extremely grateful for Izzy Shurtz, Skyler Byrnes, Ava Detwiler, and Kathryn Jones for all they have done to make this program successful. They are teammates that can't be replaced. Our team loves being around them, and they will be missed.”
Souderton closed out its season with a 21-5 record. The Indians finished second to North Penn in the SOL Colonial Division standings and second to Owen J. Roberts in the District 1 6A Tournament. They advanced to the state’s elite eight where defending state champion Central Dauphin became the first team not named North Penn or Owen J Roberts to defeat the Indians in the past two seasons.
Central Dauphin 010 011 001 4-12-1
Souderton 000 020 100 3-8-2
#1-3 HAVERFORD 2, #1-4 PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 1 (8 innings)
The ending came quickly and with very little warning.
With one out, no one on base and the two teams deadlocked at one apiece, Haverford’s Alli Daly stepped to the plate in the bottom of the eighth and smashed a 2-1 pitch over the centerfield fence for a walk-off home run.
It was the first time the Colonials trailed the entire game. They took a 1-0 lead in the first when – after Gia Bono was hit by a pitch – Anna Powel roped an RBI double to center field.
“That run was very important just because you want to jump on them early, make them feel that we can score runs,” Powel said. “Obviously, we didn’t score runs the rest of the game, but we were trying to. That was important because it showed we can do it.”
The Colonials held that 1-0 lead until the seventh inning when the Fords bunched three hits to score the equalizer. One inning later, Daly delivered the game-winner.
Despite the outcome, there were few regrets.
“It’s been great,” Powel said. “My freshman year we lost in the first round of states. It’s been nice going through the second round and even going further in districts is great.
“I just think the tight-knit group made it so much more special.”
Powel, it turns out, was more than a little familiar with Haverford pitcher, Alli Daly.
“I love her competitiveness,” Powel said. “I played with Alli last summer, so we’re friends, but when we’re on the field, we’re competitors, and it’s been great.
“She moves the ball really well. She throws at the right spots, and she was jamming me inside the whole time, which I knew it was happening. Every time I stepped up to the plate, she would always smile at me, and I’d be like ‘What the heck. No, I’m trying to hit you right now.’”
The Colonials managed just six hits, and one of the game’s most unusual aspects was the Fords’ decision to walk Bono intentionally three straight times – the first with a runner on first and none out, the second and third with a runner on second and two outs.
Bono pointed to the Colonials’ 1-0 win over North Penn in the district quarterfinals as a defining moment in the postseason.
“I think our team really connected after the North Penn game – we really became a family,” Bono said. “We know North Penn is a really good team, and they’ve (won) states several times. It kind of showed us what we could do.
“It’s hard to see it end, but I’m excited for the next chapter,” said Powel, who will continue her softball career at the University of Rochester.
Brodzinski tough in defeat: Sophomore Liv Brodzinski pitched well enough to win on most days, shutting out the Fords for six innings before they plated a run in the seventh inning to send the game to extra innings.
In the sweltering heat, Brodzinski scattered 10 hits and allowed two runs while striking out two and walking one.
“She did amazing,” coach Mike Perez said. “The last time she started against them (a 5-1 loss in the district third place game), she didn’t have her best stuff. We were coming off an emotional week against North Penn and Souderton, and she was mentally, emotionally and physically drained, so I knew she would be a whole different pitcher today. She did amazing, she did a wonderful job.”
Special seniors: PW coach Mike Perez bids farewell to a senior class that leaves behind a legacy of success.
“I don’t have the stats memorized, but their winning percentage is around .750,” the Colonials’ coach said. “They’ve got 66 wins, three straight (Liberty Division) titles. They’ve been an amazing group. That’s what I just told them out there (in the postgame meeting) as we thanked them for the amazing way they turned the program around and what they’ve set up for us in the future and the example they’ve set for the underclassmen.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh coach Mike Perez:
--The season: “We just had our banquet last night, and it’s the first time we’ve ever had it where we’re still in season, still in the present tense. We’ve had a lot of discussions over the past couple weeks just how much this team has accomplished, and it’s more than any other team in the program history has ever done. That’s something to be proud of but not something to settle for.
“I thought they did a great job today, staying together. It’s hard this time of year. Haverford’s got graduation tonight. We’ve got ours next week and then senior week and college coming up, so there’s so much other stuff on your mind. It’s really whoever can stay mentally focused the longest, and I thought we did a really good job of doing it. I thought the girls did a great job of staying together and staying focused all the way to the end. There really wasn’t any let up. (Haverford) just got one key hit that we weren’t able to get today.
“We left a lot of runners on base, and we didn’t produce with runners in scoring position, and that’s a credit to (Haverford pitcher) Alli (Daly). She’s a great pitcher – she kept us off-balance. She did a great job. I’ve got to give her a whole bunch of credit. We’ve got to find a way in seven innings to get a run in there somewhere.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh closed out its season with the SOL Liberty Division title and a 19-8 overall record.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 100 000 00 1-6-0
Haverford 000 000 11 2-10-0
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