The Pennridge softball team made it two in a row.
After defeating nonleague rival Abington on Friday, the Rams traveled to Council Rock North on Monday and defeated the Indians, 10-4.
The game was scheduled to be a home game for the Rams, but Sunday night’s rain rendered their field unplayable, so they took the show on the road.
Pennridge scored the first run of the day in the bottom of the second inning on an RBI single by Sam Linck, but CR North evened it up in the top of the fourth, scoring on a Pennridge error.
The Rams opened up the game with a seven-run fourth inning that began with a triple by Ryleigh Lilly, who scored on an RBI single by Olivia Crognale. Pennridge then loaded the bases for a sacrifice fly by Catelyn Thrush to score another run.
With the bases again loaded, Reagan Bauman and Averi Dockery hit back-to-back RBI singles, then the Rams scored two more on an Ashleigh Kenworthy base hit. Lilly batted a second time in the frame and added an RBI single to give Pennridge an 8-1 lead.
CR North cut the lead to 8-4 in the top of the fifth inning when Molly Sheehy drew a bases-loaded walk and Sofia Shields singled in two more.
Pennridge added two more in the bottom of that frame on an RBI double by Bauman and an RBI single by Dockery.
The Indians answered with two more in the top of the sixth on consecutive two-out RBI singles by Emma Zoldi and Sierra Klein. The Rams avoided further damage in the inning when Thrush made a big catch in center field on a Sheehy fly ball.
There are a number of underclassmen with significant roles on Pennridge.
“At the beginning of the season, I didn’t appreciate how much playing time I was getting as a freshman,” said Lilly, who also plays field hockey for the Rams. “I took it for granted because I was so game-ready. But now I’ve adjusted to this team, I’ve made friends with the girls, I’m more comfortable. I see what an opportunity I have.
“I honestly feel that our team’s been solid throughout the year. I think what was missing was that we needed to click. Most of us play travel in the fall so at the beginning of the season, we weren’t playing as a team, especially with new players coming in. I think we’ve turned the corner on that.
“We’ve had back-to-back wins and they’ve been strong wins. Everyone’s hitting. Everyone’s been working so well and the positivity is phenomenal. I see us finishing this season strong and keeping that momentum going into next season.”
Dockery, a freshman, was tabbed as the pitcher for the Rams after junior Grace Helbling broke her arm.
“It’s been a great experience to play as a freshman, and I’m having so much fun,” said Dockery, who is also a member of the swim team at Pennridge. “I love the sport, and I love pitching. It gives me such an adrenaline rush.
“And I know the team is behind me. If the other team hits a ground ball, my team will make the play. If it’s in the air, they’ll catch it. Look at Catelyn, she made an amazing catch in the outfield today that really saved us.
“Wins have been hard to come by, so I’m ecstatic about this one. This is a big boost for us. Our bats were on. We were hitting a lot, and that’s going to give everyone on the team a lift.”
Dockery ended the day 4-for-4 at the plate and struck out six for Pennridge, while Bauman and Lilly both went 3-for-4, Thrush and Sophia Vargo were both 2-for-3 and Crognale went 2-for-4.
“We definitely have a young team and our regular pitcher broke her arm so that was very unfortunate, but we’ve all tried to support Averi,” said Bauman, a junior.
“This was a huge win for us, especially because we have some hard games coming up. This is a step forward, especially the way we hit. We had one huge inning and it’s always great to see everyone hitting from the top to the bottom of the lineup. Everyone is so excited and happy for each other.
“I definitely see us improving a lot, especially when Grace comes back, because then we’ll have Grace and Averi to balance out our pitching more.”
Bauman is also a member of the Ski Club and participates in Mini Thon at Pennridge.
For the Indians, Zoldi went 3-for-4 and Klein was 2-for-4.
To watch the Indians in action, one would never know that they’ve been struggling this year.
“The best part of this team is the girls,” said Zoldi, a senior. “We’re all super close and we work together really well. Obviously, we’ve had a rough showing so far, but we stay positive. We stay together. We pick each other up. We’re behind our pitcher (Ashlee Ogborn). We all love the sport and we love playing together.
“I do feel everyone is very talented so that’s not an issue, but mentally I try to keep everything upbeat and positive, which I feel is part of my responsibility as a senior on the team. It’s hard to not get down when you’re not doing so well.
“Usually, you associate losing with being unhappy but our team is having a lot of fun, and that’s what I’ll take away from this season.”
She will play softball at West Chester, where she is considering a major in exercise science.
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