Laying down the Law(son).
Central Bucks West senior Sienna Lawson sparkled on Monday, striking out 11 Ridley Green Raiders and allowing only two hits in a 12-2 six-inning shortened District One 6A softball first-round playoff win.
“I threw lots of curves outside and really pounded the outside,” Lawson explained. “Especially because of where they were standing. That was working well for me.”
Not only did Lawson record all but seven outs by K, but the contact outs she induced tended to be to the opposite field, as Ridley struggled with both her location and velocity.
Misericordia-bound Lawson may have saved her best pitching for last. She closed the regular season shutting out Pennridge and Souderton, allowing only seven hits and fanning 25 in the 14 innings.
Lawson was quick to credit “the team behind me. Even if I start falling apart with walks,” she said, “my whole team has me and picks me up right away. That has definitely been keeping me going.”
The No. 11 Bucks (14-5), the SOL Colonial runners-up, struck in the first when right fielder Ana Glemser tripled and Chloe Dryden drove her in with a sacrifice fly. Glemser had a four-hit, three-RBI day, which included her fourth triple of the year.
“Coming into playoffs, you know you are facing the best teams so you have to set the tone right from the beginning,” Glemser noted.
West added a five-spot in the third. Speedster left fielder Jill Boyle tripled home a run and scored on Glemser’s knock. First baseman Laila Murray singled home Glemser to make it 4-0. DH Avery Rubenstein, the ninth Buck to come to the plate, singled home Murray to make it 6-0.
“All through the lineup, we adjusted to the pitchers and we made it work,” Glemser said. “We had good approaches at the plate.”
“I think hitting gets contagious, especially for our team,” Rubenstein added. “Once we get going, it’s doesn’t stop.”
Murray, the team’s regular season triple crown winner (.408 average, four homers and 20 RBIs) had two RBIs. Second baseman Taylor Hooven also had two critical RBIs – the two-run sixth-inning single that mercy ruled No. 22 Ridley. Boyle had three hits, including two triples.
Both schools carried four-game win streaks into districts, but the hot Bucks closed the year as winners of nine of their last 11. West faced No. 6 Plymouth Whitemarsh in Wednesday’s late game.
In other Monday first-round action, No. 16 Council Rock North (13-8) walked off No. 17 Avon Grove 9-8 after Zoe Hardy’s RBI single capped a four-run seventh inning. No. 20 Central Bucks South (12-9) knocked off No. 13 Neshaminy 4-2 in extra innings as the Titans avenged their April 29 loss. No. 18 William Tennent (14-7), the SOL Freedom co-champions, ended their season with an 11-1 loss to No. 15 Pennsbury.
CR North went to No. 1 Downingtown West and CB South headed to No. 4 North Penn in late Wednesday second-round games.
No. 2 Council Rock South (17-2), the SOL Patriot champion and No. 3 Quakertown (19-1), the SOL Liberty co-champion, earned first-round byes. South hosted No. 15 Pennsbury while No. 14 Conestoga traveled to Quakertown in late Wednesday second-round games. CR South and Pennsbury split their regular season series.
No. 2 New Hope-Solebury (13-7) continued its special season by pasting No. 1 MaST Charter 17-1 in the Class 3A play-in game. The Lions, the Freedom co-champions after several years of struggling in the SOL, face the District 11 champion for the PIAA berth.
No. 2 Faith Christian (10-9) edged No. 3 Plumstead Christian (7-12) 9-8 in Tuesday’s Class A semifinal. Faith advances to play No. 1 Dock Mennonite in Thursday’s championship at Souderton.
No. 5 Archbishop Wood (8-4 PCL) fell to No. 1 Archbishop Ryan 5-3 in last Thursday’s Philadelphia Catholic League semifinals. Eastern-signee Maura Yoos went 9-for-9 in Wood’s two playoff games.
No. 4 South Hunterdon (12-7) hosted No. 13 Burlington City when Group 1 sectionals started late Wednesday. The Eagles have won six of their last nine games.
No. 3 Palisades (16-5) faces No. 2 Pine Grove on Thursday in the District 11 3A tournament. The Pirates finished the regular season winning 11 of 12, with their only blemish being a 1-0 loss to No. 1 Palmerton on April 27. Palisades exacted revenge on May 14 with a 11-2 victory over the Blue Bombers in the Colonial League semifinals before falling to Northwestern 3-1 in the championship game Friday.
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