Rams fall short of PAC-10 softball title

BUCKTOWN - Throughout the Pioneer Athletic Conference season, it was a forgone conclusion by most that the road to the championship would go through Owen J. Roberts High School. Following a week of uncooperative weather that saw the top-seeded Wildcats get bounced from the tournament by Boyertown Thursday night, the championship game was moved from Pine Forge to Bucktown.

As finalists Spring-Ford and Boyertown took the field on a sun-drenched Saturday afternoon at Owen J. Roberts High School, the Rams appeared to be holding all of the cards, having beaten the Bears soundly when last they met. Given that at least six of the Bears players had attended their prom and post-prom party into the wee hours of Saturday morning, one might also have expected the Boyertown team to perhaps be less than 100 percent.

If any of her teammates were tired, Boyertown ace Krista Schauder was not. It took Schauder and the Bears just one hour and twenty minutes to erase the Rams' season-long momentum and claim their first title in nearly a decade with a 3-1 win.

It was a bittersweet victory for Boyertown, though. Their season is over, while the Rams will play on. Despite winning the conference title, the Bears did not qualify for the PIAA District One playoffs.

Spring-Ford, Owen J.Roberts and Perkiomen Valley, the tournament's three runners-up, will compete this week in districts.

“I am pretty upset by it, actually,” said long time Lady Bears manager Sue Benfield, “I think we could have as good a chance as anyone in the tournament, it’s all about playing well and getting on a roll. I hate it for the girls, who have worked so hard. Spring-Ford is an outstanding team and they played very well today as did we.”

The game got underway as many have for Spring-Ford (17-4 overall) this season, with Deme Kanakis smacking a double to lead off the game. Consecutive walks to Kofer and Becca James put the Rams in business with two outs.

On the first offering, Bates drilled a ball that third baseperson Lizzie Kish had to extend to grab then dove to the bag at third a mili-second before Kofer’s outstretched hand make contact with the bag, ending the Spring-Ford threat.

“Bases loaded in the first, we needed to push a couple of runs a crossed there,” said Rams manager Tim Hughes. “All year we have gotten big hits when we have needed them, not today. I am just not sure that all of our focus was here, give them credit they took advantage of the chances they had. It’s like I said before any of the final teams that were here could have won this thing.”

Following the first inning flurry, Schauder set the Rams down in order three consecutive innings, retiring 10 in a row a one point and got all the offensive support she would need on this day from a solo home run by Darby Girton in the fourth inning and a two run round tripper by Thursday night’s hero Wynne McCann.

In what had the makings of another classic Rams big inning, Kristin Robinson led off the fifth inning by drilling a ball off the three-foot temporary fence in left center.

Allie Sasek, who not only went 2-for-3 from the plate, but also ran through said fence trying to prevent both Boyertown big blows, followed Robinson with a base hit to left.

Unfortunately for the Rams, a sacrifice fly by Kanakis sacrifice fly, which scored Robinson, was the closest thing to a clutch hit they could pull out their bag, as Kofer and Steph Diegel grounded out to end the inning.

Schauder allowed jut two base runners down the stretch as she closed out the Rams hope of a repeat championship by getting Liz Bauer to ground sharply to third.

“We had to win this game,” said Schauder. “We knew that win or lose this was our last game. I was all about getting it down and winning this game. We knew we could beat this team.”

EXTRA INNINGS- Bears first baseperson Darby Girton hit her first home run of the season in the championship game and was also 3-for-3 at the plate. There were no errors committed in the final of which the first pitch was a 1:04 and final out recorded at 2:23.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

R

H

E

Boyertown

0

0

0

1

2

0

0

3

6

0

Spring-Ford 

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

1

5

0

Boyertown

AB

R

H

RBI

Spring-Ford

AB

R

H

RBI

Kish  3b

3

1

1

0

Kanakis  2b

2

0

1

1

Smith  ss

4

0

0

0

Bauer  lf

3

0

0

0

McCann c

2

1

1

2

Kofer  rf

2

0

0

0

Schauder  p

3

0

0

0

Diegel  3b

3

0

0

0

DePreist  rf

3

0

0

0

James  1b

2

0

0

0

Girton  1b

3

1

1

1

Bates ss

3

0

1

0

Marburger  cf

3

0

0

0

Nodwodney c

3

0

0

0

Dawson  lf

3

0

1

0

Robinson  dh  p

3

1

1

0

Kircher 4b

2

0

0

0

Sasek  cf

3

0

2

0

Allen cr

0

0

0

0

IP

R

ER

H

SO

BB

Schauder (W)

7

1

1

5

2

3

Williams

4

1

1

4

2

1

Robinson (L)

3

2

2

2

3

0

2B-Robinson, Kanakis 3B-none         HR- McCann, Girton   HBP- Kish by Robinson

time of game 1:19       temp 81 degrees     LOB- Boyertown-5  Spring-Ford-6