High School Softball: Golden Panthers beat Phantoms, have help getting into playoff hunt

The sign of any good team is the ability to be able to recover from unexpected adversity or bounce back from a “bad loss.”

On Thursday afternoon the Golden Panthers--with the sting of Tuesday’s heartbreaking loss to Spring-Ford still healing--took to the field on a mission to get the momentum back in what has been an entertaining first season.

On Tuesday, Pope John Paul II lost more than a game as starting senior pitcher Nikki Troisi had her pitching hand cut on a plate at the plate. The injury required four stitches, and it will force the Golden Panthers' hurler out of the lineup for up to two weeks.

Despite being out-hit by the Phantoms by a six-to-five margin, PJP2 used flawless defense and timely hitting to post a 6-3 Pioneer Athletic Conference win over Phoenixville.

 The Golden Panthers (6-6 league), who never trailed in the contest, put up single runs in each of their first four at bats to build a 4-1 lead as they headed into fifth inning.

Phoenixville, who stranded nine runners for the tilt, loaded the bases in the first inning on without a hit, but failed to score as Courtney Panepinto’s line shot down the line was snared by first baseperson Meg Kugler.

Deidre Weiber, who assumed the pitching duties in Troisi’s stead, may have walked seven in the game but it was Weiber’s six strikeouts that had the biggest impact on the outcome as four of her strikeouts ended innings.

“I threw fast balls pretty much all day,” said Weiber. “It was all about location. I struggled a little walking too many, but our defense played great behind me.”

Kugler provided the early spark offensively as she drove in Meg O’Connor to get the home team on the board with a two-out single in the first inning. It was also Kugler’s sixth inning sacrifice fly to score Amanda Light, who had tripled, to regain a three-run lead and some needed wiggle room for PJP2 as they headed into the final Phantoms at bat.

After Weiber shut down Phoenixville in the middle innings, it was left fielder Monica Levins--who had been inserted into the line up the previous inning--who nabbed “star of the game” honors. She was able to cover a ton of ground in left field to catch up to a drive off the bat of Courtney Wieland to start the sixth inning that Levins snared in the webbing of her glove at the last second.

“I just had to run as hard as I could,” said Levins. “At first it looked as though it was going to drop in, but the wind held it up just enough for me to get my glove on it.”

Wieland was followed by three consecutive base hits by Panepinto, Laura Gronski and Boone to load the bases.

Following a bounder back to the mound by Hillary Viola, which caused a force-out at home, the Phantoms appeared as though they would squander another scoring chance until Meghan Loughery slipped a ball just past the outstretched glove of shortstop Amanda Light, scoring Gronski and Boone to cut the lead to 4-3.

The inning ended with no further damage, as Meg O’Connor was able to tag Viola out at third as she was trying to advance on the throw home.

“The game had that same kind of feel right there,” said PJP2 manager John Bilella, referring to the Spring-Ford game. “We had out played them to that point, but getting one run with the bases loaded and no outs earlier, I though would come back to bite us.”

Levins followed up her “highlight reel” catch by crushing a ball to fence to lead off the sixth inning, rambling all the way around the base paths for a inside the park home run to give the Golden Panthers an insurance run.

“She gave me a fastball inside and I was able to drive it,” added Levins. “Teams don’t realize how big our outfield is here, and they play us too shallow. Once it got by her, I knew I was going to try to score.” 

Phoenixville threatened in the top of the seventh as Danielle Johnson, who sacrificed her first three trips to the plate, led off the frame by drawing a walk followed by Courtney Wieland, who also got a free pass. However, the Golden Panthers quashed the rally Weiber was able to get Panepinto swinging at a high fastball to end the game.

“I am very proud of the way we got right after it after they scored to cut it to a one-run lead,” said Bilella. “That was huge for us. Our defense has been sensational all year, and again today it kept us in it. We have four games coming up next week that will be big. This is why we play; it’s going to get interesting.”

Pope John Paul II, who entered the game two games behind Perkiomen Valley for a final four playoff spot, got some needed help as the Vikings dropped a double header to Pottsgrove. That moved the Golden Panthers into a virtual tie with Perk Valley, with six losses a piece with two games on the docket yet to play with the Vikings.

Phoenixville                  0  0  1  0  0  2  0  - 3

Pope John Paul II          1  1  1  1  0  2  X  - 6

Pitching                                    IP         R          ER            H         SO         BB

Wieland (L)                              3            4            2            3            1            5

Boone                                        3            2            2            2            1            2

Weiber (W)                              7            3            3            6            6            7

Phoenixville                                     AB            R            H            RBI

Loughery 3b                                         2            1            2            2

Johnson  dp                                          1            0            0            0

Waller cf                                              3            0            0            1

Bliss ss                                                    2            0            0            0

Wieland p 1b                                        3            0            0            0

Panepinto c                                          4            0            0            0

Gronski  1b  2b                                    3            1            2            0

Boone 2b  p                                         2            1            1            0

Viola   lf                                               3            0            0            0

                                    Totals               23            3            6            3

Pope John Paul II                       AB             R            H            RBI

Light ss                                                  3            1            1            1

Eliff rf                                                   3            0            0            0

O’Connor                                            2            2            1            0

Kugler 1b                                             2            0            1            2

Rogers  2b                                           4            0            0            0

Murphy  c                                            3            0            0            0

Catagnus cf                                          1            2            0            0

Weiber p                                              2            0            1            1

Romberger lf                                        1            0            0            0

Levins  lf                                               1            1            1            1

                                    Totals               22            6            5            5