PV Upsets Softball in PAC-10 Semifinals

Pitcher Erin Hamm pitched lights out for the Vikings to aid in the 3-0 win over a Spring-Ford Rams squad that defeated PV two years in a row in the Final Four and twice already this season.

"Starting off, they outplayed us," said Spring-Ford head coach Tim Hughes. "They deserved to win. They outcoached us. They did everything better than us. We were sleeping and again that's ultimately my fault. I've got to make sure we're ready to go and we weren't ready to go. I don't think we saw our best, but taking nothing away from them. They played their butts off. They deserve to be in the championship game and they definitely beat us. I wish them luck."

Perkiomen Valley got on the board early in the game, scoring its first run in the top of the first inning after an RBI-single by Harley Pascavage. Spring-Ford had an opportunity to answer in the bottom of the frame. Senior made it to first on an infield error, and singles by Marisha Bats and Deme Kanakis loaded the bases with one out.

Bri Kofer and Becca James were unable to drive those runners in, as both popped up for easy outs.

The Rams gave the Vikings plenty of opportunities in the game. They put the first runner on base in the third (bunt), fourth (hit by pitch), fifth (single), and sixth (single). The first batter of the game was walked, as well.

"You can't do that," Hughes said. "Again, I know we hit the ball hard, but we didn't hit it hard when we needed to. I don't know if we were pressing, or I don't know. It's one of those things that it just wasn't our day."

Perkiomen Valley scored their other two runs in the top of the fifth inning. Kristen Ziegler drove two runs in on a single. There were two outs at the time.

Hughes praised the Viking defense most of all.

"They made plays," he said. "They were on the ground a lot more than we were. We were watching balls drop in the outfield and we can't do that. We're giving up runs like that. Chasing three is a whole lot different than chasing one."

PV will face Methacton in the championship game tonight. Spring-Ford may be out of the PAC-10 race, but still have an opportunity to show what it can do in districts.

"That's a good thing, but it's still a bad thing if we're going to play like this," Hughes concluded. "It's going to be a short-lived district run for us. Everybody says you can get something good out of a loss. I'm not going to agree with them, because you can never really get much out of a quiet bus ride home. I think they know they can go home, look at themselves in the mirror - including myself - and ask what could we have done different to make this outcome a little better. It just wasn't our day today."