PENNSBURY:Falcons plate three in the 7th;earn 8th straight SOL title

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor

Harry S Truman head coach Gretchen Cammiso must have had a sense of déjà vu last Thursday at Pennsbury’s softball field when the Falcons won for the second time this season.
Her Lady Tigers had just tied the game at 7 runs apiece with a four-run sixth that featured a 2-run bomb by junior hurler Rachael Alligood.
“When Pennsbury took a 7-3 lead, I think everyone in the park thought the game was over,” explained Cammiso. “I just told the girls ‘there’s nothing you can do but hit,’ and they did.”
Playing in between raindrops that hovered over the skies in lower Bucks, the Falcons broke the tie however in the bottom of the inning, scoring three runs in a 10-7 home triumph over their SOL National Conference rivals.
In an unusual pitching performance for her, Alligood surrendered 12 hits to Pennsbury while striking out 7 batters and walking three.
“The final score--10-7--I’m sure was not something that either team expected,” stated Cammiso.
Pennsbury also defeated Truman with 2 late-game runs the first time these two teams squared off. With this win, the Falcons clinched yet another SOL National title, their eighth consecutive Suburban One League (SOL) trophy.
Alyssa Shirley, designated hitter for Pennsbury, pushed home the winning run when she drove infielder D’Anna Devine in with a single. Lauren Rossi then kept the rally going with another single but the big blow was struck by first baseman Kirby Groves, who plated another pair of runs for the Falcons with an RBI single in the gap.
Pennsbury righthander Kait Schilling came on and retired the side for the Falcons and recorded the win. Alligood took the loss for the Lady Tigers, who fell to 9-7 overall, 8-6 in the SOL National Conference.
Groves had another big day for the Falcons with a 3-for-4 batting performance that included a double and four RBIs. D’Anna Devine and Sarah Gosselin also doubled for Pennsbury, which pushed its record to 15-3, overall, 13-1 in the SOL.
The Falcons’ only loss this season was to Abington--a 4-3 setback suffered April 29 at home. That’s a fine feat considering the fact that Pennsbury came into the season with little experience in the circle.
With the win, the Falcons also clinched a bye in the District 1 playoffs, which get underway Monday, May 18. Truman (9-7, 8-6 SOL) earned a No. 16 seed and played hot to 17th-seeded Plymouth-Whitemarsh.
Pennsbury got the No. 4 seed and will open on Wednesday, May 20 at home against the winner of Haverford, which defeated Pennridge, 2-0, in the opening round.
It took extra innings but Plymouth-Whitemarsh scored four runs in the top of the ninth to get past the Tigers May 18 in Truman’s opener.