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Suburban One League fields 3 of 4 state semifinalists

If there was ever a question about the strength of Class AAAA softball in the Suburban One League and District 1, it was certainly answered this season.

If there was ever a question about the strength of Class AAAA softball in the Suburban One League and District 1, it was certainly answered this season.

Three of the four PIAA semifinalists - Pennsbury, Neshaminy, and Hatboro-Horsham - are members of the Suburban One and District 1, thus assuring at least one area team in the PIAA championship game Friday.

Fans will have a chance to see the Hatters and Redskins play Monday, at 1 p.m., with a short drive up Route 422 to Spring-Ford. Pennsbury fans will have to travel a little farther if they want to see the Falcons, since they will face District 7 winner Latrobe at Shippensburg University at 4.

"It's just great for the SOL and District 1," Sheila Murphy said about the Suburban One League teams' accomplishments.

Murphy, retired softball coach and athletic director at Neshaminy, is softball coordinator for District 1.

"It's a tribute to the softball programs both in school and during the summer," she said. "There's some very good coaching out there."

One of those coaches is Pennsbury's Frank McSherry, who will lead his team against a familiar foe Monday. The Falcons beat Latrobe and coach Bob Kovalcin for the PIAA crown in 2006. That's one of five state championships for McSherry and the Falcons. The Wildcats also were victimized in the 2008 final when they lost to Hatboro-Horsham.

Latrobe is 17-4, having escaped with 1-0 wins over District 6 champ State College and District 10 titlist McDowell on its way. Against State College, the Wildcats scored in the bottom of the 10th inning for the win.

Kovalcin said the Wildcats had to rely heavily on senior Alexa Larkin (14-1) for their pitching when Rebecca Taylor, another senior, experienced some shoulder problems. Taylor, who has been playing first base, is now available to pitch.

"Alexa has 182 strikeouts and a 0.95 earned-run average," Kovalcin said. "She's also one of our leading hitters, at .318 with three homers. She bats second in the lineup."

Other top hitters for the Wildcats are Rachel Conrad (.407), cleanup batter Carmelena Moffa (.465), and Kaity Finley (.348).

Pennsbury (22-3) will counter Larkin with sophomore Val Buehler, who pitched a one-hitter Thursday in a 5-0 quarterfinal win over Souderton. Leadoff hitter D'anna Devine, Jess Greenwald, Suzanne Swanicke, Christine Boscaro, and Kelsi Bunda give Pennsbury a strong top of the lineup.

The Hatters (24-2) and Redskins (20-4) will battle for Suburban One intraconference pride as well as a berth in the state final. Hatboro-Horsham won the Continental Conference title behind the pitching of junior Maggie Shaffer and a lineup loaded with hitters. Catcher Julie Wambold is one of the area's top power hitters, with nine home runs this season.

Neshaminy, which finished second to Pennsbury in the National Conference, has some pretty good bats, too, in pitcher/third baseman Sarah McGowan and second baseman Courtney Clee.

Class AA. Christopher Dock (21-5), the only other surviving District 1 team in the state playoffs, needs a win over Brandywine Heights on Monday to reach the Class AA final for the first time in school history. The Pioneers will meet the Bullets at 3 p.m. as part of a doubleheader at Spring-Ford.

Brandywine Heights, the District 3 champion, is 25-2, with losses coming against Daniel Boone and Gov. Mifflin. Bullets coach Don Roach, who has 210 wins in his 10 seasons, says his teams have been pretty consistent over the years.

Asked about Dock, Roach said he didn't know much.

"Dock seems to have come out of nowhere," Roach said. "I know they beat Central Columbia [in the quarterfinals], and I know many picked Central Columbia to win the state championship. Central Columbia reached the quarterfinals last season, and they had almost everyone back from that team."

The Bullets count on junior righthander Sara Fronheiser (24-2) for pitching. Their leading hitters are Taylor Bortz, Katrina Hughes, and Fronheiser.

Dock, which lost to Class A Bristol for the Bicentennial League championship, relies on Keli Krause in the circle. She can hit, too, as evidenced by her run-scoring triple in the Pioneers' 6-4 win over Central Columbia.

The Inquirer TOP 10

SOFTBALL

Team Record

Last week's rankings in parentheses.

1. Hatboro-Horsham (1) 24-2

2. Pennsbury (2) 22-3

3. Neshaminy (3) 20-4

4. Owen J. Roberts (4) 19-5

5. Spring-Ford (5) 19-7

6. Souderton (6) 17-6

7. Bishop Shanahan (7) 15-3

8. Downingtown W. (8) 15-7

9. Nazareth Acad. (9) 17-2

10. North Penn (10) 14-8

 - Don Beideman
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