Softball: Vikings Use Eight-run Inning to Set Down Phantoms

PERKIOMEN-Over the weekend Phantoms pitcher Courtney Wieland won the title of Dogwood Queen at the 60th annual Dogwood Pageant held in Phoenixville.

Appearently the Vikings failed to get the memo, as Perkiomen Valley offered Miss Wieland anything but a royal welcome in her trip to Graterford, handing her and her Phantoms a 10-0 loss in a Pioneer Athletic Conference tilt.

“This weekend was such a dream come true, having grown up in Phoenixville,” said  Wieland. “Today was a little frustrating because I think we beat ourselves more than them beating us. We’ll bounce back. We’re a young team.”

Perkiomen Valley (3-1 league) got on the board in the first as Brittany Shoemaker, who led of with a double and was moved to third by a Sara Sermarini sacrifice bunt, scored when senior Jess White tapped the ball in the hole between first and second.

The Phantoms, who dropped to 1-4 in the league, got a lead-off double by Gianna Bliss to start the second inning, but Bliss was stranded at third as Viking starter Tori Marcavage recorded two strikeouts out of three batters to close out the inning and end the threat.

“We have worked on hitting and especially getting bunts down,” said Shoemaker. “We have been struggling scoring runs even when we have a lot of base runners. We have been working on just putting the ball in play and making them have to make a play.”

Marcavage, who struck out nine and allowed just one base hit while walking five, had a less than average day on the mound, but managed to avoid getting into too deep of a jam.

“I didn’t feel like I was throwing great today,” said Marcavage. “I didn’t really have an out pitch today. I just mixed it up and we were able to make plays in the field. I really owe this win to my teammates.”

In the home half of the second, allowing the lead-off batter to get on came back to haunt the Phantoms again as Erin Hamm, who led off with a single, scurried home with the second Vikings' run on wild pitch.

“That’s why it is so important to move that runner up,” said Vikings manager Dan McLaughlin. “The girls have worked very hard on putting the ball in play and moving the runners over. Again we stole a run that way.”

Bliss, who was trying everything she could do to singlehandedly produce a run, led off the Phantoms' fourth inning with a walk and quickly stole second to move into scoring position.

Having the green light from manager Joe Bogus, Bliss attempted to steal third, but was called out even though it appeared she beat the tag of Alyssa Morales at the bag. The tag followed a strikeout and ground out and the scoring chance was over.

“I thought I was safe there,” said Bliss. “I had the green light from the coach and I thought I got a pretty good jump. We needed to get a run there and I was just trying to do whatever I could to get us on the board.”

Wieland, who was solid through three innings allowing jut one earned run, was awaken from the dream that was the weekend, as the fourth inning turned into a nightmare for the Phantoms.

Marcavage, Hamm and Morales started the inning for the Vikings by each rapping a base hit. Berlynn Hall, who was running for Marcavage, scored on Morales’ single, giving Perk Valley a 3-2 edge and runners at the corners.

Enter youthful exuberance to the mix.

Following Wieland striking out Jenny Minnick, Phantoms' second baseman Laura Gronski was trying to make a play as she hustled to a ground ball hit right at here by Harley Pascavage. Instead of Gronski taking the sure out at first she rifled the ball toward the plate, trying to gun down Hamm and the Vikings' fourth run. The ball sailed high causing the carom to head down the baseline, allowing three runs to score as Phoenixville could not get a handle on the ball.

“We have to make plays in that situation,” said Wieland. “We usually are very strong in the field and I have confidence in my defense, but today we let them get the best of us. We threw it around a bit and you can’t win games against team like Perk Valley doing that.”

Like predators circling wounded prey, the Vikings took full advantage of the Phantoms faux pas by slapping nine hits and scoring eight runs in the fateful fourth inning to put the game safely out of reach 10-0.

“That was a young mistake,” said Bogus. “We talked after the game about taking that out. We have preached all year that the goal each game is to get 21 outs and the faster we can do that, the better chance for success we have. I hate to lose but at least that was a 'coach able moment' that we can learn from."

“This was an important win for us as they all are,” McLaughlin said. “We did a good job today forcing them to make plays, simply by hitting the ball when people were on base. We need to do that every game.” 

 Phoenixville                  0  0  0    0  0 – 0

Perkiomen Valley       1   1  0   8  X- 10

Phoenixville

AB

R

H

RBI

Loughery   3b

3

0

0

0

Gronski  2b

3

0

0

0

Walker  cf

2

0

0

0

Bliss  ss

1

0

1

0

Wieland  p

1

0

0

0

Panaepinto c

2

0

0

0

Boone  1b

1

0

0

0

Stehman rf

1

0

0

0

Johnson  dp

1

0

0

0

                                                               Totals

15

0

1

0

Perkiomen Valley

AB

R

H

RBI

Shoemaker ss

3

2

2

1

Sermarini cf

2

1

1

0

White  1b

3

1

1

2

Marcavage  p

3

0

2

0

    Hall cr

0

2

0

0

Hamm  2b

3

2

3

2

Morales  3b

3

1

2

2

Minnick  dp

2

0

0

0

     Conte  c

1

0

0

0

Pascavage  lf

1

1

0

1

Tarquino  rf

2

0

0

0

                                                        Totals

23

10

11

8

Pitching                        IP            R            ER            H            SO            BB

Wieland (L)                    4            10            6            11            2            1

Marcavage (W)             5            0            0            1            9            5

2B- Bliss (PX), Marcavage (PV), Shoemaker (PV)  SB- Bliss, Hall.

Time of game 1:15