Late rally lifts Springside Lions past Phil-Mont

by TOM UTESCHER

A five-run surge in the bottom of the fourth inning gave Springside School its first lead in last Thursday’s non-league softball encounter, but visiting Phil-Mont Christian Academy scored three times in the fifth to move ahead once more, 8-6.

The host Lions, who outhit the Falcons 12-7 in the contest, closed within one run in the sixth inning, then loaded the bases with two outs in the last of the seventh, setting up sophomore Emily Bilger’s gamewinning stroke to centerfield. When the second Springside runner crossed the plate on the play the game ended in a 9-8 victory for the home team.

Going the distance for the Lions, junior Delia Langan recorded four strike-outs along with seven walks on the mound as Springside’s record rose to 3-6. The Falcons slipped to 6-2 on the season despite the efforts of hurler Nikki MacQueen, who booked three strike-outs with four walks, and had a solid effort in the field with six put-outs.

Springside senior co-captain Hahna Kane missed the game due to a dental appointment, and she was probably having more fun than her teammates during the first inning-and-a-half of Thursday’s game. An RBI single by Libby Turchi got the Falcons on the board at the top of the first, and the visitors got three more home in the second. Two walks and an error accounted for the first two, then Phil-Mont went up 4-0 when MacQueen lofted a ball to shallow center and it fell to earth between three converging Springsiders.

The Lions got one back in the bottom of the second. With one out, a ball hit by Jackie Bergey skipped off the edge of the third baseman’s glove and rolled out of play, getting her to second base. Karyn Kesselring’s sacrifice grounder moved the runner to third, then ball-four to batter Lua O’Brien got away from the catcher, and the first run came in for Springside.

In the top of the fourth the Falcons moved ahead 5-1, as Shelby McDowell singled, stole second, and scored on an error. The Lions would redeem themselves in the bottom half, which started with a pop-up that popped right out of a Phil-Mont glove, landing Langan on second base. She was driven home by Bergey, who moved up to third on a base hit by Kesselring and then stole home.

Kesselring stole ahead to third and then scored on an O’Brien single to shallow right field, making it 5-4. Rachel DeBerardinis was hit by a pitch and Mo Perry walked on, and later they came home on a sacrifice grounder by Sofia Zmurkewycz and a single by Bilger over the head of the shortstop.

The Lions’ 6-5 lead didn’t last long, as Phil-Mont scored three times in the top of the fifth. Sam Biddle and Theresa Dodridge each singled home runs for the Falcons, and the third scored on a sacrifice grounder by Heidi Oelschlegel.

In the top of the sixth Springside sent the visitors down in order on a fly to centerfield and a pair of ground-outs to Langan on the mound. The Lions then cut their deficit to one (8-7) in the home half, when Zmurkewycz singled, stole second, went to third on a hit by Bilger, and scored on a sac grounder by Marilyn McCullough.

McCullough, the Lions’ shortstop, made a big play in the field in the top of the seventh, when the Falcons threatened to add to their lead with one out and runners on first and third. The Springside junior fielded a grounder and threw home to Bergey in time for the tag on the runner coming from third, who did not slide. Langan then struck out the next batter to retire the side and bring the Lions up to bat for the final time.

Kesselring and O’Brien got on with singles, but following a strike-out, the Falcons forced out the lead runner at third for the second out of the frame. Springside still had O’Brien and Perry on base, and now Zmurkewycz waited out a walk to load ‘em up. Next up, Bilger hit the ball in the air to left center. The left fielder ran over and reached up to make a stab at the ball, but it skipped off the edge of her glove and the tying and winning runs crossed the plate for the Lions.