Bristol fielders working together to get the job done
BucksLocalSports Editor Bristol came into the softball season with a bunch of holes to fill including right field, second base, third base and catcher. Despite a lack oI varsity experience Ior some on the squad, the lady Warriors have literally grown up overnight.
While Bristol went unbeaten in the Bicentennial Athletic League (BAL) and captured yet another District One Class A championship May 30 at Pennsbury, there was a time when things didn’t look quite as rosy Ior the Red-and-White.
Take the Warriors’ April 3 duel with Catholic Academies rival Villa -oseph. With standout pitcher Mary Wallick out oI the lineup with an injury, Bristol was Iorced to go with reserve pitchers who hadn’t stood in the circle in years. What’s more, the Warrior outfield let a number oI balls drop in the late innings that allowed the -ems to pull oII a stunning mercy-ruled victory.
Bristol got right back to work the next day however, beating rival Morrisville Ior the second in a long string oI league victories. Some oI that was thanks to some fine pinch-pitching eIIorts by Ireshman Desiree Franchitti and junior Mariel DeLuca – the duo went 4-1 in Wallick’s absence – but some oI it was the Iact that the Warriors made vast improvements in their fielding Irom that early-April matchup in Holland.
Fast Iorward to the district championship, a 4-0 triumph over Friends Select. With Bristol clinging to a 2-0 lead, Falcons pitcher Zina Robbins-Maldonado loIted a ball to shallow leIt field trying to score outfielder Sesley Cruz, who was standing on third base.
While there were several balls that somehow Iound the ground in that Villa game, the Warriors would have none oI that in the district title tilt. Racing to the ball, senior leIt fielder Alyson Nocito made a diving catch beIore whipping the ball back into the infield. The cutoII on the play, Wallick zipped the ball over to third base Ior an ending doubleplay.
Bristol was able to cut down the run because the baserunner had leIt the bag early. Cruz probably thought there was no way Nocito was going to haul in the shallow pop by Robbins-Maldonado.
“I think the whole team was surprised,” explained veteran centerfielder Priscilla Weimar. “In warm-ups, we don’t work as hard but once the game starts, we go out there and we work as hard as we can.”
“When she caught that ball, it surprised everybody but us. We knew she was going to do everything in
inning-
her power to make sure didn’t drop.”
According to Weimar, the 2013 ouWfield – which includes newcomer MDrlee SuWWerly in righW, who mDde D nice grDb on D shDllow-hiW bDll in Whe lDsW inning oI Whe D-1 chDmSionshiS – worNs as a cohesive unit.
“When we cDWch D bDll, everybody worNs Ds D WeDm Wo get the job done,” she said.
“We work hard in practice and we do what we have to do Wo cDWch Whe bDll Dnd mDNe sure nothing drops.
“,I iW’s D shDllow bDll, we definiWely hDve Wo dive Ior iW so that we don’t have runners getting extra bases.
This Wime oI Whe seDson when mosW oI Whe oWher DreD teams have hung up their cleDWs, every SlDy counWs, sDys WeimDr.
“Now, we’re in Whe SDrW oI the season where we have to work hard and make sure
it we do what we have to do Wo mDNe sure we cDWch Dny bDlls WhDW Dre hiW uS in Whe Dir – even iI iW’s D diving SlDy,” she said.
SMALL-BALL While D Wwo-run single by WDllicN broNe Whe D-1 championship game open in Whe IourWh, Whe WDrriors used D smDll-bDll DSSroDch in geWting runs home in the second Dnd Whird innings DIWer geWWing leDdoII runners on Whird base.
In the second inning with no score, SuWWerly lDid down a bunt that scored shortstop 2liviD D’Emidio, who wDs on board with a scorching WriSle Wo deeS righW field. ,n the third, Weimar did the sDme in scoring WDllicN, who’d gotten to third on a gDIIe mDde by Friends SelecW in Whe ouWfield.
“When , geW Whe signDl Irom Whe coDch Dnd ,’m uS DW Whe SlDWe, , hDve Wo close it down to get the score in so we don’W lose Whe gDme,” said Weimar.
“When you geW Whe signDl, you hDve Wo do whDW you have to do to get the bunt down.”
PIAA HURDLE ,n sWDWes, BrisWol beDW uS on DisWricW 12 chDmSion *AMP by D 12-0 score. While Whe Warriors have gotten past Whe Philly Public LeDgue rivDl in Whe SDsW Whree P,AA oSeners by D combined 52-0 score, BrisWol hDs hDd D hDrd Wime in eDch oI iWs sWDWe quDrWerfinDl SDirings.
LDsW yeDr, Whe WDrriors were behind Southern ColumbiD jusW 2-0 when D SDir oI errors led Wo Iour more runs by Whe oSSonenW in D 6-1 loss. BrisWol Dlso mDde D couSle oI bDserunning blunders WhDW led Wo iWs SlDyers geWWing doubled uS. ThDW cDn’W hDSSen Whis yeDr, sDid Weimar.
“We need to work as a WeDm on every bDll, mDNe sure WhDW we mDNe D SlDy Dnd catch it right,” she said.
“We need to run smart on the basepaths, do what we have to do when we get up to bat, be aggressive at the SlDWe Dnd hiW Whe bDll.”
WiWh WhDW Nind oI IormulD Ior success, how cDn Whe WDrriors lose?
SouWhern ColumbiD hDs DdvDnced Wo ClDss AA so insWeDd, BrisWol IDces District 4 champion Northeast BrDdIord (18-4), D 5-1 winner over District 2 champ 2ld Forge.
UPDATE: BrisWol’s soIWbDll seDson cDme Wo Dn end in Dn 11-3 loss Wo NorWheDsW BrDdIord in Whe P,AA ClDss A quDrWerfinDls SDWurdDy, -une 8 DW LebDnon VDlley College. The gDme begDn ThursdDy, -une 6 buW wDs cDlled wiWh Whe WDrriors WrDiling 2-0 in Whe Whird inning on DccounW oI rDin.