Conwell-bgan coming through in the postseason
BucksLocalSports Editor
While Conwell-Egan Catholic (CEC) fell by the slimmest of margins in the mhiladelphia Catholic League (mCL) softball tournament opener, like last year, the lady Eagles have rebounded with wins in ensuing District 12 and mIAA playoff pairings.
Last year in the Class AAA bracket, ConwellEgan took down Franklin Towne Charter, 15-0, for WKH WHDP’V firVW HvHr DLVWrLFW 12 championship before beating mottsville, 1-0, in WKH firVW rRuQG RI WKH 3,AA Tournament.
This year in the Class AA bracket, the Eagles beat up on mhiladelphia Academy Charter, 11-0, before outpacing mequea salley, 8-1, June 4 in a state opener.
In the district title bout, senior righthander dina Massaro and sophomore Laura Christine combined on a no-hitter with Massaro registering six strikeouts DQG RQH wDON LQ fivH LQQLQJV in the circle and Christine fanning one batter in the VLxWK DQG fiQDO IrDPH.
mlayers slapping doubles for CEC included Christine, Shannon Stricker and Ellie Murray, who hit two.
Murray had a big day at the plate, hitting 3-for-4, with a pair of RBI and two runs scored. Christine, who started the game in the outfiHOG, KDG DQ HvHQ ELJJHr day with the bat, hitting 4-for-4 with four runs batted in. Catcher Jamie heba added a pair of singles, driving in a pair of runs.
“All the practice pays off after a win like that,” said C(C vHWHrDQ LQfiHOGHr 5H- gina Milburn. “We try to do our best all the time and when we get a victory like that, it’s just icing on the cake.”
After combining with Christine on a no-hitter in the District 12 win, Massaro got the no-no all to herself in states, striking out a whopping 10 batters while walking four June 4 against ms.
“She has to pitch every single day and we work very hard on location and the different pitches,” explained Milburn.
But Massaro doesn’t always come with just heat, VDLG WKH C(C LQfiHOGHr.
“She had an awesome change-up in the game yesterday,” said Milburn.
In the state-opening win June 4 at Temple Ambler, it was Sabrina dramiak coming through for the Eagles, hitting a pair of 3-run homers that broke open a 2-1 score that still favored Con- well-Egan.
With Ellie Murray and Alex hinal on base in the fourth, dramiak drilled a hard-hit ball over the fence LQ rLJKW fiHOG WR PDNH LW, 5-1. With Laura Christine and 0urrDy RQ EDVH LQ WKH fiIWK, dramiak hit a blast over the IHQFH LQ FHQWHr fiHOG, SuVKLQJ WKH VFRrH WR LWV fiQDO.
“Sabrina dramiak had two home runs and Shannon Stricker followed her with hard grounders up the middle,” stated Milburn. “I think I can go through the whole lineup – everybody contributed in that game.”
The same can’t be said of the Eagles’ early exit from the mCL Tournament. In a 1-0 loss to Little Flower 0Dy 16 RQ LWV KRPH fiHOG, CEC registered just three hits with no two coming in the same inning. Egan struggled to advance runners all afternoon with not
one geWWing beyond second base.
According Wo Milburn, Whe SlDyers Dre worNing hDrd in order Wo DverW WhDW WySe oI reSeDW SerIormDnce in states.
“We don’t want that to happen again. We’re deWermined Wo win iW Dll,” she said.
UPDATE: Conwell-EgDn meW Whe end oI Whe line -une 6 when iW Iell Wo Holy Redeemer, 5-3, in Whe quDrWerfinDl round oI Whe P,AA ClDss AA sWDWe WournDmenW. PlDying DW PDWrioW’s PDrN in AllenWown, Whe EDgles didn’W geW going DW Whe SlDWe unWil Whey scored in Whe boWWom oI Whe IourWh inning on D double by ShDnnon SWricNer.
Conwell-EgDn, which fin- ished wiWh D record oI 16-8, made things interesting in the seventh however when MDssDro socNed D Wwo-run double Wo drDw Whe EDgles within two runs.
MDssDro WooN Whe loss with an eight-hitter and eight strikeouts. Stricker wDs 3-Ior-4 Dnd MDssDro wDs 2-Ior-4.
“,W’s Wough Ior Whe seDson Wo end liNe WhDW,” sDid CEC coDch SDndy HDrW. “We didn’W sWDrW hiWWing Whe bDll unWil iW wDs Woo lDWe.”
Conwell-EgDn finished wiWh seven hiWs DgDinsW Holy Redeemer SiWcher .DylD Swanek.
The WilNes-BDrre WeDm scored twice in the second inning and then tacked on three more runs in the sixth. WiWh Whis vicWory, Holy Re- deemer remDined undeIeDWed DW 18-0.
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