Rowe hits walk-off homer in Pennsbury’s win over Souderton
FAIRLESS HILLS, PA. >> Normally when you think of a No. 9 batter in a high school softball lineup you are talking about someone who doesn’t hit all that well or is fast and can help set up the top of the order.
Well, Pennsbury’s Jess Rowe actually runs very well, but she also can most certainly hit the ball. Just ask Souderton, which watched Rowe scorch a line-drive, two-run, walkoff home run over the center field fence in the bottom of the ninth inning to help top-ranked Pennsbury to an exciting 4-2 victory Monday over Souderton.
“I was pretty sure I got all of it,’’ said Rowe of her blast that never got more than 12 or so feet above the ground and was showing no signs of coming down when it soared over the fence.
It was the third home run of the year for Rowe, who is 11-for-27 and has had some very key hits in her team’s 8-1 start. While it’s impressive stuff, don’t expect her to come out of the No. 9 spot any time soon.
“I like hitting there because I think the other team
underestimates a No. 9 hitter,’’ she said. “By hitting ninth I can just sort of chill.’’
Pennsbury was coming off its first loss of the year when it fell to Hatboro-Horsham on Saturday, but there was an asterisk next to that result because it was without ace Ainsley McClure, who suffered a minor groin injury earlier last week in a big win over North Penn.
On Monday, McClure was back and the result was a masterful five-hitter in which she allowed only three hits over the last eight innings. Both of the runs for Souderton (8-3) came in the first on an RBI single by Riley York and a run-scoring double by Ryan Zimmerman.
Pennsbury got quality swings against Souderton righty Abby Burns all game and struck out just three times, but until the ninth was able to only break through with a tworun third inning.
Rowe got the rally going with a single and after a walk to Riley Mahoney and a sac by Sam Raub, No. 3 batter Caitlyn McClure laced a hard two-run single to right center.
That was all the scoring until the ninth as both teams made some stellar plays in the field in a game with only one error. For its part, Pennsbury got a nice stop from Raub at second base and later got a great diving catch in right field by Quinn McGonigle.
McClure, meanwhile, never allowed more than one base runner in an inning after the third and was able to keep the big hitters in the Souderton lineup off balance with her change-up.
“For missing the last two games I thought Ainsley pitched great,’’ said McSherry. “She was a warrior out there.’’
Pennsbury looked like it might win the game in the seventh when Emma Hause led off with a single and the Falcons then had one of their five stolen bases on the day. Burns, however, worked her way out of the jam with three straight outs, including a strikeout of Rowe.
After Pennsbury went quietly in the eighth, the Falcons got a one-out single by Cynthia Ehrenfeld and a stolen base by pinch runner Ava Storlazzi. Burns then got a second out on a popup, but this time around Rowe made the most of her opportunity with a gamewinning shot that left the field in a flash.
Pennsbury 4, Souderton 2 Souderton (8-3) 200 000 000 - 2 5 1 Pennsbury (8-1) 002 000 002 - 4 7 0 WP-McClure. LP-Burns. 2B-Zimmerman (S). HR-Rowe (P). RBIs: S-R. York, Zimmerman. P-Martel 2, Rowe 2.