Saucon Valley rallies twice to beat Southern Lehigh, 6-4, and remain unbeaten

FROM KEITH GROLLER

The much-anticipated first meeting between the Saucon Valley and Southern Lehigh softball teams finally took place on Monday in Center Valley, and it was worth the wait.

In fact, if this one was any indication, these two longtime Colonial League rivals could stage quite a memorable series before the season is through.

The visiting Panthers rallied from deficits of 3-0 and 4-3 and got a game-winning, two-run single from Courtney Cawley in the top of the seventh to post a 6-4 victory that kept Saucon undefeated at 15-0.

The same two teams, who have separated themselves from the rest of the pack in the Colonial League, will meet again in the regular season finale on Friday in Hellertown.

And, it wouldn’t be a shock if they meet again in next week’s Colonial League tournament or the District 11 3A playoffs at the end of the month.

Both teams certainly got the other’s attention.

“Let me tell you what, they are a good team. … a real good team,” Saucon coach Scott Didra said. “But I like my team, too, and we didn’t quit. We have some things printed on our scorebook from our very huddle, and we did them all today. We stayed positive, we played with heart, we continued to have fun and we didn’t quit.”

It looked like it wasn’t going to Saucon’s day. The Panthers hit into a double play started by remarkable Solehi shortstop Cori Ozanne in the top of the first inning and then the Syracuse-bound Ozanne hit a home run to start the bottom of the first. Ozanne would later turn another double play after making a leaping grab of a lind rive at short.

The Spartans, aided by an error, tacked on two runs in the third inning.

But Saucon (13-0 in the CL) came roaring back in the fifth when Cawley ripped her first two-run single of the game.

Southern Lehigh (13-5, 12-2 CL) regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth when Shelby Wilson singled, Katie Tankred doubled and Jen Hallowell’s grounder to short plated Wilson for a 4-3 lead.

Tankred, pitching with remarkable courage and poise just two days after she lost her grandfather, James Howard Shelly, in a farming accident, worked out of trouble in the sixth inning.

But in the seventh, the relentless Saucon attack wouldn’t be subdued. A single by Emily Polefka (2-for-3 with two runs and a RBI) followed by an error and an intentional walk loaded the bases and set the stage for Cawley’s game-winning hit.

“I just looked at the intentional walk as another runner on, and another runner that would score,” Cawley said. “I didn’t see it as a sign of disrespect. It was just another at-bat and time to get a hit and the job done. As a team, we always believe and never doubt that we’re going to get the job done.”

While disappointed his team couldn’t hold on to a pair of leads, Spartans coach Brian Neefe complimented Saucon.

“Since we started the current setup in our league, no team has gone through the league and the playoffs undefeated and they have a shot at that,” Neefe said. “We’re 61-8 lifetime against Saucon, but that’s about as strong a Saucon team as they’ve had. We play them again Friday and it should be another good game.”

Saucon Valley 000 030 3 — 6 7 2

Southern Lehigh 102 010 0 — 4 7 2

Rusu and Schreder; Tankred and Wilson. HR: SL, Ozanne, (1st, none on).

http://blogs.mcall.com/groller/2011/05/saucon-valley-rallies-twice-to-beat-southern-lehigh-6-4-and-remain-unbeaten.html