Schuylkill Valley shuts out Twin Valley in Berks Softball League action

April 29--Pitching and defense have been constants for a veteran Schuylkill Valley softball team.

The Panthers entered the Berks Softball League season as the team to beat in Berks II because of their experience and pitcher Abby Boyer, a Wagner College recruit.

But the offense has struggled much of the season and the Panthers are playing catch up in a crowded division race.

Schuylkill Valley began what it hopes will be a long climb out of that hole Monday with a 2-0 win over visiting Twin Valley.

"It's doable," Schuylkill Valley coach Jim Campbell said. "We've had trouble scoring runs lately and now we're scoring runs again."

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The Panthers (3-4, 8-6) scored two unearned runs in the sixth inning to avenge an earlier 2-0 loss to the Raiders (4-4, 5-10).

That was one of three shutout losses suffered by the Panthers in division games.

"That's been frustrating," Boyer said about the team's offensive struggles. "We've just got to finish strong and make something happen."

Boyer was solid on the mound Monday, striking out 10 and limiting the defending division champs to four hits.

Three of those hits, including a double by Emily Webster, came in the fourth inning.

But Boyer was aided when catcher Jill Deiley threw out a runner trying to steal.

"I'm never worried about our defense; I'm never worried about our pitcher and our offense is coming back around," Campbell said.

The Panthers needed a little boost in the sixth to break the scoreless duel between Boyer and Twin Valley freshman Brittany Charron.

Adelle King and Ashley Rice hit one-out singles and Deiley walked to load the bases.

After a strikeout, Boyer grounded to shortstop for what appeared would be the final out.

But an errant throw extended the inning and allowed King to score.

Rachel Sisco was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring in Rice with an insurance run.

Twin Valley played an otherwise solid defensive game, turning double plays in each of the first two innings to thwart the Panthers.

"A lot of these games come down to one play," Twin Valley coach Cory Urkuski said. "Everyone is neck and neck. It's a day-to-day race."

Schuylkill Valley, Twin Valley and Hamburg all have four losses in the division, two more than first-place Conrad Weiser and one more than second-place Berks Catholic.

Schuylkill Valley holds a 4-0 lead over Berks Catholic in a suspended game that is scheduled to be concluded Saturday.

The Panthers also have league games remaining with Fleetwood and Hamburg.

"We've dug a hole and now we're just going to take it a game at a time and see what happens," Campbell said.

Twin Valley, a team hit hard by graduation after a 20-0 regular season last year, has division games remaining with Berks Catholic and Fleetwood.

King went 2-for-3 for Schuylkill Valley, which managed just five hits off Charron.

Alyssa Bolger went 2-for-3 for Twin Valley.

Contact Brian Rippey: 610-371-5070 or [email protected].

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