The SOL Liberty Division champions concluded the regular season 20-0. They open the postseason at home Wednesday.
By Gary Weckselblatt
The Quakertown Community High School softball team has completed its regular season with a perfect 20-0 record, perhaps the first Panthers’ softball team to do so.
“It’s a historic season for a great group of young ladies,” said Dave Scott, who has coached the team for five seasons. “They’ve been a pleasure to coach. They’re hard-working as a group and know how to have fun. You can see that they enjoy playing together and it shows on the field.”
Athletic Director Sylvia Kalazs said she couldn’t recall a softball team going undefeated during an entire regular season. “We’ve had good teams that have made the playoffs but this is really special,” she said.
Champions of the Suburban One League’s most difficult division, the Liberty Division, the Panthers are scheduled to open the District One 6A playoffs at 4 p.m. Wednesday at home against the winner of Monday’s Springfield (Delco) vs. Central Bucks South opening-round game. Quakertown, which has a first-round bye, is ranked second in the 24-team field behind undefeated North Penn.
Having lost SOL first-team ace Sydney Andrews to graduation, the Panthers didn’t miss a beat. Abbey Wagner dominated on the mound with a 1.33 ERA and 153 strikeouts in 116 innings.
The Panthers also have a stacked lineup, led by Leah Schwalm, who batted .569 with five home runs, 35 runs batted in and 24 runs scored; Maya Hellyer with a .517 average, nine doubles, and 20 RBI; Katie Muller with a .449 average, 17 RBI and 18 runs scored; and Skyler Williams, who batted .429 with 19 RBI and 24 runs scored.
Setting the tone for that bashing was the top of the lineup with Ava Beal, who hit .536 with 30 runs scored, 20 RBI, and 19 stolen bases; and Emma Hilton, four triples, 15 RBI, and 22 runs. Grace Baker, Cadence Lewis, and Mary Wilkinson also contributed to the attack.
“This team is very resilient,” said Ms. Kalazs, the athletic director. “When you lose your first-team all-state pitcher, you’d think there would be an adjustment period. But this team battled, they’ve been behind and they don’t blink. Different people step up to be the hero in every game. They truly do it as a team.”
This is the Panthers third straight year in the playoffs. They know their work isn’t done. “We’re excited for the playoffs,” Coach Scott said. “We had a really nice accomplishment. But there’s a real sense we have more to do and they want to advance as far as possible.”
Gary Weckselblatt, QCSD Director of Communications, writes about the people and the programs that impact the Quakertown Community School District. He can be reached at 215-529-2028 or [email protected].