Softball: PIAA champ Blue Mountain proves too much for Pope John Paul II in PIAA 4A quarterfinal

ALLENTOWN >> When it comes to the ‘student’ part of student-athlete, Marla Freiwald and her fellow Blue Mountain softball seniors have already completed their mission: Blue Mountain’s six seniors graduated on June 1.

As for the ‘athlete’ part … the Eagles’ mission is only halfway done.

The reigning PIAA Class 4A champions continued their repeat quest on Thursday at Patriots Park in Allentown with a six inning, 13-3 victory over District 1 champion Pope John Paul II.

The Eagles gave head coach Mike Rollman his 100th career win while earning a return to the state semifinals where a familiar opponent awaits: Blue Mountain will meet District 11 rival Northwestern Lehigh in Monday’s semifinal at a time and site to be determined.

Senior pitcher Freiwald was a powerhouse at the plate for Eagles by hitting home runs in her first two at-bats – a three-run shot in the first inning and a two-run blast in the third – on the way to a 2-for-2, five RBI day (she was intentionally walked her other two plate appearances).

Last year’s run to the state title has equipped Blue Mountain (25-1) with mounds of confidence, but finishing on a similar high note is at the top of the list for the Eagles’ recent grads, including their St. Joseph’s University-bound ace.

“It’s definitely different because I want to make this my most memorable,” Freiwald said “Obviously we did great last year, but as a senior this year I really want to enjoy it, soak up the moment since it is my last.”

Third baseman Madison Heim (3-for-4, three RBI) and flex Anna Borden (2-for-3, three RBI) also had big days at the plate. Heim’s two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the sixth delivered the decisive blow and enacted the 10-run rule.

Pope John Paul II’s second-ever trip to the PIAA tournament – the first was in 2011 when they reached the quarterfinals – ended after being unable to keep up with the reigning 4A champs after playing close through three innings.

The Golden Panthers capped their year with a 15-9 record, coming on strong starting in the last week of April to win eight of their final 10 games, including the District 1 championship over Upper Perkiomen on May 23 and a PIAA first round game over Kennard-Dale on June 3.

“Just to get here, I think is amazing,” PJP junior center fielder Abby Simmers said. “We’d never played in a postseason game our freshman and sophomore year, but just to be able to play in one district game we took as an accomplishment and to be here right now, a month later, it’s kind of insane and a good feeling.”

For PJP’s junior core, they’d only known the season stopping at the end of the regular season.

“The last day of our season was supposed to be May 8th, I think, but this year we almost went a month later,” junior shortstop Molly Houchins said.

PJP had something of a dream start by plating two runs (Rylee Derecola and Houchins) on Charlie Hallman’s single to right field for a 2-0 first-inning lead. Hallman was 2-for-3 (RBI), her two hits leading to all three PJP runs.

PJP became just the second team to score on Blue Mountain in their last six state tournament games.

Freiwald’s first homer with both Heim and Addyson Fishburn (2-for-3) on base put the Eagles on top, 3-2. The right-hander settled in thereafter, throwing six innings and allowing five hits and zero earned runs while striking out eight.

Her two-run smash in the third inning after Elle Walasavage led off with a triple had the Eagles up 5-3 and then runs kept coming.

Pope John Paul II sophomore pitcher Lexi DiBricida (6 IP, 14H, 12ER, 1K) tired in the later innings and couldn’t fend off Blue Mountain, which scored three runs each in the fifth and sixth innings.

The success of last season has only driven the Eagles in a season where they have 25 wins and counting.

“If anything, having a target on our back just makes us want to push harder,” Freiwald said. “We know teams are out to get us and we just want to keep pushing no matter what, keep fighting and just keep ourselves motivated.”

They certainly know NW Lehigh will want another crack after three previous meetings all in favor of the Eagles, including the District 11 final on May 29 (won 4-2).

“I’m definitely excited,” Freiwald said of the matchup. “They’re definitely probably our biggest competitor. We’re really looking forward to seeing them for the fourth time now. We know the team well so hopefully we can use that to our advantage. But they know us well so we just have to really get on them hard.”

Pope John Paul II underwent a transformation under new head coach Steve Faella after going 6-12 and finishing fourth in the PAC Frontier last spring. This year, the Golden Panthers won 15 games and were the last Pioneer Athletic Conference team playing across any spring sport.

“We joke around saying we’re the best kept secret. Well, next year we’re not going to be a secret, but it’s just a lot of fun,” Faella said.

The Golden Panthers will have a chance to run it back with only one graduating senior (outfielder Sarah Boyce).

“We’re definitely ahead of where I thought we would be at this time, but it was such a magical run,” Faella said. “We kept calling it the Cinderella ride or whatever you want to call it, and it really was.

“When it’s at the end you get sad, but you feel happy because we have all but one senior (Sarah Boyce) coming back. I know there’s a couple of kids coming into the school next year that are talented and you start to hopefully feel like we really turned this program around and it can start growing.”

The start of Thursday’s game, the second game of a tripleheader, was delayed by rain and pushed the start of the Golden Panthers’ game back by an hour.

Faella didn’t mind at all. He was grateful for every extra moment the season could offer.

“I’ve coached a lot of things and I’ve had a lot of fun with teams and I always enjoy going to practice and everything, but I could just sit during the rain delay sitting here listening to them and hanging out with them,” he said. “That’s what was fun about it. That’s what I’m going to miss, but hopefully we can recapture that magic next year.”

Blue Mountain 13, Pope John Paul II 3

Pope John Paul II 201 000 – 3 5 3
Blue Mountain 302 233 – 13 14 2