Pennsville first baseman Bella Rappa more determined than ever to help her team win following her dad’s passing

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – In almost every interview they’ve done since the start of this all-star summer, the players on the Pennsville Little League senior softball team have talked genuinely and passionately about how much they are a family.

Now, on the cusp of their biggest tournament so far, that family is hurting and the players are once again rallying behind one of their own.

Saturday night, two days after successfully defending their Section 4/South Jersey championship and a week before their state tournament opener, the team lost one of its parents and biggest supporters.

Nick Rappa, the father of first baseman Bella Rappa, passed away early Saturday morning after suffering a cardiac arrest the day before. He was 51. Less than two weeks earlier dad and daughter were celebrating Bella’s first ever over-the-fence home run in the team’s district tournament opener at Franklin Twp.

This coming Saturday, Pennsville will play its first game in the New Jersey LL State Tournament in Parsippany and Bella will be in her customary spots: batting cleanup and playing first base.

“My first reaction was there’s no way she’s going to continue, but then I realized it’s Bella Rappa we’re talking about and how important softball was to her and her dad,” Pennsville manager Chris Watson said. “Of course, she’s playing. She’s absolutely playing. She’s more determined now to win than ever. Said she wants to do it for her dad.”

Nick Rappa is a big reason his daughter is playing the game today. Among Bella’s fondest memories is going to her dad’s High-Arc Softball games and getting to hit and field between games of his doubleheaders. His teammates would play makeshift games with her in the lineup and purposely overthrow on her hits so she could run the bases.

He encouraged her to play up in youth leagues to accelerate her development and stepped up to coach a team when there wasn’t one for her to play on. When her team won the LL senior softball state title last year he was the first person she ran to. When she got home the night of her home run he was over the moon greeting her.

“My love for the game came from being with my dad,” Bella said. “A lot of like Chris and them didn’t think I was going to play, but mom and dad would want me to play and I would want to play for my dad. On a post I made for my dad on Facebook I said ‘we will win the World Series.’ There’s nothing that’s going to stop me.”

“Words can’t describe what I am feeling right now … Who am I gonna giggle with at 3 in the morning when we can’t sleep and we put on some dumb scary movie. Who am I gonna call when I have a bad game and need someone to talk me from quitting. Who am I gonna talk to about college and playing D1 softball … I can promise you this, everything I will do is gonna be for you and I can promise you We WILL win the World Series for you dad.” – Portion of Bella Rappa’s Facebook post to her dad.

This isn’t the first time these Pennsville players have faced adversity – personal or otherwise. They’ve had two deaths and one serious illness all within the immediate family over the past three seasons and every time they’ve been there for each other and on the field they’ve exhibited extreme resiliency.

“It’s not just a cliche, this is a real family and it shows the way they circle the wagons in moments like this,” Watson said. “Bella has not been alone since this has happened. She has a big family, too, but she also has this softball family and the girls have been with her all weekend. She has a support system like none other.”

“I’ve never had a more supportive group in my life,” Rappa said. “Bella Farina came to my house as soon as she heard. Everyone reached out, saying no matter what we’re here for you … It’s like a second family and I wouldn’t trade that in for the world.”

Watson said the team had “something in the works” to honor Nick’s memory, but he wasn’t prepared to disclose those plans. Funeral arrangements are pending, but it was his intention for the players to attend the service as a group.

Bella, meanwhile, plans to wear the silver chain and “00” pendant her dad wore “forever” at the games going forward. If the rules won’t allow her to wear it, she plans to hang it in the dugout where she can see it every minute of the game.

Pennsville senior softball headed back to state tournament after winning another Section 4 crown; breaks game open with big inning, then holds on

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – Chris Watson lost another coin toss, but his Pennsville senior softball team got their dugout back. They were back in their comfort zone and the good vibes sent them back to the state tournament.

Pennsville won the Section 4 championship Thursday night with a 14-5 win over Middle Twp. on Watson Field at the Pennsville Little League complex. It was the fourth straight sectional title for most of these players going back to 12U.

The win propelled Pennsville to the New Jersey Little League Senior Softball State Tournament in Parsippany July 15-17. The Section 4 champs will play the winner of the Morris County-Roberto Clemente LL opener at 3 p.m. July 15 with a chance to play for the title at 3 p.m. July 16.

Pennsville actually won by losing. Watson doesn’t have a lot of luck when it comes to coin tosses and when he lost the one Thursday night Middle Twp. took the home team option and the first base dugout. That allowed Pennsville to occupy its more-favored third-base dugout.

Middle relegated Pennsville to the first-base dugout in Monday’s sectional game — even after the District 3 champs had set up shop in their normal digs — and Pennsville won 15-4 with Jess Bretz spinning a no-hitter.

“They expect me to lose the toss; it’s gotten ridiculous at this point,” Watson said. “But, yes, they’re much more comfortable when everything is the same as they’re used to. They want to be visitors, they want to bat first and they want to be in that dugout.”

“I like this side better; I feel like there’s more hype,” outfielder/closer Kloi Tighe said. “Over there (in the first-base dugout), that sign thing (Eagles Softball screen) is all in the way. I just like being on the third-base side because all our fans are all lined up on this side. It’s really, like, more energy.”

The energy spilled over in a crazy nine-run third inning that really took flight when Middle dropped Bretz’ bases-loaded potential second-out foul pop around the plate. Moments later the Pennsville pitcher ripped a grounder to third and Tighe scored when the catcher couldn’t hold the throw at the plate.

Bella Rappa followed with a hot force at third that brought home another run and Bella Farina followed that with a double that raised chalk behind third and scored two more to make it 4-0. Pennsville sent 12 batters to the plate in the inning. Tighe scored a second run on Avery Watson’s two-run double when she knocked the relay throw out of the catcher’s mitt.

Eight of Pennsville’s nine starters had at least one hit in the game and every starter scored at least one run, offsetting their lack of focus in some other areas of the game. Catcher Kylie Harris went 4-for-4 with an HBP and then shuffled off to Buffalo to join her travel team for a Friday morning game. Leadoff Lily Edwards, Farina and Grailynn Weber (two doubles) all had two hits.. 

“We started kind of slow so we knew we had to get on the board at one point so we just broke it open and when we did we just kept going and going and going,” Tighe said.

But what started to look like another run-rule victory got to be a little uncomfortable in the middle innings. Bretz lost her command in the fifth and Middle scored four runs without the benefit of a hit to make it 10-4. She allowed only three hits and struck out eight in her first four shutout innings. She struck out 10 and walked seven in the game.

Tighe came on with bases loaded and two outs and put out the fire on four pitches, then finished the game. She gave up a run in the sixth, but her teammates gave her some breathing room by scoring four in the top of the seventh.

“I face adversity well,” Tighe said. “I don’t let anything get to me, so it wasn’t really anything, honestly. I knew I was going to get out of it and I had my team behind me backing me up.”

SENIOR MOMENTS: Pennsville outscored its opponents 65-12 in the district and sectional tournaments. The first three batters in their lineup scored 24 of those runs … Pennsville never trailed in five tournament games … Harris was 11-for-16 with 12 RBIs in the two tournaments. Edwards was 10-for-15 and Bretz was 6-for-11 with 11 RBIs … In five games in the circle (25 2/3 innings) Bretz gave up 10 hits, seven earned runs and struck out 50 … Pennsville beat the District 1 winner (Morris County) twice last year to win the state tournament.

SECTION 4 CHAMPIONSHIP
Pennsville     009 100 4 – 14 14 1
Middle Twp. 000 041 0 –   5  7  5
WP: Jess Bretz (5-0). LP: Grace Hall. 2B: Grailynn Weber 2 (P), Kylie Harris (P), Bella Farina (P), Avery Watson (P), Lily Edwards (P), Sammie Schaffer (M).

NEW JERSEY LITTLE LEAGUE
SENIOR SOFTBALL STATE TOURNAMENT
At Par-Troy West Park Road Complex, Parsippany
July 15
Game 1: Morris County vs. Roberto Clemente LL (Jersey City), 10 a.m.
Game 2: Morris County-Roberto Clemente winner vs. Pennsville, 3 p.m.
July 16
Game 3: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 10 a.m.
Game 4: Game 2 winner vs. Game 3 winner, 3 p.m.
July 17
If necessary, 5:30 p.m.

Bretz homer, no-hitter propel Pennsville Senior Softball within one win of another South Jersey title, trip to state tournament

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – Jess Bretz drove all the way over from her home in East Greenwich Sunday to scout Middle Twp. pitcher Grace Hall for Monday night’s Section 4 Little League Senior Softball playoff game.

She was seated alongside Pennsville manager Chris Watson prepared to take copious notes to help her at the plate. Because of the circumstances of the game Bretz only got to see Hall throw to four Monroe hitters.

But apparently that’s all she needed.

Bretz belted a long two-run homer in her first at bat to set the tone for Pennsville’s 15-4 five-inning victory that placed it one win away from a fourth straight South Jersey title and another trip to the state tournament.

Bretz had settled in for a full game Sunday night, but the game was called in the bottom of the first when a Monroe player fell ill leaving the team with only eight to play. Monroe batted in the top of the first with Hall recording two strikeouts, a ground out and giving up a triple to the only batters she faced.

The Pennsville slugger and pitcher had seen enough to know what she needed.

“Whenever I come to scout a pitcher I’m getting my timing every single pitch,” Bretz said. “Even if I’m just sitting there and talking to my friends, I’m going to stand there and get my time with my hits every single time.

“I know where she’s throwing, how fast she’s throwing, so I was thinking just hit it out in front because if I hit it out in front it’s going to go every time. Yesterday I knew that.”

It didn’t surprise Watson at all his pitcher made the 45-minute drive down the interstate on what amounted to an off day to do some special reconnaissance. She’s been going the extra mile all year.

“One hundred percent committed this year,” Watson said. “She was committed last year, don’t get me wrong, but this year it’s another level. She’s committed to our goals here and to put this team where we want to be.”

The win moved Pennsville into Thursday’s 6 p.m. district title game against the winner of Wednesday night’s Middle Twp.-Monroe game. If an “if game” is needed, it will follow at 8 p.m.

Pennsville hit throughout the order. Seven of the nine spots in the lineup had at least one hit and one run; all nine spots reached base at least once. Six of their 12 hits went for extra bases. They scored in every inning they batted, batted around twice and led 10-0 after two innings.

Leadoff Lily Edwards went 2-for-3, Kylie Harris went 3-for-3 with three RBIs, Bretz reached base all three times she batted and Llily Birney had a pair of RBIs. Pennsville has scored in 10 of their last 12 innings and have run-ruled their last three tournament opponents.

“I think that’s how we’re going to win this year; every single person in our lineup can hit the ball,” Bretz said. “Last year we went 17 innings with this team. This year we didn’t even go seven.

“I think that’s going to be the difference this year in going all the way to the World Series – we have every single girl on our team who can hit.”

Bretz’ big night wasn’t just confined to the plate. In addition to the home run, she pitched a five-inning no-hitter and stole four bases, including home. When she stole third in the second inning, somebody in the stands asked, “What can’t Jess Bretz do?”

“I don’t know the answer to that, because we haven’t seen the limit yet,” Watson said. “I think we’re just starting to see the beginning of what she can do, honestly.”

“I can’t golf,” Bretz said.

The no-hitter was her second in the tournament, but she admitted it didn’t feel like one. She had a four-inning no-no in the first game of the district finals against Elmer last week. Middle had 11 base runners and scored three runs in the fifth inning that threatened to extend the game.

“No, it didn’t, just because of all the errors I personally made,” she said. “It doesn’t feel like it because they were making contact, which to me doesn’t feel like a no-hitter. I know it was, but it just doesn’t feel like it.”

Pennsville made easy work of their section tournament opener, but Watson knows “it’ll be a lot harder Thursday” when Middle’s ace Gabby Cruz will be back from a travel ball tournament in South Carolina. Last year, Bretz and Cruz battled for most of the 17 innings in their two games of the sectional championship round.

“The good thing is we are in the driver’s seat and they have to beat us twice,” Watson said. “So, even if they do get us the first game, the chances of her (Cruz) pitching 14 strong innings that night is a big advantage to us.”

SECTION 4 LL SENIOR SOFTBALL
Middle Twp. 001 03 –   4   0   3
Pennsville     464 1x – 15 12   2
WP: Jess Bretz (4-0). LP: Grace Hall (1-1). 2B: Kylie Harris (P), Gina Shinn (P), Lily Edwards (P), Bella Rappa (P). 3B: Savannah Palverento (P). HR: Jess Bretz (P).

Wednesday’s Game
Monroe vs. Middle Twp., 6 p.m.
Thursday’s Game
Monroe-Middle winner vs. Pennsville, 8 p.m.
If necessary, 8 p.m.

STATE TOURNAMENT
At Par-Troy West Softball Complex
Parsippany, N.J.
July 15
Game 1: Morris County vs. Roberto Clemente LL (Jersey City), 10 a.m.
Game 2: Section 4 winner vs. Game 1 winner, 3 p.m.
July 16
Game 3: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 10 a.m.
Game 4: Game 2 winner vs. Game 3 winner, 3 p.m.
July 17
If necessary, 5:30 p.m.

Pennsville senior softball scores a pair of run-rule victories to sweep Elmer for this group’s sixth straight District title

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – For a team supposedly playing under the weight of some pretty high expectations, the Pennsville Little League Senior Softball stars sure are a loose bunch.

The players Wobble and line dance in front of the dugout before the game, they play country music between innings, the pitcher spins with a pretzel rod in her back pocket and, in a twist on an older theme, this year they give manager Chris Watson white eye-black moustaches on his upper lip.

There’s nothing it seems that fazes these girls.

That looseness translated into big things Thursday night. It produced an eight-run first inning in the first game of their District 3 championship series with Elmer and an eventual 15-0, 11-1 run-rule sweep for this group’s sixth straight district title.

Now they’re off until Monday after drawing a bye in the first round of the Section 4 Tournament they host. They’ll face the winner of Sunday’s game between Middle Twp. and the District 15 champs.

“I think the fact that we’re loose as a team helps us play better,” pitcher Jess Bretz said. “We’ve had games where we’ve been tight and all been overthinking everything that’s been happening. The fact we hit the “Wobble” before every game and we do the “Cotton-Eyed Joe” we bond together and being loose on the field helps us mold together better.”

Watson isn’t one to join in the fun, but he “let’s them be them.” He admits he allows them “get away with a little more than I should sometimes.”

This is a team with designs of going to the Little League Senior Softball World Series in Delaware later this summer and they played like it Thursday night. 

They batted around in each of the first two innings of the opener, opening a 14-0 lead. Leadoff Lily Edwards accounted for five runs in the eight-run first, walking and scoring the game’s first run and later clearing the bases with a double and scoring when the cutoff throw to get her at third was wild.

They were having a high time of it. Seven starters had at least one hit in the game and they got runs from eight spots in the lineup. Bretz went 2-for-2 with three RBIs and Avery Watson went 3-for-3 with three RBIs.

“We just have to come with energy; it just gets us excited and relaxed and in the zone,” Edwards said.

Sometimes, however, they can have too much of a good thing. It was a little slower to start in Game 2, but they got it going again and erupted for seven in the second inning of what was a come-from-behind win.

They sent 10 batters to the plate in their big inning. Kylie Harris had the big hit, a two-run single. Edwards, Bella Rappa and Sawyer Simmons also drove home runs in the inning.

“I have to watch them and make sure they maintain that energy because every once in a while they dip and they dipped a little today at the beginning of that second game and it showed,” Watson said. “They get flat, they get tired. As soon as that energy drops so does our play. I think all the girls have realized that so they’ll start poking each other and getting each back up again. It’s kind of become our identity.”

Bretz pitched a four-inning no-hitter in the first game and a five-inning two-hitter in the nightcap. She struck out seven in the first game, nine in the second.

She allowed five base runners in the opener and got out of a jam in the second inning. She got the final out of the gem when catcher Kylie Harris threw through to pick off a runner at second base.

The first hit Bretz allowed all night was Aubrie Rennie’s single in the first inning of the nightcap and Rennie scored on a wild pitch. Elmer loaded the bases in the second, but Bretz got out of it unscathed and then retired the last nine in a row.

In 16 innings over three district tournament games, the hard-throwing right-hander allowed one earned run, seven hits and struck out 31.

This group of Pennsville softball players has been collecting district titles for the past six years, a run that started as 10Us; only a walk-off loss their first year together kept it from being seven straight. Three players – Savannah Palverento, Avery Watson and Kloi Tighe – have been on all of them.

And while the post-game celebrations may not be as spirited as they once were, the winning never gets old.

“I feel like it’s still very important to know what you need to do in order to get to where you want to get,” Palverento said. “Districts, yeah, it’s only one step, but it’s still an important step to get where you need to be.”

DISTRICT 3 SENIOR SOFTBALL
Game 1
Pennsville  861 0 – 15 11 1
Elmer          000 0 –  0   0  0
WP: Jess Bretz (2-0). LP: Ava Schneider. 2B: Kylie Harris (P), Avery Watson (P), Lily Edwards (P). 3B: Jess Bretz (P).

Game 2
Elmer          100 00 –  1  2  4
Pennsville  272 0x – 11 7  0
WP: Jess Bretz (3-0). LP: Ady Stewart. 

SECTION 4 TOURNAMENT
At Pennsville
Sunday’s Game
Monroe vs. Middle Twp., 6 p.m.
Monday’s Game
Monroe-Middle Twp. winner vs. Pennsville, 6 p.m.
Wednesday’s Game
Monroe-Middle loser vs. Game 2 loser, 6 p.m.
Thursday’s Game
Championship Game, 6 p.m.
If necessary, 8 p.m.

Pennsville picks up where it left off the night before, completes 10-2 District 3 Senior Softball win over Franklin Twp.

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

FRANKLINVILLE – It may have taken another day and another trip down U.S. 40, but the Pennsville Senior Softball stars finished what they started the day before, saved themselves a game and will play for a district title Thursday night on their own field.

Pennsville put the finishing touches on a 10-2 victory over Franklin Twp. Wednesday that started Tuesday and was suspended for weather after only 14 pitches in the top of the first inning. By completing the victory, they eliminated Franklin Twp. from championship contention in the District 3 Tournament and will now host Elmer in a potential championship doubleheader at 5:45 p.m. Thursday.

Had Franklin Twp. won, Pennsville would have had to play their final pool game against Elmer Thursday with the potential of tiebreakers determining the two championship teams in a title round starting Friday. If Pennsville and Elmer split Thursday, the winner-take-all “if” game will be played Friday.

The Section 4 Tournament starts Sunday in Pennsville.

“I’m relieved,” Pennsville manager Chris Watson said. “This was a huge game because if we did not win this then we’re probably playing on Friday … and nobody wants to play on Friday.”

Pennsville took a 3-0 lead into the restart, but it took them a little while to get started. Their first five batters of the day all struck out against Franklin Twp.’s Iris Chapman and Watson admitted he was “concerned,” but once they got to the top of the order again they started to pull away.

The first four batters in their lineup went a combined eight for 14 with seven runs and eight RBIs. Leadoff hitter Lily Edwards was 4-for-4 with three runs and two stolen bases. Kylie Harris went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer in the third inning and four RBIs. Pitcher Jess Bretz had a two-run single and three RBIs and Bella Rappa hit a homer before Tuesday’s suspension of play.

“I guess that’s just how the top of the order sparks us,” Watson said. “It’s like we need Lily to lead off a night. With all the home run hitters we have on this squad, and there are a lot of them, Lily is like our biggest weapon. She gets on base, she scores.

“We’ve been working on it (the top of the lineup) for years. We put Lily at leadoff three years ago playing Franklin Twp. in sectionals and she took them apart then, too.”

The restart wasn’t without a little drama. Franklin Twp. leveled a protest that the game should be restarted from scratch instead of resuming at the point of suspension. District 3 officials called the Little League Eastern District office for clarification and it was ruled the game would resume from the point of suspension.

It didn’t much matter. Pennsville outscored their hosts 7-2 in the innings that were played Wednesday. They broke it open in the third on Harris’ two-run homer and a two-run double by Savannah Palverento, taking a 7-0 lead.

“It was really important to jump on them early from the start, make sure we get that lead and maintain it,” Harris said. “It shuts the other team down right away so you can back them up more (and) go home early.”

Bretz was strong in the circle. She pitched all seven innings with a pretzel rod in her back pocket, but didn’t go to it once, although she was tempted. Last year during Pennsville’s 17-inning day in the Sectionals, the coaches brought her chicken tenders in the circle to keep her energy up.

Her energy and velocity was up plenty Wednesday. She allowed five hits, nine base runners and struck out 15. She threw 115 pitches, 77 for strikes. Ten of her first 12 outs were strikeouts and she had at least two strikeouts in six of the seven innings.

“The last two years we’ve been here I haven’t been nervous, but today was different because it’s a new team, we have a few new players this year,” Bretz said. “It helped my game today because I knew what I had to do and I had a job.

“I’m feeling this because we have expectations because we went so far last year and for some of the girls it’s their last year so we want to go as far if not farther this year.”

DISTRICT 3 LL SENIOR SOFTBALL
Pennsville       304 201 0 – 10 10 1
Franklin Twp. 000 110 0 –   2  5  2
WP: Jess Bretz. LP: Iris Chapman. 2B: Avery Watson (P), Kylee Harris (P), Savannah Palverento (P), Iris Chapman (FT), Laney Vecchio (FT). HR: Bella Rappa (P), Kylee Harris (P), Riley Hunter (FT).