No seniors? No problem! Council Rock North softball surges into playoffs

Lucy Mills didn’t have to wait long to pitch in the biggest game of her high school career.

The Council Rock North freshman stepped into the circle on Wednesday for the Indians’ regular-season finale, knowing that her team’s postseason chances could come down to the outcome of the game. It wasn’t going to be easy — the Indians were facing the 13-2, SOL Patriot Division champions Pennsbury.

“I was definitely feeling a little pressure,” Mills said. “But I trusted my catcher and my defense to have my back.”

Mills pitched a complete game, giving up six hits and one earned run, to earn the 6-2 win over the Falcons and clinching a district playoff berth. The rookie pitched like a veteran, working out of a jam and remaining composed even when Pennsbury threatened in the top of seventh.

In addition to the defense backing her up, freshman pitcher Liv Schlindwein was standing by.

“I was ready to go in at any time if needed,” Schlindwein said. “But I had confidence in Lucy and knew she could do it.”

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Longtime teammates and friends

Schlindwein is used to backing up MIlls — and vice versa — as the two have been playing together since they were eight years old. The two, along with fellow freshmen Zoe Hornstein, Kayla Ripper, Katie Wilkoski, Ellie Bonn and Chelsea Seiler, make up the young core of an Indians’ team that returned only three players this season, and doesn’t have a single senior on the roster.

While Mills had a huge game to close out the regular season, it was Schlindwein in the circle on opening day. In the first start of her high school career, Schlindwein pitched a two-hit shutout and struck out 17 in a 4-0 win.

“That was a really fun way to start my first high school season,” Schlindwein said. “I was nervous but having a good first game helped a lot.”

New season, new team and new outlook

When Susan Yee started the season with a team loaded with freshmen, she didn’t panic.

A young team was nothing to fear for Yee, who has had quite the eventful tenure at CR North. After taking the head coach position in 2020, Yee had about a week with her team before the season was canceled due to the pandemic.

The following season, Yee had an inexperienced team that came within a game of making the playoffs. Last year, Yee was put on bedrest prior to the birth of her child. She received permission from her doctor to coach from a chair on the sidelines, and had to be driven to and from each game. The team finished 1-18.

This season, though, Yee just knew it was going to be different. And she was very right.

“This group of freshmen all played together at Newtown Middle School and they had one of the most dominant teams ever,” said Yee. “I knew how much talent they had, and that it was just a matter of how they could adjust to the high school game.”

“I told them: if you’re willing to learn, you have so much potential.”

The Indians started the season 5-0.

“No one expected us to have this kind of season, and it makes it even better,” said junior catcher Molly Sheehy. “We’re always ready to take some teams by surprise.”

Sheehy, one of three team captains along with junior Taylor Gearhart and sophomore Sierra Klein, has additional leadership duties due to her backstop position.

“It was important for me to learn how to communicate with our new pitchers, and I always have to communicate with the coaches during the game and act as a go-between,” said Sheehy. “I remember being new and having jitters so I try to make sure they stay calm when they’re pitching.”

During the pivotal Pennsbury game, Sheehy recalls Mills being a little nervous. “I told her she had been pitching a great game and I think she just needed to be reminded of that.”

“It’s been great to see their confidence grow.”

Learning from adversity

Going into the final week of the season, the Indians, along with a few other teams, were right on the bubble of the District One 6A playoff standings. They knew they’d have to win one of their final two games to ensure a playoff spot. The only problem? Those two games were against tough divisional opponents Neshaminy and Pennsbury.

While the Indians, led by Sheehy’s two home runs, out-hit Neshaminy 13-6, Neshaminy took the win in eight innings.

“I could tell they were feeling pressure against Neshaminy,” said Yee. “But it’s a good learning experience to have a game like that.”

“I was a little upset after the loss,” said Mills, who had pitched against Neshaminy along with Schlindwein. “But I went into the Pennsbury game with a different mindset.”

“Because we had a super close game against Pennsbury the first time,” said Schlindwein, “I knew we could do it this time.”

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A first for everyone

On Monday, the Indians’ players will experience something new together when they take the field for their district playoff game.

“My sister was playing the last time the team was in the playoffs,” Sheehy said of her sister Riley Sheehy, who graduated in 2018. That year, the 19th-seeded Indians were the district runners-up to Central Bucks South and made it to the first round of the PIAA state tournament.

“My high school coach always said ‘You can’t do well in districts until you do well in districts. And you can’t win at states until you win at states,’” said Yee, who played for Abington High School and was an assistant coach at Pennsbury. "Getting this experience will be huge for the girls going forward."

District One Class 6A Playoffs Begin Monday

• The No. 22 Indians (11-9) won't have to travel far for their first-round game, as they will visit Council Rock South for Monday's game.

• No. 11 CR South (14-6) won both regular season matchups (6-4, 2-0).

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Council Rock South softball reaches District One playoffs Bucks County