After a slow start, Radnor putting it together
Radnor senior co-captains Holly Pachella and Brooke McClatchy realize everything the team has overcome and don’t take the late-season success for granted.
The Raiders (11-9) have allowed themselves the opportunity to repeat District One Class AAA softball champions. As the No. 5 team in this year’s tournament, they’ll host 12th-seeded Penncrest (9-10) in the first round Wednesday afternoon.
Pachella is a four-year starting catcher. She’s caught All-Delcos Christy Von Pusch and Izzy Schaefer, and this year was tasked with helping a young pitcher, sophomore Brooke Nicander, find her way in the circle. Pachella has been the team’s rock.
“Brooke had to come in after Izzy, after such a big year, and she’s really developed into her own pitcher,’ Pachella said. “She’s really stepped up and she’s been great all year. It’s hard for any sophomore pitcher to come in and do what she’s done to win us games.’
Pachella has delivered clutch hits all season, batting .304 with 15 runs and 15 RBIs. Nicander has pitched 10 wins and has a .375 batting average. McClatchy, the team’s starting center fielder, has flourished in the leadoff spot. She boasts a .410 average with a team-leading 25 hits, plus 15 walks and 15 stolen bases. Junior right fielder Megan McGrath is hitting .400 with a team-high nine extra-base hits and three homers, 14 RBIs and 15 runs scored. Senior shortstop Katie Jordan, who hit the game-winning home run in the 2014 District One title game against Springfield, has 21 runs scored and 14 RBIs. Junior third baseman Amanda Davis has 24 hits and 16 RBIs.
McClatchy was a corner outfielder last year, but has provided stellar defense and offensive production from her new position. Jordan was a first baseman who shifted over to shortstop to fill the void left by All-Delco Bari Margolis. Meanwhile, Davis has gone from starting in center as a junior to manning the hot corner.
The 2015 campaign was supposed to be a rebuilding season, but following a 2-6 start, the Raiders have made improvements all across the diamond. Now they’re ready to do some damage again in the district tourney.
“I’m really impressed with the team, I’m comfortable with where we are right now,’ McClatchy said. “It sounds cliche, but we’ve come together as a family. I definitely would say we’ve had a little trouble finding our place in the standings and we weren’t really sure we would be able to live up to last year. But we stopped trying to live up to last year and became our own team. We have a lot of girls at different positions, and we made a lot of adjustments, but I think we finally found where everyone belongs. We’ve become a good team, and we did it with a lot of hard work and the fact that we always believed in each other.’
Elsewhere in the District One Class AAA tournament.
No.1 Chichester, bye
Following a regular season in which they set the record for most wins in program history, the Eagles (19-1) earned a free pass to the quarterfinal round. The Eagles have been knocking on the door of a district title for three years, having reached at least the semifinal round in back-to-back years.
All-Delco pitcher Meghan Wimmer, sophomore catcher Nicole O’Donnell and slugging senior third baseman Maddie Thornton have led the way for the Eagles, who will host either No. 9 Gwynedd Mercy or No. 8 Upper Moreland in the next round Wednesday.
No. 11 Marple Newtown at No. 6 Merion Mercy
The Tigers (10-10) have had an up-and-down season in the Central League. Last year the Tigers took eventual PIAA Class AAA champions Springfield to the brink of elimination in the district quarterfinals, but lost in heartbreaking fashion. This year, All-Delco shortstop Rylee Power has swung the bat all year, among the county leaders in home runs with five.
In the District One Class AAAA tournament:
No. 4 Springfield, bye
The Cougars (19-0) conquered PIAA Class AAA last spring, defeating Bethlehem Catholic to claim Delaware County’s first state softball title.
Can they achieve the same success in Class AAAA? The journey starts Wednesday, when the Cougars host a second-round game against either 20th-seeded Great Valley or No. 13 Pennsbury.
Springfield, which captured the Central League title for the second consecutive year, has played three games outside of the conference. Coach Todd Odgers’ team closed out the regular season with a nail-biter, a 12-inning victory against Cardinal O’Hara. Dating to the beginning of last spring’s PIAA tournament, the Cougars have reeled off 23 consecutive wins.
All-Delcos Courtney Scarpato, Tori DePietro and Taylor Winkelman have been consistent run producers all season.
In action Monday:
No. 18 Hatboro-Horsham at No. 15 Ridley
It’s been a weird year for the Green Raiders (13-6). After a sizzling 6-0 start, they managed just seven wins over their final 13 games and are pretty lucky to be hosting a first-round game.
Sophomore ace Leigh Ann Jenkins has pitched every game for Ridley. Lexi Goerlach and Lauren O’Brien have been the team’s top sluggers.
The Hatters (12-8) are not the Suburban One juggernaut they were as recently as two years ago, but still pose a tough draw for the Green Raiders. One player to watch is outfielder Jen Cader, a Kent State recruit.
No. 22 Interboro at No. 11 Downingtown West
The Bucs are here because they went 5-2 over the last seven games. Sophomore catcher Amber Seamen has displayed great defensive instincts and swings a pretty mean stick, raking nine doubles and three triples.
The Whippets (14-6) are one of seven Ches-Mont League programs to qualify for the district tourney. The winner moves on to play Maggie Balint, one of the best pitchers in the state, and No. 6 Avon Grove.
