Hatboro-Horsham starts fast, cruises past Plymouth Whitemarsh
WHITEMARSH >> Freshman Grace Daniels is going to throw her fair share of no-hitters in her Hatboro-Horsham softball career.
Wednesday was simply a near-miss.
The Hatters lefty lost her no-hit bid with one out in the sixth inning of the Hatters’ 10-3 cakewalk over host Plymouth Whitemarsh. And while it was disappointing the main thing was the Hatters prevailed and inched closer to a high seed in the upcoming District One playoff brackets.
The visitors used a seven-run first inning to take away the drama, then waited for a little bit of history that, unfortunately, dissipated in PW’s sixth inning.
“I was aware of it,” Daniels said after the victory. “There were a few things I could have done better, but the main thing is we were able to win the game and stay in contention for the playoffs.”
The Hatters removed all doubt about the outcome when they put together a seven-run first inning that featured Brynn Griffith’s two-run single and RBI safeties from Alicea Tauber, Meg Sonntab, Logan Cummings, Rachel Carney and Kyleigh Dinnien.
Hatters head coach Joe DiFilippo was pleased with the first-inning production, but disappointed it didn’t continue.
“We got all of those runs in the first inning and then stopped hitting,” the coach said. “I would have preferred we kept it up for seven innings.”
But it wasn’t necessary as Daniels kept mowing down Colonials hitters.
PW didn’t have a baserunner until the fourth, and didn’t have a runner reach second base until the sixth, when PW broke through for three runs in the sixth.
By then the Hatters’ lead was 8-0, so the runs did not rattle Daniels, although the way the home team scored left her a little bitter.
“I could have made better pitches,” she said, “but there wasn’t much more I could have done. (PW) hit some good pitches.”
The Hatters took a 10-0 lead into the home sixth, but the Colonials plated three runs on Emma Carney’s RBI single and a two-run single by Regan Ebersole.
But by then the Hatters were practically in clean-up and get-to-the-bus mode.
As for the Colonials, their season will end without a postseason, although head coach Dana Moyer said it’s been a pleasant one.
“I have the nicest team,” Moyer said. “Sometimes I wish they were a little meaner, that they played with a little more grit.
“But they’re all really nice girls, and I can’t really complain about that.”
SOFT-ENDS >> The Hatters have three games left — two against Upper Dublin and one against Cheltenham, while PW plays Cheltenham Friday in its home finale and Quakertown next Tuesday.
HATBORO-HORSHAM 10, PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 3
Hatboro-Horsham 701 002 0 — 10 11 0
Plymouth Whitemarsh 000 003 0 — 3 4 1
WP: Grace Daniels
LP: Allison Beausoleil
2B: HH-Britt Hubler. SB:HH-Rachel Carney 2.
Top Photo: Hatboro-Horsham pitcher Grace Daniels makes a pitch during game against Plymouth Whitemarsh during their game on Wednesday, May 10, 2017. (Gene Walsh/Digital First Media)
