Late innings surge propels Downingtown West to Ches-Mont National crown
LIONVILLE—That the Ches-Mont National division would come down to a one-game playoff between Downingtown West and West Chester East seemed all but inevitable. The two teams were neck and neck in the standings all year, and split their season series, with each team winning at home.
Thursday afternoon, the two teams got together at Downingtown East High School for the one-game, winner-take-all contest. For five innings, it was a pitchers’ duel between the Vikings Jess Gomez and the Whippets Natalie Beebe, with the scored tied 1-1 heading into the sixth. Then the West bats came alive, as the Whippets put up seven runs in the final two innings to come away with a 8-2 victory and their first Ches-Mont National championship since 2009.
“It’s been ten years since West has won, and this one is the first for me as head coach,” said West’s Joey Germani. “We’ve been so close the past few years and always came up just a little short. This has been a really fun year with a really fun team. They have worked hard and performed really well as a team. I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
West jumped out front in a hurry. Cait Coker, who came into the game hitting .642 on the season, led off with the first of her two triples on the afternoon, then came in to score on Nina Gallagher’s RBI groundout to short.
“It’s always important to get out front early,” said Coker. “I like hitting lead-off, and it was great to land that first punch. It always helps motivate the team.”
The Vikings tied things up in the third. With two outs, Kinzie Thompson beat out an infield single for the East’s first base hit of the game. Kelsey McLaughlin followed, and ripped a double to the gap in left center to score Thompson.
Gallagher led off the West sixth, and beat out a bunt for a single, Posner followed, reaching on an error, and then the Whippets loaded the bases when Morgan DeFreitas reached on a fielder’s choice. Up came Beebe, who stroked a two-run double to right. Brooke Dailey grounded into a fielder’s choice to score DeFreitas.
“I was really just looking for a good pitch in the strike zone and put my best swing on it,” said Beebe of her approach to the double. “I’m just really happy for the team right now. We keep getting better every year, and to get a championship this year feels amazing.”
Coker sparked the rally the following inning with another triple, and then the Whippets were helped out by a few uncharacteristic errors by the Vikings. West pushed four runs across in the inning, with Coker’s triple, a single from DeFreitas, and a double from Dailey, wrapped around two errors by the Vikings.
“We were putting the bat on the ball most of the game, but we really busted through late in the game,” said Coker. “That is a really good team, and getting the win is going to prepare us for the post season. I’m really excited about this team. I think we can go really far and I can’t wait to play with them for a little while longer.”
Beebe earned the pitching victory with seven strong innings. She allowed two runs on five hits, striking out 10 while walking just one.
Though the Ches-Mont title eluded them this year, the Vikings have a lot of season left. They will enter next week’s District 1, Class 5A tournament as the No. 1 seed, squaring off against No. 16 Pope John Paul II at home on Monday, May 20.
“This loss doesn’t define us,” said Vikings coach Bobby Swier. “It didn’t go the way we’d hoped today, and for that I am disappointed for the girls who have worked so hard.”
“ But Monday, we’re 0-0, and at the start of a whole new season,” Swier continued. ” We still have goals to reach—winning Districts and making a run at states. Playing in this division will have us very well-prepared for anything we will see in the post-season. Every team in this division is good enough to win any given day.”
West pulls down the No. 4 seed in Class 6A, earning a first round bye, and will being their quest for a District championship against the winner of No. 13 Bensalem and No. 20 Souderton at home on Wednesday, May 22.
“As great as this is, we can celebrate tonight, but then start getting ready for Monday,” said Germani. “West Chester East is a great hitting team, top to bottom, and this was totally a playoff- atmosphere going against them today. There will be some tough teams coming up, I’m sure, but we are playing about as well as we can right now and I think we can make a real run.”
