Haverford can’t keep pace with Downingtown West’s fifth-inning outburst

WEST GROVE — Amber Moscoe couldn’t contain her excitement as she trotted around the bases Monday.

The Haverford senior blasted a no-doubt-about-it home run over the left-field fence at Avon Grove High School, firing the opening salvo in the Fords’ PIAA Class 6A tournament opener against Downingtown West.

About a minute later, sophomore Tess Smiley drilled another offering by pitcher Natalie Beebe. This one split the gap in right-center. Smiley hopped on her horse and raced all the way to third without a play.

Haverford’s time to pounce on Downingtown West was right then and there, in that fourth inning. Smiley stood at third with nobody out. This was the Fords’ chance to tack on at least one, hopefully two, and to provide breathing room for freshman ace Emma Taylor.

But Haverford couldn’t capitalize.

The inning that started with so much promise fizzled like a defective firecracker.

First, a sky-high pop up to the third baseman. Next, a shallow pop-up to the catcher. And, finally, Taylor hit a bullet the opposite way, but right fielder Katie Zibello was standing right there to make the catch.

Haverford allowed a wonderful opportunity to pad its lead fall through the cracks, and before the Fords knew it, Downingtown West was marching off with a 6-2 state tourney opening victory. 

“I don’t think we ever gave up. That’s one of the main components of our team,” Moscoe said. “We’re aggressive, we’re not afraid to swing at a first pitch or any pitch, really. … We just couldn’t put all the hits together.”

And the Fords couldn’t get more when they absolutely needed more.

The Whippets collected three two-run singles in the bottom of the fifth, scoring all six runs they’d muster in the game. Thus, Haverford’s season is over. The Fords were Delaware County’s only state qualifier in softball.

“We haven’t played a team where we said we can’t beat them, and I knew that today,” said interim head coach Bob Newman, who was filling in for Jill Marshall while she was on maternity leave. “It’s a good group, a bunch of special kids, and I’m going to miss them.”

Haverford has no reason to pout. This was a history-making season as it became the first Haverford softball team to qualify for a PIAA tournament. The Fords also won the Central League title for the second time in three years.

If there was something to feel good about, Ali Murphy notched her 150th career hit in her last high school at-bat. The All-Delco center fielder, who will play at Jefferson University next spring, beat out a grounder to shortstop in the seventh inning.

The blazing-fast, left-handed-hitting Murphy finished 2-for-4 with a triple.

“Our whole school was behind us, everyone was really supportive and I think that helped us a lot,” Murphy said. “It was fun.”

The Whippets singled six times off Taylor in the fifth inning … and nothing was hit particularly hard. The old saying of “hit ’em where they ain’t” aptly describes what happened to the Fords in the fifth.

Brooke Dailey led off with an infield single. Carly Grandizio smacked one back up the middle. Nicole Liomus attempted a sacrifice fly, but the Fords tried to nab Dailey going to third. She was safe, and the bases were loaded with no outs and the top of the lineup due up.

Uh-oh.

Cait Coker hit a flare between first and second, driving in a pair. Taylor Posner followed with a grounder up the middle, which Taylor nearly stopped from going into center field. Beebe worked an eight-pitch at-bat before singling home two more runs to give Downingtown West a cozy 6-1 advantage.

Career hit No. 150 for Ali Murphy. @fords_softball

p.s. that's a lot of hits pic.twitter.com/dmp3sLAD0k

— Matt Smith (@DTMattSmith) June 3, 2019

“It was annoying,” Murphy said, succinctly.

Downgtown West’s ability to string together six weak singles spoiled what had been an impressive outing for the rookie Taylor, who showed maturity beyond her years throughout the season.

“Honestly, I wish I was a right-handed pitcher and maybe I could make those plays a little bit easier,” said Taylor, who allowed eight hits and two walks while striking out four. “I just knew we needed to buckle down. We couldn’t really do anything about it. … They had their one inning, and it sucks that it determined the game.

“I was super-excited to pitch today. We knew this team was beatable and we’ve done it all year, we’ve gone out and killed it and have done better than any other Haverford team has before. As a team we play for each other and I knew that I had to do what my teammates were doing for me. They were making the plays behind me.

“I just had to go out and pitch as well as I could.”

Haverford didn’t go down quietly. In the sixth, Smiley reached on an infield single and scored on a run-scoring hit by sophomore catcher Haley Greenwald. Taylor rebounded and retired the side in order in the bottom of the sixth.

Rachel Yocom, Murphy and Brooke Mckeown all singled in the seventh inning before Moscoe flew out to center for the game’s final out.

Taylor learned a lot from playing on a team with strong senior leadership and talent. Murphy, Moscoe and Anna Mefford may all be graduating, but the future is bright for Haverford softball, especially with Taylor in the circle.

“Just looking back to three or four months ago when I wasn’t even sure which team I might be making and to see how far we got, we had a season that we should all be happy about,” Taylor said. “We had three starting seniors, but everyone else is a freshman and sophomore. We have a couple more strong years ahead.”