Six-run fifth lifts Downingtown West past Haverford in state opener
WEST GROVE—Trailing 1-0 in the bottom half of the fifth, the Downingotwn West bats suddenly came alive. The Whippets batted around in the inning, and scored six runs on six hits, then held on for the 6-2 victory in the opening round of the PIAA Class 6A tournament Monday afternoon at Avon Grove High School.
With the win, the Whippets move on to play the District 2 champs, Hazelton, a 2-1 winner over Pennsbury Monday, in the quarterfinal round Thursday at a site and time to be determined.
“We just try to keep grinding away with the bats,” said West coach Joey Germani. “Try to wear down the pitcher and capitalize on any mistakes. Nice to see the bottom of the order come through and get things started for us today.”
The Fords, who equaled the Whippets with nine base hits in the game, got on the board first, when Amber Moscoe led off the fourth and ripped a home run down the left field line. Tess Smiley (2 for 3, 2B, R) followed with a triple, but the Whippets stranded her there and escaped further damage.
“That was a wake-up call for us,” said West pitcher Natalie Beebe. “We said to each other, this just isn’t who we are, hitting weak ground outs. I think it was motivating. Then once we started to hit, it spread to the whole team.”
Brooke Dailey, who has been flashing the leather all post season at shortstop, got the sticks going for West in the bottom of the fifth, beating out an infield single. Nicole Lioumis and Megan Sinkus followed, with each dropping down a bunt. Haverford got Dailey at home on the first, but failed to get the force on the other, leaving the bases loaded for Caitlin Coker.
Coker delivered, ripping a single to the gap in left center, then moving up to second on the failed attempt to throw a runner out at the plate. Nina Gallagher then drew a walk, making it bases loaded for Taylor Posner.
Posner has been lighting it up all post season, and stepped up again her, collecting her 12th and 13th RBIs in five post season games, this time with a single up the middle. Then with two out, Beebe helped her own cause, knocking in two more with a single to right.
“I’m really proud of the way we all came together the way we did that inning,” said Coker. “But we really have to start to hit early in games and getting leads. We all know we can hit, and it is great to know we can count on each other to get things done.”
In the end, the Whippets got a hit or a run in every slot in the order. Dailey, with two singles in the fifth, was the lone Whippet with more than one hit in the game.
Haverford manufactured a run in the sixth, and put two runners on in the seventh, but the damage had already been done.
Beebe went the distance for the pitching victory, allowing two runs on nine hits. She struck out five, and walked none.
“As a pitcher, you have to be comfortable putting pitches on the black, and putting them in the river sometimes,” said Coker, who calls pitches for Beebe as catcher. “Natalie does a great job of that. It helps keep hitters off balance.”
The Whippets improve to 23-2 on the season, and are focused on making a deep run in the state tournament.
“It is amazing to get this first win in states,” said Beebe. “We haven’t been here in a long time, so to get this one is big for us. I think this is a team that can go far. Looking forward to the next game.”
