Avon Grove suffers first loss as Downingtown West rolls to 6-1 victory

WEST GROVE>> The Downingtown West softball team grabbed an early lead and never looked back, topping host Avon Grove 6-1 on a chilly Monday afternoon. It was the first loss of the young season for Avon Grove (2-1 overall, 2-1 Ches-Mont National), while the Whippets remain unbeaten (4-0, 3-0).
“It’s always good to win here,” said West coach Joey Germani. “They played really good defense today, and battled every at-bat against a good team. This was a good win.”

Meghan Sinkus got the Whippets going right from the start, leading off the game with a double. After moving up to third on a fly ball to right, she scored on a wild pitch.

West struck again in the second. Darby Weller and Emma Ahlborn both reached base on a hit by pitch.  Avon Grove pitcher Peyton Hale (7IP, 6R, 8H, 16K, 1BB) rebounded to strike out the next two hitters to bring up the number nine hitter in the order, Morgan Barry. She made sure West didn’t waste the chance to score as she singled to left to bring in Weller.
“We’ve got players throughout our lineup that can come through when needed,” said Germani. “I have confidence in everyone on our roster.”
Germani made good use of his bench and lineup options.  When starting pitcher Ava Zettlemoyer (4-plus IP, 1R, 2H, 5K 3BB) began to show some control problems, in came Addison Carter, who shut down the Red Devils the rest of the way.  Carter did not give up a hit, while striking out five and walking just one in three innings of relief.

“They make a good combination,” said Germani. “Ava starts and throws hard, and then Addison comes in and gets them off balance, moving the ball well and hitting her spots.”
Cait Long pulled the Red Devils to within two with a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth, but the Whippets put the game away with a run in the sixth and two more in the seventh.

Ahlborn got things going in the sixth with a one-out double. Hale whiffed the next hitter for the second out. Germani made another move, taking his Flex player, right fielder Lauren Largoza, and inserting her in the Designated Player slot due up next.  Largoza stroked a double down the right-field line to knock in Ahlborn.
“I just knew I needed to help my team,” said Largoza. “It was still a close game, and I knew that my team needed to make something happen. I was ready to bunt, but I was able to swing and make good contact, and came up with a double.”

After Avon Grove shortstop Taylor Morris robbed Sinkus of a base hit with a diving catch of a hard, sinking liner to begin the seventh, Lizzie Kern singled, then promptly stole second, putting a runner in scoring position for Morgan DeFrietas, who put the final nail in the coffin with a long two-run homer over the fence in right center.
“It just feels so good to be out here playing again, ten months after I had surgery,” said DeFreitas. “I’m starting to find my groove and help the team.The pitch was up and in, I think it was a rise ball, and I just connected.”

Avon Grove won’t have any time to dwell on the loss. They take on West Chester Rustin on Wednesday. The Golden Knights are off to a hot start, sitting atop the American Division with a 5-0 record, after edging Kennett 2-1 Monday.
“I thought we controlled the middle of the order well for the most part,” said Avon Grove coach Andria Pannell. “We need to clean up the little mistakes that lead to unearned runs, because those are the things that hurt us.”
The Whippets know that it is still early in a long season and that the next time they play Avon Grove, they are more than likely still going to be in the hunt for the division title.
“They are a really good team,” said Largoza. “They are up and their energy is fantastic. They are tough competitors. They force us to come together as a team to get the win.  It took all of us to get the win.”