Lindsay sharp as Spring-Ford tops Garnet Valley, 3-0
By Owen McCue
ROYERSFORD >> Sam Lindsay could not be rattled.
With no outs in the top of the sixth inning during Monday’s District 1 playoff game between No. 11 Spring-Ford and No. 22 Garnet Valley, the freshman pitcher stood on the mound holding a three-run lead and facing a bases loaded jam.
Lindsay forced a grounder to third base for the force out at home, then she struck a batter out before inducing another groundball to shortstop to see her way out the inning unscathed.
With the crisis averted, Lindsay and the Rams went on to defeat the Jaguars, 3-0, at Spring-Ford Senior High School, advancing to face No. 6 Coatesville in the second round on Wednesday.
“Just stay positive and keep my mind on the next batter,” Lindsay said of her thoughts during the top of the sixth inning. “I know that everyone behind me is going to back me up.”
Lindsay struck out five and allowed four hits in her complete game shutout on Monday. Garnet Valley coach George White was impressed by the righthander’s off-speed pitch.
“That changeup was really good,” White said. “When our girls are sitting on that fastball, which comes pretty good, and then that changeup comes at you, it’s tough.”
Before the sixth inning, Lindsay had allowed two hits and four total baserunners.
Jaguars’ first baseman Diane Torregrosa led off the top of the sixth with a single in the hole between third base and shortstop. Shortstop Sam Tomasetti followed with a base hit in the same area. Third baseman Reva Alderman loaded the bases when Lindsay hit her with a pitch.
The Jaguars could not come up with the hit needed to score a run and cut into the Spring-Ford lead.
“They got the key hits and we didn’t,” White said. “We had bases loaded and no outs, and we couldn’t come up with the big hit, and I think that was the difference in the game.”
The Rams started the game’s scoring in the third inning, when Lindsay, who went 2-for-3 and drove in two runs, hit a single to center to knock in catcher Megan Kern.
The Pioneer Athletic Conference champions struck again in the fifth. Centerfielder Maddy Little started off the inning with a single. After a sacrifice bunt and a walk. Designated player Abby Files, who went 3-for-3, drove her in with a single to left field. Lindsay followed with a fielder’s choice to push Kern across the plate.
That was it for the game’s scoring as Garnet Valley pitcher Allison Ferrante kept the Rams to three runs on seven hits. She stuck out two batters and got 11 of her 18 outs from ground balls.
“Their pitcher, I thought did a great job,” Spring-Ford coach Tim Hughes said.
The Rams, who won the Pioneer Athletic Conference championship last week, played a clean game on Monday. Spring-Ford committed one error on Monday and had five different players reach base.
“We just need to keep piecing things together,” Hughes said. “We’re predominantly not a good Monday team. I’m not sure too many teams are. But (Garnet Valley) played well enough, I believe, to win, and I’m happy to be here, happy to still be playing in the second round.”
The Jaguars end the season with a 14-8-1 record in White’s first year as the head coach.
“I didn’t know what to expect coming into it,” White said. “All the girls were new to me. We lost some games this year that we were winning at the end of the game, but we just couldn’t hold on. … We had a lot of young girls. We started four freshmen, so our future looks bright.”
