Groarke, Christopher Dock blank Springfield-Montco in District 1-AA semifinals
UPPER DUBLIN >> After missing the early part of the regular season, battling through some injury problems, young Emily Groarke was in the circle when Christopher Dock opened the playoffs on Tuesday, looking strong, confident and pitching the Pioneers to a 10-0 shutout of Springfield-Montco.
“She’s getting stronger,” Dock coach Wayne Benner said of his sophomore right-hander, who allowed just two hits in the six-inning semifinal contest. “We’re really just starting to stretch her out now.”
Groarke has the Pioneers back in the District One Class AA Final, where they will face rival St. Basil in a rematch of last year’s final, won by Basil, 4-3.
Basil’s also won 10-0 on Tuesday, moving on past No. 4 New Hope. The title game is set for Thursday at 4 p.m. at William Tennent.
“I was more confident this time around because I had exposure,” Groarke said of her second year of postseason play. “This was definitely fun, and I’m excited for Thursday.”
Groarke struck out six, walked three and had one hit batter in six innings of shutout ball. In addition, she drove in the game’s first run, knocking a single to center to give Dock a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third.
The Pioneers, with RBIs from Jill Bolton, Lanae Hunsberger and Olivia Boyle, would score five in the frame.
“That one inning broke the game open,” said Groarke, who was 2-for-3 from the leadoff spot with a walk, RBI and run scored. “That helped me so much, gave me a good cushion to just keep going.”
Groarke struck out Sam Wynne to start the fourth, got Jen Hammons to pop out, and after a single by Gabby Gaskin, struck out Kaitlyn Cannon for the third out.
Amethyst Friel, Ella Barlick and Theresa Beck all drove in runs for Dock (12-8) in the fifth, boosting the margin to 9-0 against a quality starter in Hammons, who will play college ball next season at Division III Ursinus.
“It’s good to get a win, but it’s also good to face a good pitcher and get past it,” Benner said.
The Pioneers put it away in the sixth, as Melea Ruth’s RBI single to center made it 10-0, enforcing the mercy rule and sending Dock to the district final.
The Spartans, with a promising future ahead, finished their season 8-9.
“We’re a really young team,” Spartans co-coach Josh Ringgold said of his squad, which loses only two senior starters to graduation. “We’ll keep working hard. Next year, we’ll come out and try to perform a little bit better. Hats off to Dock — they played a good game.
“(With a lot of freshmen and sophomores), we have a lot to work on. Hopefully the girls will play over the summer, a little tournament ball, maybe a couple clinics, and then we’ll keep working and come back next year.”
