WC East edges Shanahan in pitcher’s duel to claim District 5A crown

MALVERN—It’s always tough to beat a good team three times, especially when that team is the defending district champion, and features one of the top pitchers in the state. But Thursday afternoon, the top-seeded West Chester East Vikings (22-2) did just that, edging No. 2 Bishop Shanahan 1-0 in a classic pitcher’s duel, capturing the District 1, Class 5A championship in the process. It is the first district title in school history.

West Chester East move on to the PIAA championship tournament. I Monday’s first round, the Vikings will play the fourth place finisher from District 3, either Dallastown or Chambersburg, at a site and time to be determined.

“I’m very proud of this team, and really happy for the seniors,” said East coach Bobby Swier. “This was a total team effort and they battled hard all the way. Hats off to Shanahan, too. (Devon Miller) is a great pitcher, and it speaks great things for our league that we had two Ches-Mont teams here playing for a district title, and another (Downingtown West) playing in the 6A final tomorrow.”

Miller and Vikings pitcher Jess Gomez had a duel for the ages, with the game going scoreless for five and two thirds innings. Neither team so much as threatened in the first five innings, with only Kelsey McLaughlin getting a base hit for East, while Miller and Ava Laughlin were the only Shanahan batters to reach base, each on singles.

“Jess has been great all season for us,” said Swier. “We’ve been lucky that we could count on two different pitchers to come through for us, with Jess and Olivia Ronayne. Today it was Jess, and she pitched a great game the the defense played great behind her, which had kind of been our mantra all year.”

Miller (6 IP, 1 R, 3H, 12K, 0BB) had whiffed seven straight when Kinzie Thompson came up with two outs in the bottom of the sixth. The lefty lead-off hitter did her job, slapping a ball that just slipped through the lefr side of the infield.

“It was the bottom of the sixth so we all had our rally caps and were super excited,” said Thompson. “With two outs, I was just trying to get my bat on the ball and hopefully beat something out. This season has been so much fun. This is such a great group of girls, and it is great for our school.”

Mclaughlin was next, and delivered in a big way, ripping a double to the gap in left-center to score Thompson and give her team a 1-0 lead going into the game’s final inning.

“All year long we’ve been a two out hitting team, and we’ve all got each other’s backs all the time,” said Mclaughlin (2 for 3, 2B, RBI). “So when Kinzie got on, I just knew I had to put the ball in play, mover her over and get on myself, knowing that Paige would come through behind me.”

Gomez picked up the pitching win with seven strong innings. She allowed no runs on three hits, striking out six and walking none.

Shanahan looked like they might put something together in the top half of the sixth, when number nine hitter Megan Whitaker led off the inning with a single to right, then moved up sixty-feet on a ground out from Emily Sano. Alexa Peterson followed, sending East right fielder Kate Douglass way, way back to make the grab. Douglass then fired to second to double off Whitaker, who had left on contact.

“One little base running error and this might have been a different game,” lamented Shanahan coach Ron Savastio. “Devon Pitched an amazing game for us. But that is a really good team over there in West Chester East. They are well-coached and did what they needed to do to beat us again. But we aren’t done yet. We’re still going to states. Who knows? Maybe we’ll see them again in state finals.”

Next up for the Eagles is a first round state game against the District 11 champions, either Southern Lehigh or Bangor, at a site and time to be determined.

Shanahan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0—0
WC East 0 0 0 0 0 1 X—1

2B—McLaughlin

Miller (L) 6 IP, 1 R, 1ER, 3H, 12K, 0BB
Gomez (W) 7 IP, 0 R, 3H, 6K, 0BB