Molly Moore’s gem sends Plymouth Whitemarsh to District 1-6A semifinals, states
WHITEMARSH >> Plymouth Whitemarsh pitcher Molly Moore admitted she didn’t have her best stuff in the first round of the District 1-6A playoffs earlier this week. She only struck out two batters, but strong defense helped her hold Souderton to one run.
Moore was better in the second round Wednesday, fanning 12 batters and pitching No. 12 PW to an upset win over Spring-Ford.
With a trip to states and the District 1-6A semifinals on the line Friday, Moore was at her best. The right-hander struck out 15 batters and scattered six hits in a 2-1 quarterfinal win over No. 13 Pennridge at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School’s Victory Field.
“I feel like Monday and Wednesday warmed me up a little,” Moore said. “Throwing that much, but not too much. Monday I had 66 pitches or something like that. I feel like I built up to this.
“I had to trust what I have. Changeup came up big in a couple moments in there. My defense really did have my back. That last play of the inning, the little pop ups around – those are tough plays. The defense always has my back and I felt like today I felt better than Wednesday – I felt like I had it a little more. I think Tuesday (district semifinal) is going to be good.”
“We’ve been talking the past couple games she hasn’t been at her best but she was good enough,” PW coach Mike Perez said. “Today, she was just absolutely phenomenal. Fifteen (strikeouts), one earned run against a really talented lineup there. The pitches were on. She was getting squeezed a little bit and did not let it fluster her. She was able to fight through that and still manage to get the outs we needed.”
Moore struck out at least two batters in each of the first six innings before her defense recorded the first and third outs of the seventh.
After she allowed her only run in the game in the top of the fourth inning – when Ashleigh Kenworthy hit a two-out double and scored on Clara Barron’s RBI triple – Moore got a strike out to end the inning and leave the go-ahead run on third base.
She stranded three runners in scoring position in the game, including another in the top of the fifth inning with the game tied and the heart of Pennridge’s lineup at the plate.
“We left a lot of people on base,” Pennridge coach Wendy Iadonisi said, “didn’t execute bunts when we needed it. Those little things come back to bite you.”
Pennridge pitcher Averi Dockery was also impressive in the circle. In six innings he struck out nine batters to one walk and allowed two runs – one earned – on five hits. Both runs scored on balls that didn’t leave the infield.
The Colonials took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning when Joslyn Perez singled, Marissa Perez walked and Caelin Kosvitch singled to load the bases with one out. Moore followed with a hard-hit ball up the middle that deflected off Dockery’s glove to bring home Joslyn Perez.
In the bottom of the fifth, Kosvitch singled and advanced to second on a pitch in the dirt. She was aggressive running the bases and moved to third on a groundout to third base. With two outs, she scored what proved to be the game-winning run when Rian Reed grounded into an error.
“That’s been our goal and that’s what happened at Spring-Ford on Wednesday,” Mike Perez said. “We talk about put it in play and things will happen. We have good team speed, we have good baserunners. If you can put it in play things will happen. Put some pressure on the defense.”
“You have to give them credit to put the ball in play,” Iadonisi said. “I wouldn’t say that it was us causing a lot of errors that made it happen, but I think us not performing when we needed to left the game wide open for them.”
PW will face No. 1 North Penn in the District 1 semifinals Tuesday while Pennridge will face No. 8 Ridley for a spot in the state playoffs.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 2, Pennridge 1
Pennridge 000 100 0 – 1
Plymouth Whitemarsh 001 010 x – 2
WP: Molly Moore 7 IP 15 K 1 BB 6 H 1 R
LP: Averi Dockery 6 IP 9 K 1 BB 5 H 2 R
2B: PR: Ashleigh Kenworthy 2.
3B: PR: Clara Barron.
