Methacton’s offense delivers in win over Upper Merion

UPPER MERION >> Methacton’s offense didn’t get off to the strongest start this season. The Warriors were shut out in three of their first four games and scored one run in the other during a 1-3 start.

Over the next five games, Methacton scored 45 runs, an average of nine per game, while going 4-1.

That offensive success continued Wednesday afternoon when the Warriors picked up a 12-4 Pioneer Athletic Conference crossover win over Upper Merion at Upper Merion Area High School.

“The bats are starting to come around,” Methacton coach Lee Terry said. “Once one person gets hot – (Sydney) Hockenbrock and (Mady) Krupiewski are now starting to get hot and that’s what we expect with their bats and (Jillian) McTamney. Once one girl sees somebody hit, it does get easier.”

“We definitely have (turned a corner offensively) with practices,” Krupiewski said. “We’re hitting more at practices and everything.

“Once one person goes, cheering goes, and everything’s on.”

Methacton’s Reagan O’Donnell watches the pitcher from third base during a game against Upper Merion Wednesday, April 17, 2024. (Ed Morlock/MediaNews Group)

The Warriors (6-4, 5-2 PAC) totaled 16 hits in the game. They hit six doubles, including a pair from Hockenbrock, and one home run, an inside-the-park sprint around the bases by Krupiewski.

“We all just made solid contact,” Krupiewski, who went 3-for-4, said. “I made solid contact. We were pushing runs in. It all came as a team.”

The scoring started early with seven runs crossing the plate in the top of the first inning. After the leadoff batter popped out, the Warriors rattled off four straight hits, including Kaitlin Pettine’s RBI single and McTamney’s two-run double. After a strikeout and a walk, Krupiewski, Reagan O’Donnell and Sadie Fitch recorded back-to-back-to-back two-out RBI singles to lead 7-0 before taking the field for the first time.

“I love the fast start,” Terry said. “It takes the pressure off our pitcher. We had good at-bats, got a couple dribblers in the infield and took advantage of it, ran the bases well and put seven up. That takes all the pressure off us. It’s always a good start. We haven’t had many of those, so it was nice to get one.”

“We started our hitting really well,” Krupiewski said. “We all made contact, we were all cheering for each other and we had solid defense throughout the game.”

The advantage grew to 9-0 in the top of the third when Krupiewski singled and scored on an error and Maddie Baker hit an RBI single.

They added two more runs in the fifth inning on Krupiewski’s home run and Hockenbrock’s RBI double before finishing off the scoring with Jenna Kaufman’s RBI groundout in the sixth.

Methacton’s Sadie Fitch throws a pitch against Upper Merion Wednesday, April 17, 2024. (Ed Morlock/MediaNews Group)

Upper Merion (6-4, 4-3 PAC) got runners on base in every inning, but only managed to push runs across the plate in the third and fifth frames. Devon Maiden got the Vikings on the scoreboard with an RBI double in the bottom of the third before JoEllen Johnson’s two-run single cut their deficit to 9-3.

Molly Gilliland, who went 3-for-4, led off the bottom of the fifth with a single and scored on an error to get the Vikings within 11-4.

Upper Merion’s Ava DiDonato pitches against Methacton Wednesday, April 17, 2024. (Ed Morlock/MediaNews Group)

Methacton 12, Upper Merion 4

Methacton 702 021 0 – 12

Upper Merion 003 010 0 – 4

WP: Sadie Fitch 4 IP 3 K 4 BB 4 H 3 R

LP: Ava DiDonato 5 IP 4 K 1 BB 14 H 11 R

2B: M: Sydney Hockenbrock 2, Jillian McTamney, Reagan O’Donnell, Madelyn Polonsky, Maddie Baker. UM: Devon Maiden, Morgan Zimmerman.

HR: M: Mady Krupiewski.