Casagrand, Wallace Pitch Lady Hatters To Wins At Lansdale Catholic

In the world of PIAA 4-A softball, there are going to be days when you need to rely on pitching, defense and timely hitting to earn a win.

Such was the case for both Hatboro-Horsham High School softball teams on Wednesday afternoon in non-conference games at Lansdale Catholic.

Senior left-hander Nicole Casagrand shut down the young Lansdale Catholic attack on three hits and shortstop Daria Edwards smacked a two-run homer in the third inning to help the Lady Hatter varsity to a 3-0 victory.

Emily Wallace, meanwhile, was spectacular in JV play with a career-high 17 strikeouts in a 7-1 Hatboro-Horsham win. Wallace allowed one unearned run, scattering three hits and two walks.

Coming off two straight playoff appearances, Lansdale Catholic is relying on youngsters to restock its program. But the Crusaders were able to stay in the varsity contest by playing stellar defense. 

"We hit a lot of balls right at people," said Hatboro-Horsham coach Joe DiFilippo, whose team managed eight hits.

Edwards finally got the Lady Hatters on the scoreboard in the top of the third inning with a booming home run to make it 2-0.

But that was about all Casagrand needed. Using a screwball effectively, the fireballer struck out five batters and walked just one on a day when she was throwing against a significant headwind. 

Hatboro-Horsham (2-0) added an insurance run in the fifth to give Casagrand some breathing room.

Center fielder Jen Cader ripped a double and third baseman Maria Spinosa (2-for-2) followed with a double of her own to pick up a key RBI.

Left fielder Carlie Johnson also had a double for the Lady Hatters. 

Lansdale Catholic got a pair of runners on in the seventh, but Edwards snuffed out any potential rally with an unassisted double play to end the game.

In junior varsity play, a pop-up that fell untouched and a pair of singles in the bottom of the first put Wallace and company in a 1-0 deficit, a hole that Hatboro-Horsham was unable to dig out of until the fourth inning.

Wallace used her bat and her legs to help the JV Hatters to the lead. She led off the top of the fourth with a booming shot to dead center that would have been a long home run on most days. 

The ball got knocked down by the windy gael in the outfield, but not before it just cleared the Crusader center fielder and ticked off her glove for a double.

Wallace went to third on a cracking single up the middle by third baseman Bria Cashman with one out and Cashman stole second a pitch later.

Lansdale Catholic looked to be out of trouble when catcher Emmy Rivkin struck out for what would have been the third out of the inning, but the ball got away from the Crusader catcher and Wallace alertly dashed home to tie the score on the passed ball.

Rivkin was safe at first on the play and the catcher's throw to first sailed down the right-field line as Cashman was showing her base-running instincts to race home with the go-ahead run. 

Wallace pitched with the pressure of a one-run lead until the sixth when the Lady Hatters finally erupted for five consecutive hits and five runs.

The sophomore hurler started this rally as well with a looping double to right-center and left fielder Jamie Mroz plated her with a hard hit single up the middle.

Cashman (2-for-3, two runs) followed with another line-drive single and shortstop Meghan Fitzgerald beat out an infield roller for a base hit to score Mroz.

Rivkin loaded the bases with by grounding a single to right and designated hitter Kaeli Simmons picked up an RBI with a soaring sacrifice fly to center. 

An error at shortstop on a grounder by first baseman Jackie Locke (2-for-4) allowed Hatboro-Horsham to pick up two more runs before the inning ended.

Ahead suddenly 7-1, Wallace over-matched the Crusader batters the rest of the way. 

What little defensive help the hard-throwing Wallace needed came in the third inning when Charlotte Coulson snared a liner to right for the only outfield putout the Lady Hatters (2-0) would receive.

When spring break ends next week, Hatboro-Horsham will embark on a three-game stretch that includes two Continental Conference contests and then a non-conference game at Conestoga next Friday. 

The Lady Hatters will open conference play on Tuesday at home against Central Bucks East and will travel to Souderton two days later for 3:30 p.m. showdowns.

CB East, with a potentially heavy-hitting lineup led by Boston College-bound outfielder Allie Chase, is considered by some observers to be the team to beat in the tough Continental Conference this season.

"We will see how good we are right away," said DiFilipo.