Hatboro-Horsham Opens Season With Softball Wins

The names may have changed, but the goals remain the same for the Hatboro-Horsham High School girls softball program at the start of another season.

The 2013 campaign got off to a successful start on a cold and blustery day at Harry S. Truman High on Friday, with both varsity and junior varsity squads winning lopsided games.

Nicole Casagrand began her senior season with a solid complete-game varsity effort for an 11-1 victory, while Kaeli Simmons was similarly effective in leading the JV Hatters to an impressive 14-4 triumph in five innings.

The Lady Hatter varsity took charge with a pair of runs in the first inning and broke the game open with a four-run fifth. A five-run outburst in the seventh completed the 10-run win.

Casagrand allowed five hits, zero walks and struck out five.

Maria Spinosa led the Hatboro-Horsham offense with a 3-for-5 performance and scored two runs, while Daria Edwards was 2-for-4 with a pair of runs and Jaynie Black delivered a 2-for-3 afternoon with one run scored. 

Heather Lutz provided power to the Lady Hatter attack with a two-run homer. 

With temperatures hovering near 40 degrees, it was a good day to make short work of an opponent.

No program has been more successful at the PIAA's top level of competition than the Lady Hatters over the past seven years, with two 4-A state titles (2008 and 2011), one runner-up finish (2006) and a District I crown (2010).

There is an expectation among those in this Hatboro-Horsham program to aim for Continental Conference, District I and state honors every year, something that is instilled in the players' minds even before they arrive on campus.

Anticipation ran so high in this program last year that many considered the 2012 season a disappointment, despite a 22-4 record, a share of the conference title with eventual state 4-A champion Central Bucks South and a run to the state quarterfinals.

Losses to state runner-up Bishop Shanahan in the district and state quarterfinals fueled an intense off-season of workouts.

While the 2012 Lady Hatters had a very large target on them as the defending district and state champion, the 2013 club may actually thrive on the fact that it can fly beneath the radar with the graduation losses of pitcher Maggie Shaffer (now at Guilford College), shortstop Val Sadowl (Connecticut), center fielder Jackie DiPietro (Seton Hall) and second baseman Chrissy James. 

But other teams, even in the tough Continental Conference, had better not overlook coach Joe DiFilippo third Hatboro-Horsham team.

Left-handed fireballer Casagrand has been waiting in the wings as Shaffer's backup for two years and the Maryland-Baltimore County-bound hurler is ready to prove herself as one of the top pitchers in the area.

Casagrand proved to be an athletic defender at first base last season and will probably be at that bag when she doesn't pitch. She can also play in the outfield.

Casagrand is supported by senior righty Emily Wrenn, who posses one of the best change-ups around. But Wrenn, who was already recovering from a knee injury that ended her 2012 season, is just returning after being sidelined by mononucleosis.

Sophomores Emily Wallace and Lexi Campbell are the next generation of pitchers looking for opportunities. Campbell will back up Edwards at short and Wallace will start the season on the JV as a pitcher and third baseman. 

Jamie Shaffer, the father of Maggie Shaffer, returns as the team's pitching coach, while Kathy Lutz is taking on the role as the hitting coach after several seasons as the JV head coach.

A solid core of starters return for Hatboro-Horsham's varsity, led by hard-hitting junior Edwards, senior third baseman Spinosa, senior first baseman Lutz and sophomore Jen Cader.

Edwards started as catcher last season, but will likely anchor the defense at shortstop in 2013, while Cader — another versatile player, who can play at catcher as a lefty — will move to center field.

Senior left fielder Carlie Johnson, like Edwards, Spinosa, Lutz, Casagrand, Wrenn and Adrienne Giuliani, has a gold medal from the 2011 state championship, but she missed the 2012 season while recovering from a broken wrist and several surgical procedures.

Johnson is expected to return more speed to the lineup and should provide another big bat. 

Giuliani, one of the hardest working players on the team is starting at second base. Sophomore Jaynie Black is battling for time at second base and will also serve as a designated hitter.

Speedy junior outfielder Maggie Leisch and the sophomore Campbell, who also plays several infield positions besides pitching, have moved up from the JV team after joining the varsity for the 2012 playoffs.

Three talented freshmen, DeAnna Moyer, Bridgett Shaeffer and Andrea Baldus, will try to earn playing time on this veteran roster. 

Moyer has made a quick impression both in hitting and fielding to earn a starting job in rightfield. 

Shaeffer is a strong defensive performer as catcher and has enabled DiFilippo to solidify his defense by moving Edwards to short and Cader to centerfield. 

The current Lady Hatters JV squad is an equal mix of veterans and talented newcomers, being melded together by a rookie coach, Brooke Muth.

Muth learned the game in one of the top programs in District I, under legendary coach Frank McSherry at Pennsbury before moving on to a college career at West Chester University. 

She has seven returning players to give the JV Hatters experience, pitcher-third baseman Wallace, infielder Jackie Locke, third baseman Bria Cashman, outfielders Charlotte Coulson and Samantha Malageri, infielder-outfielder Miranda Nish and first baseman Jessica Eble.

After a rough start in last week's 14-1 scrimmage loss to Neshaminy, the JV Hatters regrouped in a hurry on Friday.

Freshman second baseman Kayla Richards provided an early spark when she raced to first base on a wild pitch after striking out in the first inning. 

That show of hustle turned into a pair of runs when Wallace reached on an infield hit and the Truman pitcher walked three straight batters after the inning was extended.

Simmons worked through a teammate's error and stranded a runner on third base in the bottom of the first, with one of her three strikeouts overall.

That allowed Hatboro-Horsham to keep the momentum and the Lady Hatters pushed their lead to 7-0 with two runs in the second and three in the third.

Following walks to Coulson (4 walks, 3 runs and a stolen base in 4 plate appearances, 1 outfield assist defensively) and Locke to open the second, strong base running by the pair helped Richards and Simmons to pick up RBIs on ground outs.

Hatboro-Horsham finally got the bats warmed up in the third when consecutive singles by Locke, Richards and Simmons resulted in three runs with two outs.

Locke (3-for-4, 3 runs, 5 RBIs) drove home Emily Griffiths with another base hit in the fourth to make it 8-0. 

After Truman countered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth, the JV Hatters responded with six runs in the fifth to put the game out of reach, keyed by a triple from Wallace (2-for-2, 2 walks, 2 runs) and a double from Locke. 

Among the other freshmen making early contributions have been pitcher-shortstop Meghan Fitzgerald, catcher Emmy Rivkin and utility player Jamie Mroz. 

Also on the roster are freshman twin left-handers Carli and Kaylin Mount.

Both Lady Hatters softball teams were scheduled be back in action on Tuesday at Lansdale Catholic for a 3:45 p.m. game. But that game was postponed due to poor field conditions.

David Coulson is a veteran freelance writer and author, whose experience includes a two-year stint at the Los Angeles Times. He is currently the FCS Senior Editor for Football.com. You can also read his work at his Web site, www.college-sports-journal.com.