Spinosa Slams Lady Hatters Into State Softball Tourney

Maria Spinosa was furious with herself when she fouled off a suicide-squeeze bunt attempt in the fourth inning of Thursday's PIAA 4-A District 1 softball play-in game between and Spring-Ford.

With the Lady Hatters ahead 2-1, the bases were loaded with one out, so Spinosa took her anger out on the ball, drilling the next pitch over the center-field fence for a grand slam that all but clinched Hatboro-Horsham's 8-1 victory to earn the fifth and final spot in the state tournament.

"We didn't want to go home," said Spinosa. "We said before the game we were not going to go home." 

The Lady Hatters (21-3) will begin their quest for a third state title in five years when they meet Central Dauphin of Harrisburg on Monday at a neutral site and time to be determined on Friday. No. 4 seed Central Dauphin scored a run in the seventh on Thursday evening to edge No. 3 Dallasville 7-6 for the District 3 championship at Millersville University.

Should Hatboro-Horsham win its first-round state playoff game, the Lady Hatters would likely force a rematch with Bishop Shanahan, the team that beat Hatboro-Horsham 1-0 in the District 1 quarterfinals last Friday afternoon.

Bishop Shanahan, the No. 5 seed in the district tournament, was stunned 2-1 by No. 10 North Penn — the third-place team behind No. 4-seeded Hatboro-Horsham and No. 6-ranked Central Bucks South in the Suburban One League/Continental Conference — Thursday at Plymouth-Whitemarsh High for the District 1 crown.

"I would love the chance to play Bishop Shanahan again," Hatboro-Horsham coach Joe DiFilippo said. "All of the other teams from our district (North Penn, Central Bucks South and Pennsbury) are in the other half of the draw. If we can win our first game and get by Bishop Shanahan, I like our chances to play (in the title game) at Penn State." 

A 2-1 lead probably would have been enough for the defending-state-champion Lady Hatters to punch their ticket back to the PIAA 4-A tournament for the third consecutive year with the way senior hurler Maggie Shaffer was spotting her pitches on Thursday at North Penn High School. 

But a 6-1 advantage midway through this game made third-seeded Spring-Ford's task seem monumental.

"You get a couple of runs with Maggie on the mound and everything is more relaxed,"  DiFilippo said. "Maria's grand slam was just icing on the cake for us."

Shaffer allowed one unearned run in the second inning, scattering two hits and two walks in the complete-game performance. She gave notice of the type of stuff she had in the first inning, fanning out the side on the way to five strikeouts. 

"Maggie's balls were moving as much as they have all season," said DiFilippo. "She probably had the best breaking stuff she has had all year."

After that early lack of success, Spring-Ford (20-5) began to attack her pitches more quickly and Shaffer responded by carving the Rams up in this 90-pitch gem.

With the wind blowing steadily towards left and center field, the Lady Hatters took advantage of the low, 195-foot outfield fences to blast three home runs and chase starting pitcher Jenna Lee by the fourth.

Chrissy James set the tone with one out in the top of the first when she smacked a two-two pitch over the left-field barrier to give Hatboro-Horsham a quick 1-0 lead.

"I was just trying to hit it hard," said James. "It was good, because it got us motivated." 

In the second, it was Heather Lutz's turn. Taking advantage of a 2-0 count with one out, the lefty-swinging Lutz (3-for-3) cracked a shot over the right-field fence to put the Lady Hatters ahead by two runs.

"I finally started hitting the ball well," said Lutz, who has thrived at North Penn over the years. "I started hitting my pitches instead of the pitcher's pitches."

The only nerves that Hatboro-Horsham showed during the day occurred in the second when Monisha Bates spun a crazy, little roller to short that Val Sadowl charged, but couldn't get to first in time to prevent an infield hit. 

Gabbie Tareilla pushed a sacrifice bunt attempt successfully down the first-base line, but Nicole Casagrand's throw to James covering at first pulled the second baseman off the bag for an error.

With two outs, Shaffer nearly got out of the jam, but Alexa Nadwodny slapped a single to right and Bates tried to score. Lutz's throw arrived in time to get Bates, but catcher Daria Edwards missed the tag on a nice slide and Bates had cut the Lady Hatter lead in half. 

But Shaffer retired No. 9 hitter Kylee Harris on a soft looper to Sadowl at short to end the inning and maintain the lead. 

That was really the only look the Rams had at this game.

Shaffer used her bat to begin the decisive rally in the fourth. She slapped a single, while Edwards beat out a one-out grounder that Bates dropped at short and Lutz ripped a 1-2 pitch into left for a base hit to load the bases.

That brought up Spinosa, who was a little surprised when she was flashed the squeeze sign.

"We were going to bunt for a hit, but I fouled it off," said Spinosa. "That was really frustrating, but then I got to swing away and I wanted to hit it hard."

Hatboro-Horsham put further distance between the state playoffs and Spring-Ford in the fifth when Jackie DiPietro initiated another threat by slapping a single to left. 

DiPietro hit in tough luck for most of the day, going 1-for-4 and being robbed three times of other hits by outstanding plays from Rams second baseman Cassie Alexy and first baseman Becca James.

But this time, DiPietro got aboard and James showed her versatility by bunting for a base hit. 

Sadowl, playing despite suffering from severe cold-like symptoms that had kept her in bed for much of Wednesday and Thursday, smashed a ball towards short and Bates throw to Alexy was misplayed for an error, with DiPietro scooting home.

By the time the Rams retrieved the loose ball in the outfield, James was waved home and her impeccable slide to evade a high throw at the plate gave Hatboro-Horsham a seven-run lead against reliever Haleigh Williams.

That was more than enough cushion for Shaffer, who retired nine of the last 10 batters in easy fashion.

Since Bishop Shanahan's Kate Poppe struck out 17 and blanked the Lady Hatters on Friday, Hatboro-Horsham has rebounded to score 21 runs on 22 hits in two games.

"We have such a good lineup that anyone can come through for us," said James. "Everybody can hit the ball." 

DiFilippo couldn't argue with that sentiment. 

"I'll take that win and go on from there," said DiFilippo. "You hit the ball like we've been hitting the ball the past two games and we will give anybody a game."