Offense Comes Alive in Lady Hatter Softball Win at Norristown

NORRISTOWN, PA. — If Hatboro-Horsham High School needed a low-pressure softball game to regain its equilibrium on Monday, Norristown provided the perfect opponent and a 15-2, six-inning victory kept the Lady Hatters hopes of a District One postseason berth alive.

Jen Cader came excruciatingly close to hitting for the cycle to pace a 10-hit attack and starting pitcher Taylor Sciubba overcame some freshman nerves in her first varsity game, with relief help from Kaeli Simmons, as HHHS improved to 9-7 with two games remaining in the regular season.

The Lady Hatters (9-7 overall) will play their annual senior night game on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Hatboro Little League complex against Central Bucks West. Hatboro-Horsham, will honor three graduating players, Charlotte Coulson, Daria Edwards and Megan Hallock.

The varsity contest will be proceeded by a junior varsity game between H-H and CB West at 5 p.m.

Then, the regular season ends with a road game at Garnet Valley at 3:45 p.m. on Wednesday.

On a day where all 17 Lady Hatters on the varsity roster earned playing time, Hatboro-Horsham overcame an early 1-0 deficit to break things open with a five-run second, a four-run fourth and a six-run sixth to dominate an undermanned Eagles squad.

Cader, who was 4-for-4 with two runs scored, two RBIs, a stolen base and a walk in five plate appearances was at the forefront in two of the three big innings. She led off the second with a triple to left as the Lady Hatters batted around, eventually scoring the game-tying run on a wild pitch.

In the third, Cader led off again and doubled to the left-center-field gap, but was stranded at third.

The left-handed center fielder walked in the fourth inning to load the bases, right before Jackie Locke looped an RBI single to center

Cader picked up her base hit in the sixth, again as the lead-off batter, slapping a grounder to short and beating the throw to first by a step.

When she came up with the bases loaded in the sixth, Cader needed a home run to complete her amazing day and nearly delivered. The junior spitfire rapped a liner to center that the Norristown fielder was barely able to corral and cut off, holding her to another double.

Had the ball gotten by, the speedy Cader would have rounded the bases for an easy, inside-the-park homer.

Sciubba, the tallest and hardest-throwing of the hurlers in Hatboro-Horsham's program, was surprised with her first varsity assignment and became the first pitcher not named Lexie Campbell to start in the circle this season.

"That was pretty good for her first varsity game," said H-H pitching coach Jamie Shaffer.

Sciubba got in trouble immediately in the first with a walk to the lead-off batter and then froze on a low-flying pop-up to her right that fell in for an infield hit. One run eventually came around to score on another walk and a wild pitch, but Scuibba fanned a pair of batters to get out of trouble.

There were two more walks to open the second, but then Sciubba struck out the side to strand them on first and second.

Three more walks and a passed ball contributed to another run in the third, but a nice play at first by Locke left a couple of more runners on base.

When Sciuba walked two more batters to start the fourth, she was replaced by Simmons, who retired the side, one-two-three and allowed only two harmless singles the rest of the way for the save.

Sciubba finished with six strikeouts and nine walks, but allowed just one hit to earn her first varsity victory.

Coach Joe DiFilippo juggled his lineup again, putting DeAnna Moyer back in the lead-off role and dropping struggling slapper Hallock to ninth in the order.

Hatboro-Horsham ran itself out of an inning in the first on a double play, left Cader stranded at third in the third and also left the bases loaded in the fourth. But in between those lost opportunities, the Lady Hatters built a 9-2 advantage and cruised the rest of the way.

Black was 3-for-3 with two runs scored, three RBIs and a sacrifice fly, in addition to playing slick defense at second and third base.

Hallock scored after all three of her plate appearances, walking twice, getting aboard on an infield hit and stealing four bases.

Returning to Suburban One League/Continental Conference play for one final time this season on Tuesday, the Lady Hatters need a win over a CB West club that has failed to win a conference tilt in the past two seasons.

Should the Lady Hatters win their final conference game on Tuesday night against CB West, Hatboro-Horsham (7-6 in conference) can forge a tie for fourth in the final standings if CB East (8-8, 8-4) loses to Souderton and Central Bucks South squads that are fighting with North Penn for at least a piece of the conference title.

HHHS and CB East split two games in the regular season, the Lady Hatters winning 7-4 on the road and losing 3-2 in 10 innings at home. 

With a non-conference games at Garnet Valley on Wednesday afternoon, Hatboro-Horsham has the opportunity to finish on a high note with three consecutive wins and an 11-7 record, while the Patriots are in serious danger of finishing with an overall losing mark.

North Penn coach Rick Torresani, the conference representative when District One holds its seeding and selection meeting and makes the playoff bracket later this week, said he expects five Continental Conference teams to make the field.

But if only four get in, the Lady Hatters would seem to hold a slight edge over CB East if the two teams are tied for fourth in conference play.