Souderton Scores Dramatic Win Over Lady Hatters in Softball

FRANCONIA, PA. — It probably was a good thing that heavy rain prevented the Hatboro-Horsham High School softball team from having to play its next scheduled game on Wednesday, giving the Lady Hatters an extra day to regroup from a devastating 8-6 loss on Tuesday in a crucial Suburban One League/Continental Conference game against first-place Souderton.

The Lady Hatters were poised to escape with a 6-4 victory when Souderton shortstop Missy Wiley popped up a pitch from HHHS pitcher Kaeli Simmons straight up behind the plate with two outs and the bases loaded,

The ball stayed in play and catcher Bridgett Schaffer settled under the pop-up with Simmons racing next to her. The ball landed in the catcher's mitt for a second and then bounced out before Schaffer could secure it, leaving Wiley with a second chance.

Wilty made the most of her reprieve, slamming a pitch that was high and well outside of the strike zone over the left-field fence and just beyond the reach of HHHS outfielder Jackie Locke for a game-winning grand slam.

As Hatboro-Horsham walked off the field in stunned silence, a wild celebration erupted for Wiley and the Indians as she crossed home plate among a sea of Souderton players.

It was the second homer of the day for Wiley, the sixth-place batter in the Souderton lineup, who accounted for six RBIs with her two-run blast over the center-field fence in the fourth off HHHS starting pitcher Lexie Campbell and her walk-off grand slam in the seventh.

All four runs in the seventh were unearned, with the Lady Hatters committing two other errors on a missed tag at first on a bunt from pitcher Erelle Sowers and a Paige Shelly grounder to short in the first three batters of the inning.

That left Hatboro-Horsham with an astounding 25 errors in 10 games this season.

The Lady Hatters broke open a 0-0 deadlock in the top of the fourth inning when they manufactured three runs and led the rest of the way until Souderton's dramatic finish.

Third baseman Daria Edwards, Cader and Locke lashed consecutive singles to open the fourth, Locke's drive to center scoring Edwards with the first run of the game.

With one out and runs on second and third, Simmons squeezed home Cader for a bunt single and when the ball got away from Souderton catcher Morgan Yoder, Locke raced home alertly with the third run of the inning.

Campbell held down the Indians' potent bats allowing just three hits in three innings before Dayna Shelly launched a triple down the right field line on an 0-2 pitch and Wiley followed with her first home run, just out of the reach of center fielder Jen Cader on the other side of the fence.

Hatboro-Horsham tacked on two runs in the fifth on an RBI single to left from Locke brought in Edwards, who had walked and a Yoder error on an overthrow to third allowed Cader to score.

Souderton trimmed the lead to 5-4 in the bottom of the fifth against a suddenly-tiring Campbell, with doubles by Sowers and Shelly being the key blows.

A ground-rule mistake from the umpires cost Souderon dearly in that inning when Shelly's double rolled beyond the right-field fence into an out-of-play area, but play was allowed to continue.

HHHS right fielder DeAnna Moyer threw up her arms to signal that the ball had gone out of play, but then picked it up and rifled it home. In the confusion, Schaffer gunned out Haley DeLany at third base for a key out.

Souderton argued after the fact that play should have been dead, but the out was allowed to stand and Simmons relieved Campbell and coaxed a pop-up to short from Wiley to strand Shelly at second base, representing the tying run.

The Lady Hatters added what looked like a huge insurance run in the top of the seventh when Edwards (2-for-2, three runs scored) ripped a double to the left-field barrier and Locke laced the ball off the center field wall for her fourth single and fourth RBI.

Only a great play by Amanda Brush in center kept Locke from extra bases on the play.

But in the bottom of the frame, the Lady Hatters fell apart defensively. After the first two errors of the inning bookend a pop-up by Brush to Edwards at third, the Lady Hatters pitched around DeLany, walking her on four pitches to load the bases.

Simmons got the second out of the inning on Shelly's pop to Megan Hallock at short and got Wilty to pop up for a second time before the third error of the inning set up the final dramatics.

Second baseman Jaynie Black was 2-for-4 with a double and played impeccable defense again for the Lady Hatters.

Now 5-4 in conference and 6-4 overall, Hatboro-Horsham will need some help to keep alive its string of four consecutive conference titles. Surprising Souderton improved to 9-2 overall and 6-1 in conference play, to lead Central Bucks East by a half-game, with Central Bucks South a game behind that.

HHHS is tied with North Penn for fourth place in the ever-tough Continental Conference, three games back in the loss column with five conference games to play.

There was a better outcome at the junior varsity level for Hatboro-Horsham, which broke an 8-8 deadlock in the sixth for a 14-9 victory over Souderton.

Shrtstop Megan Fitzgerald slammed her first homer of the season over the fence in dead center and Taylor Sciuba drilled a home run to left for her second homer in an many games.

Starting pitcher Brynn Griffith and Sciuba combined in the circle to keep Souderton's offense at bay.

If field conditions allow, Hatboro-Horsham will be in action for one of three night games this season on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in Sellersville's Druckenmiller Park against struggling Pennridge.

The Lady Hatters beat the Rams 3-0 at home in the first round of conference play behind Campbell's first career shutout and complete game.

Pennridge (4-7, 2-6) captured only its second conference win on Tuesday, getting revenge against Quakertown with a 7-3 victory.

Should Thursday's game be delayed, it will be made up Saturday afternoon at Druckenmiller Park. The Lady Hatters travel to arch-rival Central Bucks South for a 3:45 p.m. game on Friday.