Rian Reed retired the first 13 Hatboro-Horsham batters before allowing a single to Bella Karpovich in the fifth inning.
Reed said it was disappointing to give up a hit, but she understands that perfection isn't necessary.
The Plymouth Whitemarsh softball team didn't need a flawless performance from Reed to win their sixth game in a row on Friday afternoon.
Plymouth Whitemarsh's bats stayed hot, giving Reed a 5-0 lead after two innings and adding three more runs in the sixth. Kalina Childers hit a home run, contributing the last two runs as PW defeated the visiting Hatters 8-0.
Reed praised her team's defense and the clutch hits they made, especially mentioning Kalina's hit. She looks forward to next week with pride for the team's performance.
Reed struck out six batters in her one-hit shutout and only allowed one other baserunner, who reached on a walk in the sixth inning.
Reed aimed to control the ball's movement and induce outs, emphasizing the importance of efficiency over strikeouts.
Marissa Perez hit a two-RBI triple and scored twice, while Childers, batting eighth, hit a double and finished with 2 hits, an RBI, and 2 runs.
Childers highlighted the team's powerful lineup and their focus on offense, stating her role in keeping the lineup moving without focusing on her position in the lineup.
Childers, who recently announced her commitment to Jefferson University, finished the game by hitting a two-run homer in the sixth inning.
Childers expressed her focus on making solid contact and helping her teammate score when she hit the two-run homer in the sixth.
Before Friday's game, Plymouth Whitemarsh had been scoring double-digit runs in its past five games, but they only scored eight runs against the Hatters. However, they continue to outscore opponents 106-33 through 10 games.
PW coach Mike Perez mentioned the team's focus on hitting and the importance of strong offense in their league and schedule, especially in the game against Hatboro-Horsham pitcher Alyssa Tooley.
"Many of their key players are pitchers we have to face, so we've been concentrating on hitting against them, and it's been going very well. We've been practicing this all fall and winter, and even during the rainy days, we've been getting a lot of practice hitting indoors, which has been great to see pay off in a challenging game."
Friday's win places the Colonials in second place in the SOL Liberty, with Quakertown leading the standings. Quakertown was the team that handed PW its last loss, with a score of 9-2 on March 26.
Plymouth Whitemarsh has five games before their May 2 rematch at home against the Panthers. Next week, they will play four times over five days, starting with a visit to Springfield (Montco) at 3:45 p.m. on Monday.
"We make sure to have fun so that we can win, rather than just winning to have a good time," Childers said. "We actually started focusing on that last week, and that's what we've been keeping in mind."
Tooley suffered the loss for the Hatters (7-3, 6-2), giving up eight runs – seven earned – on seven hits in five-plus innings. She walked four and struck out eight.
Hatboro-Horsham, which had its two-game winning streak stopped, was shut out for the first time this season and the first time since losing 13-0 to Northern York in last season's PIAA-5A first round. The Hatters will visit William Tennent at 3:30 p.m. on Monday.
Marissa Perez started the bottom of the first with a single to right, then moved to second on a wild pitch. Caelin Kosvitch followed with a walk, with both runners advancing on a passed ball. In the next at-bat, Madison Moran made it 2-0 with her two-RBI single.
PW scored three more runs in the second inning. With one out, Childers doubled to left, then went to third on Emily Dobrowolski's bunt single.
"She's a great pitcher, so it's difficult to be selective with her because she moves the ball around a lot," Childers said about Tooley. "So I was just trying to hit the ones I knew were in the strike zone."
Marissa Perez hit a pitch to left for a two-RBI triple – PW's leadoff hitter was initially ruled out for having a foot out of the batter's box, but the call was changed, and the hit stood, putting the Colonials up 4-0.
Two batters later, Moran's two-out walk brought up Sam Skivo, who increased PW's lead to 5-0 with an RBI single to left center.
In the bottom of the sixth, Joslyn Perez and Reed drew consecutive walks. A wild pitch advanced the runners, with an error on a throw to third allowing Perez to score. Childers then hit a two-run homer to make it 8-0.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 8, Hatboro-Horsham 0
Hatboro-Horsham 000 000 0 – 0 1 1
Plymouth Whitemarsh 230 003 X – 8 7 0
WP: Rian Reed 7 IP 1H 0 R 0 ER 1 BB 7 SO.
LP: Alyssa Tooley pitched for 5 innings, allowing 7 hits, 8 runs (7 earned), 4 walks, and striking out 8.
2B: PW-Kalina Childers; 3B: PW-Marissa Perez; HR: PW-Childers.
Plymouth Whitemarsh: Childers went 2 for 3 with 1 RBI and 2 runs; M. Perez went 2 for 4 with 1 RBI and 2 runs; Madison Moran had 2 RBIs.
