Softball: Underdog Garnet Valley shocks Spring-Ford, 8-6, in District 1-6A second round

ROYERSFORD >> Jaguars don’t fly. They don’t bark either.

But Wednesday afternoon, the Garnet Valley softball Jaguars did both — and had the bite to match.

Channeling their inner Eagles — the Philadelphia NFL variety — the underdog No. 15 Jaguars, after ceding an early four-run lead, were soaring in a four-run sixth inning to pull off an upset of No. 2 Spring-Ford, 8-6, in the second round of the District 1 Class 6A playoffs at Spring-Ford’s Ram Park.

In dealing Spring-Ford (17-2) just its second defeat of the season, Garnet Valley gained entrance into the district quarterfinals where it will face No. 7 Downingtown West (a 9-2 winner over Council Rock South) on Friday.

The Jaguars (15-6) may not be favored then either, but that fits with their identity.

“We’re the underdogs,” catcher Lindsey Hunt said. “This entire game we’ve been saying, ‘We’re the Eagles!’ We have a dog mask in (the dugout); we say we’re the Eagles and we felt like if they could do it, why can’t we?”

Indeed, the Jaguars have a replica of the dog mask made famous by the Eagles’ Chris Long and Lane Johnson, which Hunt copped to wearing most. It definitely worked as the junior went 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored while igniting the pivotal sixth inning with a leadoff double. Leadoff hitter Diane Torregrossa was 3-for-4 with two RBI while Kelly McLaughlin (2-for-3, RBI) and Kayleigh Saboja (1-for-3, two RBI) had run-scoring hits in the sixth inning.

Garnet Valley sophomore pitcher Becca Halford (7 IP, 10 hits, 6 R, 4 ER, 2 K, 1 BB) didn’t mind the expectations either.

“I think it helped us,” she said. “No one expected us to win so I think it worked in our favor.”

The loss made for an abrupt end to Spring-Ford’s promising season that saw the Rams — a PIAA semifinalist a year ago — go undefeated in the Pioneer Athletic Conference (16-0) and settle for a Liberty Division championship after the PAC playoffs were cancelled due to last week’s never-ending inclement weather.

The record and seeding ignores the fact the Rams were trying to replace seven seniors, including two-time Mercury All-Area Player of the Year Megan Kern, from last year’s District 1 and PIAA semifinalist.

“Losing seven seniors from last year, we had a lot of kids that were untested and we did about as good as we could during the season, won a lot of close games,” Spring-Ford coach Tim Hughes said. “We were just young.”

Maddy Walsh went 3-for-4 with three RBI and freshman Bri Peck was 2-for-4 for Spring-Ford.

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Garnet Valley pitcher Becca Halford, center, hugs Jaguars assistant coach Allie White, left, after recording the final out of the Jaguars’ 8-6 District 1-6A playoff win over Spring-Ford Wednesday. (Austin Hertzog – Digital First Media)