Softball: Young additions have Upper Darby on the rise

SPRINGFIELD >> In addition to having the talent to win a Central League championship, Upper Darby is using the element of surprise to roll over teams this season. With three freshmen in the starting lineup, they are putting the league on notice. The nucleus was in place last spring, when the Royals showed flashes of their potential. And those freshmen? Pitcher Rebecca Sorrentino has thrown every game. Her batterymate, Lexie Witmer, has been a two-way threat with her bat and work behind the plate. Camryn Young has flourished at the most premium position on the field — shortstop — while also excelling with the bat.

All-Delco center fielder Sam Witmer, Lexie’s big sister, anticipated this could be the year the Royals developed into a top-flight Central League program again, following a few rebuilding years. “We knew we had these three freshmen coming up, and we knew nobody knew about them,” said Sam, a junior. “We knew that, as long as we hit and played solid defense, we would (do well).” Witmer’s assessment proved true as Upper Darby defeated Springfield, 5-2, Thursday afternoon.

Not only did the Royals stay undefeated and take sole possession of first place, they became the first Central League team to beat Springfield in nearly two years. “It feels pretty good,” Sam Witmer said. “They’ve been the big team for two years or whatever, and now, we finally get to beat them.” “Since Day One, we’ve wanted to beat them,” Lexie added. “We knew they were the No. 1 team.”

The Witmer girls engineered a four-run rally in the sixth inning. Erin Redden led off with a bunt single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Ashley Anderson. Lexie Witmer then delivered a rocket to the gap in right-center for an RBI double. Batting cleanup, Sam Witmer immediately followed with an RBI single to push UD’s lead to 3-0. A bout of shoddy defense permitted the Royals to tack on two insurance runs against All-Delco Springfield ace Tori DePietro, who allowed three earned runs on seven hits while striking out three.

“We had good at-bats (in the fifth inning),” Lexie Witmer said. ‘We knew, right off the bat, that she was throwing it right down the middle. Strikes, for the most part. So, we just went out and said, let’s swing at the first pitch. That’s what we did, and it just kept going.”

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Sisters Lexie and Sam Witmer helped Upper Darby hand Springfield its first Central League loss in two years Thursday with a 5-2 win. Lexie, a freshman, was 2 for 3 with an RBI double, while Sam, a junior, added an RBI single and two runs scored.