Softball: Springfield’s DePietro finds redemption with walk-off home run

SPRINGFIELD >> Monday was shaping up to be a frustrating afternoon for Springfield All-Delco Tori DePietro.

She was relieved in the midst of a rough outing from the circle. It was, perhaps, her least-memorable start in four varsity seasons.

One of the top talents in the county, and a two-time All-Delco, DePietro simply couldn’t find her rhythm and Garnet Valley made her pay.

Springfield’s ace was removed in the fourth inning after allowing six runs to a scorching-hot Garnet Valley lineup. Yeah, those Jags have been pretty relentless lately, winners of six in a row.

DePietro flipped the ball to rookie Jenna Casasanto with two outs. A freshman, Casasanto was making her pitching debut against a lineup that scored 75 runs the last six games.

DePietro moved to shortstop, where Casasanto had been playing. Casasanto shut the Jaguars out the rest of the way. Springfield chipped away at a six-run deficit, and in the bottom of the seventh with two outs and runners on first and second, DePietro had her shot at redemption.

It was as though this moment was reserved for DePietro, and she didn’t disappoint. She belted a pitch from Garnet Valley’s Allison Ferrante into deep center field for a walk-off, three-run home run. DePietro’s teammates mobbed her at home plate. A 7-6 decision over their Central League foes, it was the best win of the season for the Cougars (9-2, 8-2).

On the flip side, it was a stinging defeat for the Jaguars, who were playing as well as any team in Delco over the last two weeks.

“I knew that with two outs, this would be a big at bat. I was thinking just be patient. The first pitch I liked, I swung at,” DePietro said. “I don’t think (Ferrante) was getting tired or anything. She was throwing me inside the whole game, and I was waiting for the inside pitch.

“It was exciting to win in the last at bat.”

DePietro gave props to Casasanto, who retired 11 of the 13 batters she faced.

“I’m glad she could come in and throw well because they started hitting me,” DePietro said. “I was happy that she was able to stop that. I just made sure I always had her back out there and I know she always has mind.”

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Tori DePietro, second from right, is mobbed after hitting a walk-off, three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh to give Springfield a 7-6 win over Garnet Valley Monday. (Digital First Media/Robert Gurecki)