Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
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Unionville tops Rustin in playoff for first league title since ’91
It had been nearly 30 years since Unionville last won a softball championship of any kind, going all the way back to 1991 when the Indians were champs of the old Southern Chester County League.
That long drought ended Thursday afternoon in the dry, indoor confines of MapleZone Sports Village, as Unionville topped West Chester Rustin by a score of 8-6 in a one-game playoff for the Ches-Mont League American Division crown.
“This is all about those girls,” said Unionville coach Carly DiVirgilio, choking back some tears. “I came in here last year two days before the season when the coach walked out on them, and they just trusted me. We didn’t win much last year, but this year they just came back, worked hard, and here we are American Division champs”
Rustin (11-10) took the early lead, taking advantage of some wildness from Unionville (129) starter Madeline Frich. Frich recorded strikeouts for all three outs in the bottom half if the first, but the Golden Knights pushed a run across with a hit batsman and three walks. Frich settled in for the next few innings, not allowing a hit until the fifth.
Unionville, despite getting runners in scoring position in the first and the third, couldn’t get over the hump until the fourth. But when the Indians finally struck, they hit hard.
Sydney Horan led off the inning and got things going in a big way, launching a home run over the right field fence. The Indians got a base hit from the next three hitters, singles from Amanda and Danu Panati, and a triple from Jan Dreher, before the first out of the inning was recorded.
Flipping the lineup over. Analise Griffiths, hitting out of the leadoff slot, got things going again, beating out an infield single. Maddie Boorse followed with a single of her own, with both runner moving up a base on a fly ball to right from Anna Deshaies. Grace Salisbury made sure it wasn’t a wasted opportunity, delivering an single to knock in both runners. All of the sudden, the Indians were up 6-1.
“We had more energy in that inning than we’ve had maybe all year,” said Griffiths, a junior. “This whole season has been amazing. We’ve done so much better here this year. We’re so much better
than just two years ago. Knowing we can win and learning how to win is going to mean everything going forward.”
The Knights answered back with a big inning of their own. In the bottom of the fifth, Rustin batted around and put up five runs, highlighted by a two-run double from Nicole Inforzat and a triple from Maddie Fife, and singles from Sami LaRosa, Ava Dobbs, Elena Ciarrocchi and Mallory Hardwick.
“Before that inning, I said, ‘Hey, you’ve got to turn this thing around because I can’t do it for you,’” said Rustin coach Bruce Dudley. “You know where she’s pitching, we’ve got to start taking her to right field. You saw the way they all came out and started shooting the gaps.”
Once the fifth run crossed the plate and the game was tied at 6-6, DiVirgilio brought in Horan in relief, and the lefthander went into shutdown mode, allowing just two base hits the rest of the way.
“She came in and got a home run to start our offense, then the job she did in the circle was just amazing,” said DiVirgillio. “She’s just a freshman, and she
just came in and shut them down.”
Griffiths (4 for 4, two runs, RBI) did her job at leadoff in the top of the sixth, notching her third infield single of the afternoon. After Deshaies worked a oneout walk, Horan stepped up to the plate and ripped a double to center to score both runners and give the Indians the last runs they would need and an 8-6 advantage.
“I can’t tell you how much this means to us,” said Griffiths. “There’s girls over there crying, our coach is crying. It feels great to close out the year winning the division title. It’s been a long time for Unionville and I’m so happy I got to be a part of it. And I think we’re just going to be better next year.”
For Rustin, the division title got away, but the Knights can’t dwell on it. This Monday, they will have to step back out on the field for the first round of the District 1 Class 5A tourney, where they will enter as the No. 11 seed.
“I reminded the girls that they still have another game to play,” said Dudley. “Hats off and congratulations to Unionville, but we have to get ready for districts now. Our season isn’t over.”