HUNT IS ON

Garnet Valley’s Lindsey Hunt hits game-winning homer for Delco West in Carpenter Cup softball

PHILADELPHIA » What happens when you get the best of a friend and teammate in a softball game?

“Bragging rights,” said Delaware County West catcher Lindsey Hunt. Oh, you bet. Hunt blasted a two-run shot over the left-field fence off her Chaos travel ball organization pal and Chester County pitcher, Devon Miller, a Bishop Shanahan junior.

The Superwoman strength of Hunt, a sensational Division Ibound catcher from Garnet Valley, propelled Delco West to its second win in as many tries at the 13th annual Carpenter Cup Classic Tuesday at FDR Park.

“(Miller) is my pitcher I’m paired up with (for Chaos),” Hunt said, following Delco West’s dramatic 7-5 victory.

Delco West was victorious in its morning opener against Olympic Colonial, 9-1, and lost its third and final contest, 4-0, to Tri-Cape. Delco West’s next game is Wednesday at 5 p.m. against an opponent to be determined.

Miller hung a breaking pitcher over the plate in the top of the eighth. With the international tiebreaker rule in effect, speedy Haverford High outfielder Ali Murphy began the inning on second base.

“It was a screwball,” said Hunt, who singled, homered, walked and drove in three runs. “Once I hit it ... I knew it was gone. I just felt so good off the bat.”

Murphy, who is so fast she probably would have scored on an infield hit, had the perfect view.

“I looked at it right off the bat and I just kept going,” said Murphy, who singled, walked and scored three runs. “I knew it was gone.”

Interboro’s Bridget Bailey gave up one hit with five strikeouts in five innings in relief. Chester County led, 5-4, when Bailey entered for Jenna Casasanto in the fourth.

“Bridget didn’t give up a run all day. She was fantastic,” Delco West coach Pat Rafferty said. “She didn’t give up very many baserunners, had a lot of strikeouts and was very, very good.”

Delco West batted around plus one in the first inning to take an early 3-0 lead. More impressive, perhaps, was that they began the game with six consecutive singles from Murphy, Casasanto, Hunt, Lexi Witmer (All-Delco, Upper Darby), Ashley Shanks (Ridley) and Madison Gutowiecz (Sun Valley). Audrey Shenk (Garnet Valley) worked a bases-loaded walk.

“You know you’re playing with the best people in the county, and you want to perform well,” said Hunt, a rising junior who is committed to Drexel. “It means that you’re one of the best.”

Hunt is one of the very best.

PETE BANNAN — DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA Garnet Valley sophomore Lindsey Hunt is surrounded by teammates after she hit a gamewinning homer to send Delaware County West to a 7-5 victory over Chester County in a Carpenter Cup game Tuesday at FDR Park.

PETE BANNAN — DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA Interboro’s Bridget Bailey came on in relief and pitched five innings of one-hit ball as Delaware County West rallied to beat Chester County, 7-5, in Carpenter Cup Classic action Tuesday at FDR Park.