Sadowl's hurling is fast enough

The radar guns are not out in force when Amanda Sadowl takes the mound for Hatboro-Horsham's softball team. The junior throws an average-speed fastball, which has been clocked as fast as 60 m.p.h.

"I know I don't have overpowering speed," Sadowl said. "I'm not a speed pitcher. I rely on movement."

Movement, location and control have made Sadowl one of the state's top hurlers. In yesterday's PIAA District 1 Class AAAA quarterfinal playoff game versus North Penn, the junior fired a four-hit shutout as the Hatters blanked the visiting Maidens, 8-0.

Hatboro-Horsham, the No. 2 seed, will take on No. 3 Pennsbury in a semifinal matchup on Tuesday at a site and time to be determined. Pennsbury rolled past No. 11 Upper Darby, 13-0, in another quarterfinal yesterday.

Sadowl, a 5-foot-6 junior righthander who has already received interest from Division I schools, has a 20-1 record this season. Her only loss came against Conwell-Egan and Auburn-bound pitcher Angel Bunner.

Her two older sisters, Vanessa and Amy, pitched for Hatboro-Horsham. Vanessa, 26, and Amy, 22, went on to play for Hofstra and Maryland-Baltimore County, respectively.

"I get compared the most to Amy," Amanda said. "One of the reasons is because I wear the same number [17] she did when she was here."

Sadowl has trained with Roy Jenderko, a personal pitching coach based in Bucks County, since she was 9. Per orders from the Hatboro-Horsham coaches, who do not want to give opponents any help when battling the ace, Sadowl will not reveal her mix of pitches.

Against 10th-seeded North Penn, Sadowl yielded three singles and a ground-rule double. She struck out five and walked two.

"I have to give a lot of credit to my teammates," Sadowl said. "I can always count on them to make the plays behind me."

Courtney Zingle, Hatboro-Horsham's No. 3 hitter, put Sadowl at ease in the third inning when she delivered a grand slam to left field. A fielding error and two bunt singles, by Samantha Isabella and Nikki Hannum, set the table for the hard-hitting leftfielder.

Zingle sent a 1-0 fastball from righthander Beth Everist over the fence. "I really didn't know what the pitch was, but it was right there," Zingle said. "My goal was to drive it to the outfield, to score at least one run."

Zingle's seventh home run of the season came against her future college teammate. She and Everist are both headed to Mount St. Mary's (Md.).

"I feel bad," Zingle said, "but I didn't want this to be the final game of my high school career."

Zingle went 3 for 3, doubled twice, and scored two runs. "She always steps up big for us," Sadowl said. "I knew when she came up to bat in the third inning that something good was going to happen."

The Hatters (21-1) had another four-run inning in the fifth. Third baseman Rachel Gieringer and centerfielder Megan Keller both produced two-run singles. Hannum (2 for 4, two runs scored) led off the inning with a single up the middle.

The Maidens, who placed third in the Suburban One League's National Conference, finished with a 17-5 record.

"Today, for some reason, we just didn't have it in us," North Penn coach Rick Torresani said. "Softball is a tough game. When it's not your day, it's not your day."

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WP: Amanda Sadowl. LP: Beth Everist. 2B: NP-Everist; HH-Courtney Zingle (2). HR: HH-Zingle.