Chichester hammers ball in win

The ball had a different sound coming off the bats of the Chichester softball team.

Loud and defined, the crack was prominent from the top of the lineup to the bottom, from the first inning until the fifth and final inning, in the Eagles' 13-1 nonleague victory over Garnet Valley.

Crack, a rope to the left side.

Crack, a line drive through the middle.

Crack, a bullet to right field.

In other words, Chichester (10-1) was smoking the ball against the Jaguars (9-5).

"That's a good team," Meghan Wimmer said of the Jaguars. "We beat them 13-1. It definitely gives us confidence for districts and hopefully states."

The Eagles compiled 17 total hits, getting them from eight players. Six Eagles had more than one hit. Chichester even scored multiple runs in four of the five innings, getting three RBIs apiece from Nicole O'Donnell and Maddie Thornton.

"I think that is the biggest difference from this year to last year: The whole team can hit," Chichester leftfielder Sarah Murray said. "Anyone at the plate can make a difference in the game."

And that was the main difference between Saturday's game and the one against Episcopal Academy earlier in the week, when the Eagles suffered their only loss.

"The EA game showed us that we need to step it up and we can't just walk all over everyone," Thornton said.

The impressive outing at the plate probably would have been enough to earn a victory Saturday, but the Eagles were sound defensively, as well.

And they had Wimmer in the circle.

Wimmer, a junior, threw a two-hitter, striking out 10 with her nasty change-up and effective rise.

"I'm definitely more a curveball, screwball pitcher," Wimmer said. "Today, everything was just working for me."

So what's it like catching for Wimmer, a hard-throwing righthander with excellent command?

"It hurts," Thornton said, shaking her left hand before pointing at the redness.

But Thornton was quick to add that she is used to the feeling. She has been catching Wimmer since seventh grade.

Chichester 240 25 - 13 17 0

Garnet Valley 100 00 - 1 2 4

WP: Meghan Wimmer. LP: Nicole Clayton.

2B: C-Ashley Feehly, Sarah Murray.

HR: GV-Reva Alderman.

See and hear from Chichester's Meghan Wimmer. inquirer.com/rallypa

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