Nicander, Radnor softball battle past Chichester for win

RADNOR >> Radnor advanced in the District One Class AAA softball tournament Wednesday with a 13-3 decision over Chichester that was a lot tougher than the numbers would suggest.

It sure was for winning pitcher Brooke Nicander. She felt like applying the post-game Rita’s Water ice to her right knee or shin, which were banged up early in a game that went from close in the fifth inning to done with one out and the Raiders batting in the sixth inning due to the 10-run rule.

For a video on the game, click here: http://www.tout.com/m/sso4kn

“She took a beating today,” Raiders coach John Schaefer said. “She had that awkward play at second, banging her knee. Then the next inning one of their players ripped the ball up the middle and it hit her shin. She battled the whole game. She threw strikes and really delivered a good game for us. She got better as the game went on.”

Nicander scattered five hits and three walks to collect the win for the Raiders (11-10), who hit the road to take on defending District One AAA champion Villa Maria Friday.

Nicander’s grit after jarring the knee as a base-runner in the second inning seemed to inspire her teammates, who were facing Chichester in the district playoffs for the fourth straight year. The Raiders scrapped for three runs after the pitcher’s mishap to grab a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

“I was going to go for a slide but instead I collided with a girl and I hurt my knee,” Nicander said. “I don’t know what happened with it but it definitely hurt. I stretched it out, shook it off and played through it. It’s fine. I think everyone was more motivated. It took us a while to adjust but once we got our bats going, there was no stopping us.”

Chichester (9-6) did not go quietly. In the top of the third inning co-captain Alex Maher drove in a run and scored on Monigo Karnley’s smash off Nicander’s leg. Just like that it was 3-2.

After a scoreless fourth inning, the turning point came when Chi had runners at second and third with slugger Nicole O’Donnell at the plate. Nicander pitched around O’Donnell, walking her to load the bases. She then got Hayley Coale to fly to center for the third out.

“That was big,” Schaefer said. “We had just scored three, they scored two and it looked like they were going to get at least three. So that was a big inning to get out of with the lead.”

In the bottom of the fifth, the Raiders erupted for five runs off Makayla Donovan to put their opponent in the rear-view mirror. Grace Moore’s two-run single was the big blow.

Chi loaded the bases in the sixth inning with one out but Nicander allowed just one run, Alyssa McFarland pushing it home with a fielder’s choice. Chi is 2-2 versus Radnor in their last four district meetings.

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