Opperman near perfect as West Chester East knocks off Unionville in 5A semifinal

WC East's Rebecca Opperman faced just one better over the minimum in WC East's 8-0 win over Unionville (BILL RUDICK for MediaNews Group)3

By Bill Rudick
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EAST MARLBOROUGH>>West Chester East starter Rebecca Opperman put together as good a game as possible, allowing just one baserunner the entire game as the No. 4 Vikings beat Unionville 8-0 Friday afternoon in the District 1, Class 5A. semi-finals.

With the win, West Chester East (18-4) returns to the District 1 championship game after a two-year absence since winning it all in 2021. The Vikings will face No. 3 Marple-Newtown (18-4 ), a 4-3 winner against Rustin on Friday, at Marple-Newtown High School next Wednesday, May 28, with a match scheduled for 4 p.m.

“I think some people maybe underestimated us this year because they’re a very young team,” East coach Bobby Swier said. “We have a lot of freshmen and sophomores coming to support us now, when it counts. At the beginning of the year, we didn't worry about wins and losses so much as just getting better every game, and that's now translating into wins.

Opperman kept the Longhorns off balance all day, changing speeds and finding his spots. One of the few times Unionville hit the ball hard came in the first inning, when Madison Parisi connected for a triple. Opperman earned the shutout victory, allowing just one hit in seven innings. She struck out seven and did not walk a batter.

“We all trust each other on the field, knowing we're going to make the plays we need to make,” Opperman said. “I can't do anything without the team behind me. For me, I was hitting my spots, moving the ball well, and the pitching was great. Almost everything went well today.

For Swier, it's just nice to have Opperman back in the circle for a full season.

“Seeing Rebecca fight through injuries like the ones she suffered over the last two seasons to come back with the season she had this year says everything you need to know about her character,” Swier said. “She trusts her defense and goes out and executes. She achieves her goals and stays focused.

The Vikings broke a scoreless tie with a huge start to the third, scoring seven points. After Grace Koberg (2-for-4, run scored, 2 RBIs) beat out an infield single to start the inning, Ava Cross dropped a bunt and finished second and third when the pitch traveled down the line right field. Caelyn Rodriguez (3-for-4, two doubles, triples, two runs scored, two RBIs) hurt the error by hitting both runners with a double.

“Once things got going, we kept scoring and scoring,” Rodriguez said. “We want to continue this momentum and give our seniors two district gold medals. For me as a freshman, knowing that we have a chance to win districts and knowing that we will play at states is an amazing feeling.

East scored five more runs in the inning, highlighted by RBI singles from Koberg, Emma Antczak and Mia Picciotti, then completed the scoring in the sixth, with Carly Bickle hitting Rodriguez.

“I may be biased, but I think Ches-Mont is the best softball league in the state, and that prepares us all for this time of year,” Swier said. “With Rustin and Unionvlle, we have three of the top four teams left in Class 5A, and with the two Downingtowns, we have two of the top four teams left in 6A. Playing against each other all year makes us all better.

Even if the defeat stings, the Longhorns (17-5) will have to have a short memory. Unionville still has a chance to secure a spot in the state tournament, but they will have to beat Rustin in the third place game next Wednesday.

“Every time you play, you want to win,” Unionville coach Amanda Panati said. “But we just weren’t making the routine plays. Too many mistakes in this round really hurt. But, to their credit, East made the routine plays and struck when needed. We just have to put this behind us and play the way we can, and we can make it to states.

West Chester East 8 Unionville 0

WC East 0 0 7 0 0 1 0—8
Unionville 0 0 0 0 0 0 0—0

WP—Opperman LP—Parisi
3B—Parisi, Rodriguez 2B—Rodriguez (2)