Tom Hartman, Donegal's third-year head coach, became enlightened when he arrived in Mount Joy after 15 years as McCaskey's head baseball coach.

"Pitching," said Hartman, who watched his first scholastic softball game while coaching the Indians' 2004 season opener. "It's the name of the game."

It's an undeniable truth. Teams blessed with a dominant arm usually thrive while those without tend to starve.

With Tori Hatt and Sami Houseal sitting at their table, the Indians could be in for quite a feast when the L-L League season gets underway on Monday.

Hatt, a senior fireballer, and Houseal, a junior offspeed specialist, form the league's top 1-2 pitching combo.

Well, Hartman sees it a bit differently.

"We don't have a number one (starter) and a number two," he said. "We have a 1 and a 1A."

Hatt and Houseal split the pitching duties last year when Donegal came within a run of the league championship. Solanco edged the Indians in the L-L finale, 2-1, on Ali Marano's game-winning hit in the bottom of the ninth inning.

The Indians were then ousted from the District Three Class AAA playoffs, in the quarterfinals, by Section Three rival Lampeter-Strasburg, 6-3, after a first-inning breakdown.

During the season, Houseal (11-1) and Hatt (10-2) combined for an astounding 0.51 ERA whle allowing only 14 walks. Opposing batters hit a dismal .121 against the duo.

This year, Donegal has the makeup of a team that could be playing until June.

Senior shortstop Lyndsey Corso and third baseman Jen Swarr, both 2005 all-section second-team selections, lead a solid defensive unit that also a includes a trio of freshmen in the infield.

Whitney Breneman (2B), Morgan Kibler (1B) and catcher Taylor Hatt -- Tori's younger sister -- have fit into the Indians' scheme nicely and Hartman expects his ninth-graders to contribute immediately.

"They are only freshmen, but they are battle-tested," Hartman said. Most of them were exposed to the national tournament scene over the summer.

That said, raw talent is no substitute for experience at the varsity level. Hartman realizes there will be a few bumps along the way.

"We have some lofty goals. But, with the young kids, we may have to win some ugly," said Hartman. "Every game will be an adventure with these underclassmen."

Offensively, the middle of Donegal's lineup graduated, but the batting order has been mended. Corso, Houseal, Swarr and RF Brielle Edgel return after having solid '05 campaigns while newcomers Kibler, Breneman and Taylor Hatt will help fill out the lineup.

Although they will both work toward a common goal this season, Donegal's two pitchers have demonstrated their brilliance in different fashion. Houseal's latest achievement came last Monday when she threw her first perfect game in a 6-0 win against Hempfield.

"Our pitching styles are different, but we complement each other very well," said Hatt, who will attend Messiah College in the fall. "I tend to throw more high fastballs and rises. (Sami) tends to go with more drops and change-ups."

Call them an L-L League version of Fire and Ice. Hatt and Houseal have been a lethal combination during their time at Donegal, all the while bettering themselves as pitchers.

"(Being teammates) helps us as pitchers because we push each other to get better," said Houseal. "And not even intentionally. Just in the back of your mind, you know you can't slack or someone else is going to take over. You are constantly competing."

Donegal will have elite pitching company while aiming for a second straight Section Three crown. Lampeter-Strasburg and junior hurler Courtney Eckman again should challenge Donegal atop the section standings. When Lindsey Hoerner rebounds from an early-season battle with the flu and returns to her all-star form, Northern Lebanon will also contend.

"It will be difficult to prevail from Section Three," said Hartman. "Hopefully, we are not the odd man out."

The Indians are well aware of the challenges in store, but even they can't deny their own potential.

"We have a lot of competitive girls," Houseal said of her teammates. "They are not here just to play, they are here to win." blog comments powered by Disqus