WESTHAMPTON — Danielle McGan didn’t expect to pitch this much.
The Hampshire Regional senior figured she’d close out some games and pick up a spot start here or there, while primarily focusing on her defensive duties at third base.
That was until junior Alana Mohan told coach Brian McGan her arm was sore before a game against Chicopee Comp on May 10.
He turned to his daughter and said, “Danielle, you’re in.”
She threw a one-hitter in a 1-0 win.
“It’s not like she just picked up a ball and threw it,” Brian McGan said. “She knows how to pitch.”
He’d had it in the back of his mind to pitch Danielle at various points of the season. She’d pitched before and continued to work with a pitching coach over the past two years while Alexis Ferris racked up strikeouts for the Raiders.
With Ferris graduating after last year’s second consecutive state championship, Brian McGan decided to go with a combination of Mohan, a junior, and sophomore Emily Halket in the circle and leave Danielle at third base, where she was named all-state by ESPN Boston last year.
“I wanted to keep the defense intact,” he said.
The plan was to give Danielle a few chances to pitch once the middle of the season rolled around since she had experience.
“We were going to try to use her as a closer, that was my first thought,” Brian McGan said. “I was worried about her stamina a little bit.”
The Mohan injury forced the Raiders to crumple up Plan A. Since then, Danielle has allowed one run in her six starts, including three straight shutouts.
“Now we’re just tweaking her pitches, making sure she keeps the ball down and hits her spots,” Brian McGan said. “She’s picking that up pretty well.”
She tossed a no-hitter at South Hadley on Tuesday then shut the Tigers out Wednesday in a 9-0 win, allowing one hit. Mikhaila Edge hit a sharp double in the fourth inning to end South Hadley’s hitless streak.
“It’s definitely weird (pitching), but after a while you have to adjust,” Danielle McGan said. “You can’t really think about it too much.”
She works quickly and aggressively, but doesn’t allow that aggression to affect her demeanor. She exerts a calming presence on the defense.
“She knows you can’t panic,” Brian McGan said.
Her catcher, Justine Legowski, feels the influence more than most. She has been working with her since they were both in sixth grade.
“I feel very comfortable with Danielle on the mound,” Legowski said. “It makes me feel like I’m a better catcher.”
Legowski even compared McGan’s approach to Ferris.
“Ferris and Danielle pitch differently, but they both have the same strong mentality,” Legowski said. “They’re both kind of like the same person.”
Danielle tries to keep the ball low and focus on the location of her pitches.
“They’re going to make contact, but it’s not hard contact,” Brian McGan said.
The approach requires a high level of trust in the defense behind her.
“I have full confidence in the defense behind me. I know if I don’t hit my spots, I’m not worried about it,” Danielle said. “They got me, and they have my back.”
Moving McGan to the circle meant the Raiders had to put Hannah Marney at third base.
“We hit her a lot of ground balls all day long, and she’s been adjusting very well,” Brian McGan said.
The arrangement has helped Hampshire (14-4, 7-0 Suburban) lock up the Suburban League championship and position itself well heading into the postseason. The Raiders have two regular season games left, including a Saturday showdown with fellow defending state champion Turners Falls.
For now, the plan is to go forward with Danielle McGan in the circle throwing strikes.
“It’s definitely an adjustment,” she said. “But I’ve adjusted quickly.”
Hampshire 9, South Hadley 0 –— The Raiders’ bats settled in after the pregame senior recognition ceremony.
Katy O’Connor and Legowski each had three hits with two doubles and an RBI.
Danielle McGan added two hits and two RBIs, while Brielle Bergeron drove in a run.
Hampshire put up two runs in the second, three in the third and four in the fifth.
Seven Raiders collected hits in the game.
Kyle Grabowski can be reached at kgrabowski@gazettenet.com.