HORSHAM — It took Abington a little while to find its way this spring, but the Galloping Ghosts are showing they're worth the wait.

After losing its first four games by three or fewer runs to strong competition en route to a 2-5 start, Abington won eight of its next nine, including seven by three or fewer runs, and seven in a row prior to Sunday.

Even when they were 2-5, the Ghosts believed good things were going to happen.

"Coach (Bill Degen) always told us we were going to break through at some point and there was no reason to hang our heads," said senior catcher Alex Dardaris. "We were pretty confident once things went our way, we'd get on a roll."

Abington just needed to learn how to win, according to Degen.

"We didn't know what it felt like to win," said senior third baseman Matt Worek. "We just needed that extra step."

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Tuesday's 3-1 victory at Hatboro-Horsham, which followed Sunday's 6-2 loss to Upper Dublin at Trenton Thunder Ballpark, put the Ghosts at 10-6 overall and 9-4 in the loaded Suburban One League Liberty Division.

"I think the beginning of the year, we were a little unlucky," said the 5-foot-10, 210-pound Dardaris. "It was a good way to start the season because it lit a flame under us and made us want these wins even more.

"Experiencing losses, I think, helps a team learn how to win. You need to know both sides of it to know what to do to win games."

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Worek, a second-team All-SOL Liberty pick at first base as a junior, pointed to the 12-6 victory over Wissahickon on April 13 as the game that put Abington on a successful path.

"It was really important for us," said the 5-11, 175-pound Worek. "We loved that feeling. Since that game, we've had a chip on our shoulder because we wanted to chase that feeling of winning."

The Ghosts must really like the feeling, since they're 9-1 in SOL Liberty and crossover contests beginning with the Wissahickon victory.

A 6-4 win over division co-leader Plymouth Whitemarsh on May 5 was also especially significant. Senior LJ Wolff contributed three RBIs vs. PW, while senior Logan Moss had three hits and scored twice and sophomore Mason Kishpaugh added a big RBI double.

And so was Tuesday's win at Hatboro-Horsham in which Dardaris, who was intentionally walked to load the bases earlier in the game, broke a scoreless tie with a two-run homer to left-center field in the fifth inning. Senior Jaden Hernandez added a solo home run and Wolff threw six scoreless innings, striking out 12.

"We're playing well," said fourth-year coach Degen as he walked off the field Tuesday.

Abington has done it primarily with solid starting pitching and timely hitting, which is a recipe for consistent winning.

"I don't think there's one team in our league (the SOL Liberty) that's (much better than everybody else)," said Worek, who will play college baseball for Tim Neiman at DeSales. "It's pretty balanced."

"PW is a top team," said Dardaris, who'll play at Washington College. "If we can beat them, we can play with anyone and hang with any team."

The Class 6A playoffs begin May 22. Abington is No. 8 in the latest district rankings, with 24 teams making the postseason.

The Ghosts last qualified as the No. 8 seed in 2021 under Deeg, losing to eventual third-placer North Penn 6-1 in the first round. They also made districts in 2015 as the 21st seed, dropping the opener to Perkiomen Valley 2-0 with Dave Torresani as head coach.

"I think we can go pretty far into the playoffs if we keep playing like this," Worek said.

Tom Moore: tmoore@couriertimes.com; @TomMoorePhilly

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Abington has learned how to win in baseball