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Mounties too much for Lady Hilltoppers

By Rich Murawski

For the Mirror

PHILIPSBURG – The Philipsburg-Osceola softball team clubbed seven doubles and got a solo home run from Chelsey Henry as it powered past No. 9 seed Westmont Hilltop, 9-0, Monday in a District 6 Class AA quarterfinal game.

The Lady Mounties ripped 11 hits off two Westmont pitchers and played error-free defense behind Kameryn Harris and Maggie Peck, who combined on the four-hit shutout.

“I thought we played well defensively,” P-O coach Jim Gonder said. “And getting up those couple runs in the first inning and having a lead helped our pitchers. I feel pretty confident about that.”

P-O put five on the board in the bottom of the first as back-to-back doubles from Kylie Thal and Haylee Hayward jumpstarted the offense. Maggie Peck, who led off with a walk, scored on Thal’s double, and the Lady Mountie catcher came home two batters later on a fielder’s choice. Maddie Lucas’s sacrifice fly staked the hosts to a 3-0 advantage.

That’s all the offense P-O pitchers Kameryn Harris and Peck needed.

Harris tossed the first four innings and have up four hits, while walking two batters and hitting one with a pitch. She worked her way out of bases-loaded jams in both the third and fourth innings before giving way to Peck.

Peck retired all nine batters she faced in a perfect three innings of relief to notch the save.

“I didn’t think (Harris) was as sharp as she typically is, but the good news is we’ve used that combination (of Harris and Peck) this year four or five times and it’s been effective,” Gonder said. “It’s kind of difficult to prepare for us because Maggie has a whole different pitch selection. That changeup is devastating.

“I like to start with Kam, but I’m not afraid to bring Maggie in. That’s been working for us this year. I think Kam needed to get in that pressure game … if you lose you go home. So that’s something as a freshman she probably needs.”

Henry’s solo shot highlighted a 2-run second inning and the Lady Mounties tacked on an unearned run in the third.

P-O chased Westmont starting pitcher Gabby Nash from the circle in the fourth after Harris, Jayde Burge and Lucas belted consecutive doubles. Burge and Lucas each picked up RBIs.

Thal smacked her second double of the contest in the fifth and scored on Hayward’s single to set the final.

Seven of the nine P-O starters had hits and the top seven girls in the lineup each scored at least one run.

Thal, Hayward, Harris and No. 6 hitter Burge led the way with two hits apiece. Henry and No. 7 hitter Lucas both knocked in a pair of runs.

“I thought the bottom of the order, 6-7-8 did a tremendous job,” Gonder said. “They’re turning the lineup over which is what we want them to do. We’re getting contributions throughout the lineup, which is nice.”

P-O (19-2) hosts Ligonier Valley Thursday in the semifinals. Westmont ends its season at 11-6.

WESTMONT-HILLTOP (0): Davis 2b 400, Flick cf 301, Criswell lf 200, Krall 1b-p 300, Miller c 301, Nash p-1b 301, Morgan ss 100, Rutledge ph 100, Carbaugh 3b 200, Balon rf 201, Dunn ph 100. Totals: 25-0-4.

PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA (9): Peck 1b-p 221, Thal c 3221, Hayward ss 4121, Henry lf 4112, Harris p-1b 4120, Burge 3b 4121, Lucas rf 2112, Kost rf 1000, Carns cf 4000, Simpson dp 3000, Granville 2b-pr 0000. Totals: 31-9-11-7.

SCORE BY INNINGS

Westmont Hilltop…….000 000 0 – 0 4 3

Philipsburg-Osceola ……321 210 X – 9 11 0

E-Morgan, Davis, Flick. LOB-Westmont Hilltop 7, Philipsburg-Osceola 8. HR-Henry (PO). 2B-Miller; Thal 2, Hayward, Harris 2, Burge, Lucas. RBI-Peck, Thal, Hayward, Henry 2, Burge, Lucas 2

PITCHING

Westmont Hilltop: Nash (L) 3 2/3 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO; Krall-2 1/3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO.

Philipsburg-Osceola: Harris (W) 4 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO; Peck-3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO.

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