C-K coach finds silver lining after playoff loss
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By John Hartsock
jhartsock@altoonamirror.com
MECHANICSBURG -- Claysburg-Kimmel's outstanding softball season ended on a sad note in the PIAA Class 2A semifinals Monday, but there were plenty of positive takeaways for the Lady Bulldogs.
A young, relatively inexperienced team at season's outset finished with 20 victories and came within one victory of a berth in the state championship game, and the vast majority of those players will return in 2023.
Therefore, there was plenty to take heart in for veteran Claysburg coach Mike Barbarini and his team following a 7-2 loss to District 12 champion Conwell-Egan Catholic on the Cumberland Valley High School softball field Monday.
"I told the girls before this game that we overachieved this year,'' said Barbarini, whose team won two state playoff games after losing to Southern Huntingdon in the District 6 championship game June 1. "We thought at the beginning of the season that it would be a year where many of our younger, more inexperienced players could grow and just learn the game.
"But we pitched fantastically this year, and our hitting got us to this point,'' added Barbarini. "We needed to play together as a team, and we did that all season.''
Standout senior right-handed pitcher Sierra Walters, who will continue her softball career on the collegiate level next year at Mount Aloysius, also felt that her Claysburg team left no stone unturned this year.
"I honestly didn't think that we were going to make it this far, but I'm really proud of everybody on this team,'' Walters said. "I know that today's game didn't end up like we wanted it to, but it was a great season for us a team.''
Conwell-Egan (14-9) broke out to a 7-0 lead in the fifth inning. The Lady Eagles scored a run in the third inning against Walters when sophomore second baseman Cameron Cellasio hit a one-out single, stole second base, and scored on sophomore left fielder Cassidy Blaskop's infield single.
Blaskop popped a ball between the catcher and pitcher's mound that possessed a lot of backspin. Claysburg catcher Nevaeh Walter fielded the ball, but Blaskop beat her throw to first as Cellasio alertly raced home.
Conwell-Egan added a run in the fourth inning to go up 2-0. Winning pitcher Alana Sesar and designated hitter Laura Bretzel started the inning with singles, and Bella Palmer was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
The next batter, third baseman Cecelia McBeth, hit a long fly ball down the rightfield line that right fielder Hayden Lamborn caught in foul territory. Sesar tagged from third and scored on the play.
Conwell-Egan gained plenty of separation with a five-run fifth inning for the 7-0 lead. Blaskop led off with a single to left field, and moved to third on junior center fielder Katey Brennan's double. After Sesar was intentionally walked to load the bases, Bretzel was hit by a Walters pitch to force in Blaskop.
A misplayed grounder off the bat of Palmer allowed both Brennan and Sesar to score and Bretzel to move to third.
Palmer stole second, and Bretzel scored on McBeth's groundout to give Conwell-Egan a 6-0 lead.
"We made some mistakes today, and any time that you get to this level of the state playoffs, the team that makes the least amount of mistakes is the team that is going to win,'' Barbarini said.
Conwell-Egan wrapped up its scoring in the inning on Angie Bresnan's pinch-hit RBI single that scored Palmer from third.
Before the inning ended, Barbarini pointed out to home plate umpire Dave Kolojejchick that freshman Lilly Milewski was playing with a bat that carried an improper trademark. Milewski forfeited her plate appearance, and was required to leave the game as a result of the mishap.
Barbarini maintained that he had made the gesture in the interest of sportsmanship.
"It was an illegal bat,'' Barbarini said. "It was required to have a high school federation stamp on it, but it didn't - instead it had a USAAA stamp. I brought it to their attention because I didn't want them going to the state championship game and not being aware of it, and getting penalized there.''
All in all, the sequence had no impact on the game's final outcome. Claysburg (20-5) pushed across both of its runs in the bottom of the fifth inning when Bella Francona doubled, scored on a single by McKenzi Black, and Black eventually scored on a forceout hit by Jessica Poullos.
Claysburg had only four hits off Sesar, who, like Walters, pitched a complete game.
"Alana did a great job on the mound, and we made history by becoming the first softball team our school'shistory to reach the state championship game,'' visibly emotional Conwell-Egan coach Sandy Hart said. "It was a total team effort today.''
Conwell-Egan plays WPIAL champion Neshannock - a 13-6 semifinal winner over Laurel Monday - in Friday's 11 a.m. state title game at Penn State University's Beard Field.
"We executed today, and we put the ball in play,'' Hart said. "We played great defense, too.''
CONWELL-EGAN (7): M. Milewski ss 400, Blaksop lf 312, Brennan cf 412, Sesar p 321, L. Bretzel dh 311, Palmer rf 311, McBeth 3b 300, L. Milewski 1b 200, L. Bresnan 1b 000, Cellasio 2b 211, A. Bresnan ph-c 101, McCormick c-2b flex 000. Totals - 28-7-9.
CLAYSBURG-KIMMEL (2): Cavender ss 300, Walters p 301, Walter c 300, Claar 1b 301, Francona 2b 311, Black 3b 311, Helsel cf 300, Lamborn rf 200, Poullos lf 200. Totals - 25-2-4.
SCORE BY INNINGS
Conwell-Egan 001 150 0 7-9-1
Claysburg-Kimmel 000 020 0 -- 2-4-1
2B--Brennan 2, Francona. RBI--McBeth 2, L. Bretzel, Blaksop, A. Bresnan, Black, Poullos. SF--McBeth. SB--Cellasio, Palmer. HBP--Palmer (by Walters); Bretzel (by Walters). LOB--Conwell-Egan 6, Claysburg-Kimmel 2.
PITCHING
Conwell-Egan: Sesar (W) 7IP, 4H, 2R, 1ER, 1SO, 0BB.
Claysburg-Kimmel: Walters (L) 7IP, 9H, 7R, 3ER, 5SO, 1BB.
Umpires: Dave Kolojejchick (plate); Rob Kepler (first base); Scott Bowers (second base); Willie Harris (third base).
Records: Conwell-Egan (14-9); Claysburg-Kimmel (20-5).
Time of game: 1 hour, 28 minutes.