Key plays work against Lady Bulldogs
District 6 Class 2A softball championship
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LORETTO -- Two pitches basically decided the District 6 Class 2A softball championship game between Claysburg-Kimmel and top-seeded Southern Huntingdon at Saint Francis University on Wednesday.
Unfortunately for the Lady Bulldogs, both went in the favor of the Lady Rockets.
Facing an 0-2 count with the bases loaded and two down, Southern Huntingdon catcher Morgan Hileman hit an opposite-field gap shot for a three-run double in the bottom of the third inning. A few moments later, it seemed as though Claysburg-Kimmel's Sierra Walters got her team back into the game with a two-run home run, but her drive down the line went just foul at the last moment.
All of that added up to a 4-1 Lady Rockets victory in the championship game.
"This was playoff softball," Claysburg-Kimmel coach Mike Barbarini said. "They earned the win. We didn't give it to them. They hit the ball when they needed to, and we couldn't get the big hit when we needed to. We had some chances to score with them and didn't. They had the big inning, and we didn't. That's just playoff softball."
Southern Huntingdon opened the scoring with a solo home run by Carlee Leidy in the bottom of the first inning and then loaded the bases with two outs in the third on singles by Majerle North, Hattie Flood and Allyson Leidy. Hileman fell behind in the count before her bases-clearing double that made it 4-0.
"I should have had that maybe an inch off the outside of the plate," Walters said. "That's where I was supposed to have it, but it wasn't. It's just a game of inches."
Those inches played a role in the top of the fourth when Jenna Helsel led off with a single and Walters nearly made it 4-2.
"Yes, I thought it was going to be a home run," Walters said. "It was definitely a game of inches. They got the hits when they needed to, and that made the difference."
The Lady Bulldogs didn't score until Emalee Cavender's two-out RBI double in the top of the fifth inning. Cavender helped bring the tying run to the plate in the seventh inning by beating out an infield single with a head-first dive at first, but Allyson Leidy recorded her 14th strikeout of the game to clinch the championship.
"They are telling me it's my 350th win," said Southern Huntingdon coach Terri Lessley, who was also celebrating another milestone on Wednesday. "I'm watching all my girls, who are closing in on school records, and I forgot about counting games and that stuff, but this definitely makes for a nice birthday."
Claysburg-Kimmel upset Southern Huntingdon on its own home field in last year's playoffs and the teams split a pair of games in this year's regular season.
"Me and Mike are real good friends, so no," said Lessley when asked if it felt any better to beat Claysburg-Kimmel. "We're close and have been for years. I would rather beat someone I didn't know."
Claysburg and Southern Huntingdon both advance to the PIAA playoffs and will begin their quests for a state title on Monday.
"I'm proud," Walters said. "I wasn't sure how far we would come this season, and we made it this far, which is an accomplishment itself."
The Lady Bulldogs will play District 3 champion Upper Dauphin at or near Upper Dauphin in the first round.
"We have a good core of girls," Barbarini said. "If we execute, like we should have today, we can play with anybody. Our defense held up today, and we're looking to make a run. The last time we made it to the state final, we lost to Bellwood-Antis in the district finals and came back through the bracket. We're looking forward to getting started Monday."
CLAYSBURG-KIMMEL (1): Cavender ss 402, Helsel cf 401, Walters p 200, Walter c 300, Claar 1b 200, Francona 2b 301, Black 3b 301, Lehman pr 010, Lamborn rf 300, Poullos lf 300. Totals--27-1-5.
SOURTHERN HUNTINGDON (4): Flood ss 312, Fraker cf 200, C. Leidy 3b 311, A. Leidy p 211, Hileman c 301, Cromwell cr 010, Irvin dp 302, Watkins flex-lf 000, Greenland rf 300, Doyle 1b 300, North 2b 311. Totals--25-4-8.
SCORE BY INNINGS
Claysburg-Kimmel 000 010 0--1 5 0
Southern Huntingdon 103 000 X--4 8 0
2B--Cavender, Hileman, Flood. HR--C. Leidy. RBI--Cavender Hileman 2, C. Leidy. WP--A. Leidy. LP--Walters. SO--A. Leidy 14, Walters 5. BB--A. Leidy 2, Walters 1.
Umpires: Pete Levan (plate); Brian Sonak (1B); Eric Bernier (2B); Gene Shields (3B).
Records: Claysburg-Kimmel (17-4); Southern Huntingdon (18-3).