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NORTHERN CAMBRIA -- In its first season as a member of the Heritage Conference last spring, the Cambria Heights softball program captured the conference championship.
Despite a pair of home runs from senior first baseman Lexi Griak Monday night, the Lady Highlanders were unable to repeat as conference champions this year.
Freshman right-handed pitcher Avery Elkin tossed a complete game victory -- spacing six hits, striking out eight batters and walking none -- to lead West Shamokin to a 5-3 win over Heights in the conference title game at the Spangler Softball Field.
It was the first conference softball championship in school history for West Shamokin (17-3), which got three runs scored and three hits -- including a solo homer in the seventh inning -- from junior catcher Lily Jordan that provided the winning team with a big insurance run after Griak's two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth had pulled Heights to within 4-3.
"It's awesome to win the first conference title in school history,'' Jordan said. "I have been on a hot streak at the plate, I went into the batter's box with a lot of confidence tonight, and it paid off.''
Elkin turned in a solid pitching performance for West Shamokin, which had dropped a 9-8 decision to Cambria Heights during the regular season.
"Avery is one of our freshmen, and she came out firing and ready to go tonight,'' West Shamokin coach Megan Aikins said of Elkin. "She was real consistent, hitting her spots well, and our defense played well behind her.''
Heights (14-5), which won the conference's East Division championship this year, had to play catch-up the entire game Monday.
"I told the kids that I was proud of them,'' Heights coach Drew Thomas said. "We didn't hit tonight, and we made some errors that were costly. I think our girls may have been pressing too much at the plate tonight.''
West Shamokin scored first in the second inning when Jordan led off with a single, moved to second on a Heights error, and scored from third base on a sacrifice fly by freshman Madi Keirn.
An outstanding catch made by Heights senior center fielder Martina White on a fly ball hit near the outfield fence by freshman Aleya Talmadge likely prevented West Shamokin from scoring two more runs in the inning.
West Shamokin -- which won the conference's West Division this season -- tacked on a second run in the fourth inning against Heights senior starting pitcher Karin Adams, as Jordan stroked a one-out single and eventually scored on Talmadge's infield single.
A mammoth solo home run by Griak to straightaway centerfield got Heights on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning, but West Shamokin punched across two runs in the top of the sixth inning when Jordan walked, advanced to second on Malena Stewart's groundout, and scored on Talmadge's sharp single to left-centerfield.
After junior Sydney Nihart came in to pitch, Talmadge stole second, moved to third on a groundout, and scored on Rachel Cecconi's bloop single to very short right field to stake West Shamokin to a 4-1 lead.
Heights answered with two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on the two-run homer to center by Griak following a single by White.
Griak has hit eight home runs this year.
"She's an outstanding offensive player,'' Thomas said. "She can hit.''
Griak didn't think the Lady Highlanders hit well enough Monday.
"I thought we beat ourselves,'' Griak said. "We didn't hit as well as we normally do. We can play better, and now we have a whole new season ahead of us in the playoffs.''
Heights opens District 6 playoff action with a road game next Monday.
"We've averaged eight or nine runs per game this year, but we've been in a funk lately,'' Thomas said. "We hope to get out of that when the playoffs start.''
WEST SHAMOKIN (5): Young cf 400, Elkin p 400, McConnell ss 400, Jordan c 343, Stewart 3b 400, Talmadge 2b 312, Keirn rf 200, Cecconi 1b 301, Mondi lf 201. Totals - 29-5-7.
CAMBRIA HEIGHTS (3): White cf 311, Nihart lf-p 201, Bender ss 300, Griak 1b 322, Zeglen 3b 300, Mezzelo 2b 302, Bernecky c 300, Adams p-lf 200, Wholaver ph 100, Lane rf 300. Totals - 26-3-6.
SCORE BY INNINGS
West Shamokin 010 102 1--5-7-0
Cambria Heights 000 102 0--3-6-3
2B--Mezzelo. HR--Jordan, Griak 2. RBI--Talmadge 2, Jordan, Keirn, Cecconi, Griak 3. SAC--Niehart. SB--Stewart, Talmadge, Keirn (WS); Nihart (CH). LOB--West Shamokin 6, Cambria Heights 3.
PITCHING
West Shamokin: Elkin (W) 7IP, 6H, 3R, 3ER, 8SO, 0BB.
Cambria Heights: Adams (L) 5.1 IP 4H, 4R, 3ER, 2BB, 1SO; Nihart 1.2 IP, 2H, 1R, 1ER, 1SO, 0BB.
Records: West Shamokin (17-3), Cambria Heights (14-5).
Umpires: Bill Zamboni (plate); Bruce Legros (first base); Chuck Terek (third base).
Time of game: 1:50.