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MCCONNELLSBURG -- Both regular season games between Northern Bedford and McConnellsburg were tight-contested affairs.
Unfortunately, for the Lady Panthers Wednesday's afternoon's District 5 Class 1A quarterfinal didn't follow suit.
NBC found itself in a six-run hole after the first inning and ultimately bowed out of the playoffs with a 12-2 loss in five innings to the Lady Spartans.
"This is the third time we've played them, and we had a rough inning each of those (first two) games," Northern Bedford coach Shane Suter said. "... The first time was 10-9 and the second was 10-8. This time we just didn't match them on offense. They came out to hit and we didn't. This is pretty much the same type of game as the first two, but we didn't hold up our end with the bats the way they did right from the start."
After McConnellsburg pitcher Rosalyn Truax retired the side in the top of the first, Lilly Truax got the Lady Spartans started with a single to left field and Ella Johnston answered with a single to right.
Lilly Truax, who advanced to second on a wild pitch, moved to third on Johnston's single, and then came around to score when Johnston headed for second as Lady Panther catcher Ava Helsel tried to pick off Johnston.
Jezlyn Bevins reached on an error by NBC shortstop Emily Green, and then with one out, Makayln Shafer singled home Johnston, and move to second on a walk by Maggie Melott.
Madison Peck delivered a two-out two-RBI single to short right field that scored Schafer to put McConnellsburg up 6-0.
A Rosalyn Truax single was followed by back-to-back walks to Lilly Truax and Johnston before NBC pitcher Olivia Walter got Bivens to ground out to Panther first baseman Lacy McIlnay to end the first.
"When we played them (Northern Bedford) earlier in the season, they hit right back," McConnellsburg coach Dana Winters said. "We were up runs and then they'd tie up, then we hit a couple more runs and they'd tie it up. This time, they were a little cold on their batting and our pitcher pitched a better game today than she did the other two."
After neither team scored in the second or third, the Lady Panthers got some momentum going with one out in the fourth.
"We helped them a lot with chasing early in the count," Suter said. "We put ourselves in bad counts, putting ourselves on the defense instead of hitting hitter's pitches in hitter's counts."
Lindsey Bolinger singled down the third baseline before Leah Swanseen reached on an error by Schafer at second base.
Bolinger and Swanseen would come around to score when Miranda Brown singled to centerfield with one out to draw Northern Bedford to within 6-2.
McConnellsburg managed two singles in the fourth, but were held scoreless for the third straight inning.
"We were solid there at the beginning but then went cold there a couple of innings hitting," Winters said.
Lacie Zelanko and Abby Kline flew out for the first two outs of the top of the fifth before Walter worked a walk. However, Bolinger struck out swinging to end the Lady Panthers' chances in the fifth.
The Spartans erupted once again in their half of the fifth as Mellott reached first when the third strike was dropped by Helsel.
Trinity Seville singled to short right, followed by Peck reaching first on a fielders choice that retired Mellott at third.
Rosalyn Truax singled to knock in Seville, while Lilly Truax followed with a single of her own before Johnston collected a two-RBI single as Peck and Rosalyn Truax scored to make it 9-2.
Bivens doubled to left field scoring Lilly Truax as Johnston went to third.
Ashlyn Dickinson delivered the knockout punch as she singled to left field to score Johnston, and then Bevins came around for the mercy rule winning run as the ball went underneath the glove of Swanseen to end the game.
Northern Bedford finished with an 8-14 mark, while McConnellsburg improved to 10-10 and will travel to Meyersdale, a 16-0 winner in three innings over Rockwood, on Tuesday.
"This is tough for the seniors," Suter said. "...We'll miss all five of them."
NORTHERN BEDFORD (2): McIlnay 1b 300, Zelanko 2b 301, Kline cf 300, Walter p 100, Arcq cr 000, Hall cr 000, Bolinger 3b 311, Swanseen lf 010, L. Ritchey rf 200, Brown dp 201, Helsel c-flex 000, Green ss 100. Totals -- 18 2 3.
MCCONNELLSBURG (12): L. Truax c 322, Johnston cf 323, Bivens ss 321, A. Dickinson rf 402, Shafer 2b 311, Mellott lf 110, Seville 1b 311, Peck dp 321, M. Ritchey 3b-flex 000, R. Truax p 302, G. Dickinson cr 010. Totals -- 26 12 13
SCORE BY INNINGS
Northern Bedford 000 20X X -- 2 3 4
McConnellsburg 600 06X X -- 12 13 3
E--Shafer 2, Walter, Helsel, Green, M. Ritchey, Swanseen. RBI--Brown 2, Peck 2, Johnston 2, Shafer, R. Truax, Bivens. SB--Johnston. WP--Walter. PB--Helsel.
PITCHING
Northern Bedford: Walter (L) --4 1/3 innings, 13 H, 4 K, 3 BB, 12 R, 12 ER, 93 pitches.
McConnellsburg: R. Truax (W) -- 5 innings, 3 H, 5 K, 2 BB, 2 R, 2 ER, 73 pitches.
Records: Northern Bedford (8-14); McConnellsburg (10-10).