East Team receives plenty of offense vs West
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By John Hartsock
jhartsock@altoonamirror.com
After a long layoff because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pennsylvania Softball Coaches Association District 6 Hall of Fame Game returned to the field Tuesday, and was played for the first time on the Stewart Athletic Field at Penn State Altoona.
In a 10-inning game that involved 30 outstanding players from District 6 who are recent high school graduates, the East Team Stars used a 14-hit attack to defeat the West Team, 10-2.
Hollidaysburg Area High School graduate Olivia Vincent, who will continue her softball career on the collegiate level at Penn State-Altoona, enjoyed a big day for the winning team, scoring four runs, and collecting two singles, while allowing only one run and one hit in three scoreless innings of pitching in relief of Central Cambria grad Kami Kamzik, a Notre Dame signee who tossed four scoreless innings to earn the victory.
"This game was a lot of fun, especially playing together with some girls who I didn't previously know but who are talented at this game and passionate about it,'' Vincent said. "We hit very well. Even though they showed us a couple different pitchers, we managed to hit the entire game.''
The East Team led from the start, with Vincent opening the scoring in the first inning with a leadoff single and eventually scoring on an infield single by Bellefonte grad and Lock Haven University signee Madison Melius, who had three hits and drove in four runs.
The East built a 3-0 lead with two fourth-inning runs that scored on a wild pitch and a Melius single, and cemented the win with three runs in the seventh inning and four in the ninth.
Claysburg-Kimmel's McKenzie Black and Nevaeh Walter both hit RBI singles to spark the late uprising.
"The girls did well,'' said East coach Jared Phillipson of Central Cambria. "Their bats came alive at the end of the game, and they got timely hits when the team needed them.''
Cambria Heights coach Drew Thomas, one of the West Team's coaches, said that playing in the game provides a positive way for the District 6 standouts to finish their careers.
"I think it's a great opportunity for these girls to play one last time on the high school level and to make new friends while they're in this game,'' Thomas said. "This is the first year that this game has been played here at Penn State Altoona, and it's also the first year that the game has involved all District 6 players.
"There are 30 of the best players in District 6 in this game, and it's important that we continue to do that for this game.''
2018 Class honored
Hall of Fame players from the Class of 2018 were recognized in a ceremony that was held after the fifth inning of Tuesday's game.
Those honorees included: Olivia Smith and Jenna Ritchey (Central); Sydney Lewis (Moshannon Valley); Kylie Thal and Hannah Thompson (Philipsburg-Osceola); Alexis Wetzler and Rihanna Trexler (Bellefonte); Baylee Jenkins (Southern Huntingdon); Donna Roher and Sara Gearhart (Mount Union); Kayleigh Mactavish, Skylar Ceprish, Lizzy Scott (West Branch).
Underclassmen stars recognized
Outstanding players who are currently underclassmen and who will be on the field for area high school softball teams next spring were also recognized as PSCA all-stars for 2022-23.
Honorees included: Madison Peterson and Alyson Buterbaugh (Glendale); Maria Malone and Sydney Shay (Hollidaysburg); Ke'andra Wible and Patyn Crisswell (Mount Union); Jess Hawbaker (State College); Emalee Cavender (Claysburg-Kimmel); Aubrey Ruddek and Sophia Blasko (Central Cambria); Brayln Ellis, Madison Kennedy and Alexa Fetzer (Central); Ava Stere, Kailey Eckert, Sierra Albright, Taylor Habovick, Sydney Thompson and Alexa Baney (Bald Eagle Area); Emily Gustkey and Payton Barnett (Philipsburg-Osceola).
WEST TEAM (2): Lynn p 300, Mezszelo ph 300, Bernecky c 300, Griak 1b 101, Gardner 2b 300, Williams 3b 310, Taylor ss 210, Sinclair ph 200, White lf 300, Best cf-p 301, Leidy rf 302, Brodbeck p-1b 301, Kasaback cr-ph 201. Totals - 34-2-6.
EAST TEAM (10): Vincent 2b-ss-p 442, Rosenbaum 2b-rf 200, Davison cf 301, Kamzik p 111, Walter 2b-1b-c 322, Rozsi rf 300, Bryan 3b 221, Sheehan lf 200, Steiner EH 300, Melius ss 313, Narehood EH 300, Krawcion c 300, Nau EH-p 202, Black lf-1b 302. Totals - 37-10-14.
Score by innings
West Team 000 001 000 1--2-6-2
East Team 100 200 304 x--10-14-3
SAC--Griak. SB--Davison, Melius 3, Vincent 2, Kamzik. RBI--Best, Melius 4, Nau 2, Walter, Bryan, Black. LOB--Team East 14, Team West 5.
PITCHING
East Team: Kamzik (W) 4IP, 2H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 5SO; Vincent 3IP, 1H, 1R, 1ER, 2BB, 2SO; Nau 3IP, 3H, 1R, 0ER, 0BB, 4SO.
West Team: Brodbeck (L) 2IP, 3H, 1R, 1ER, 3BB, 3SO; Lynn 3IP, 3H, 2R, 2ER, 1BB, 3SO; Leidy 2IP, 2H, 3R, 3ER, 5BB, 2SO; Best 2IP, 6H, 4R, 4ER, 0BB, 3SO.
Umpires: Bill Johnson (plate); Randy Lang (bases).
Time of game: 3:12.