Vikings eliminated in semis again
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By John Hartsock
jhartsock@altoonamirror.com
MILL HALL -- Reaching the semifinals of the state tournament but losing there and falling one win short of an appearance in the championship game is a difficult pill for any team to swallow.
The Glendale softball program endured that fate for the second consecutive year late Tuesday afternoon, and the disappointment and heartache among the players and coaching staff were evident after the Lady Vikings dropped a 4-1 decision to Tri-Valley in a PIAA Class 1A semifinal matchup that was played on the Central Mountain High School softball field.
"I really don't have anything to say,'' said visibly emotional Glendale star sophomore pitcher Madison Peterson. "It was a good season. We battled hard all season. I'm going to miss our seniors.''
Glendale coach Bruce Vereshack felt the sting of the moment keenly as well.
"It's hard to get here two years in a row and come up short,'' said Vereshack, whose team qualified for the state playoffs this year as the third-place finisher out of the District 6 tournament after capturing a winner-take-all consolation game. "Hats off to (Tri-Valley). They played better than we did today, and they scored a couple more runs than we did.
"My team never quits,'' added Vereshack, whose Lady Vikings finished the season with a 21-5 record. "We made it to the Final Four in the state tournament as a third-place finisher out of our district. It wasn't easy to get here as the third seed in District 6. It was a different road that we took, but we made it.''
Senior right-handed pitcher Emma Maurer was the star of the game for District 11 champion Tri-Valley (23-3), striking out 11 Glendale batters and allowing just two hits.
The turning point in the game come in the top of the fifth inning.
Tri-Valley had a 2-0 lead before Glendale's Alyssa Sinclair and Ava Weld reached on one-out errors and both moved up a base before Maurer bore down and struck out Lady Vikings' standouts Riley Best and Peterson in succession on swings to end the threat.
"They were huge outs to get,'' Maurer said. "Best and Peterson are two of the best players on that team.
"I think I was getting a little tired, but that happens,'' added Maurer, who threw 143 pitches in seven innings. "I just got my team behind me, and we got it done.''
Tri-Valley will play District 7 champion Union - a 10-8 semifinal winner over Claysburg-Kimmel Monday - in the state championship game at 11 a.m. Friday at Penn State University's Beard Field.
"This team is awesome, it's like a big family,'' Maurer said. "I love going back to the state championship game, especially as a senior.''
Tri-Valley won a Class 1A state title two years ago, defeating West Greene, 2-1 in the 2021 championship game.
"I'm so proud of these girls for getting back to the state championship game for the second time in three years,'' Tri-Valley coach Marty Shade said. "We played a good team game today. We got clutch hits when we needed them, and Emma made big pitches when she needed to make them. It was her birthday today, and she was feeling it.''
Tri-Valley opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning when senior shortstop Gianna Poletti -- who will play softball on the Division I college level at Auburn University -- doubled inside the left field line, advanced to third on sophomore Cassi Snyder's bunt, and scored on junior Grace Header's groundout.
Tri-Valley added another run in the third inning when Snyder reached on a bad-hop infield single, stole both second and third base, and scored on Header's single to center to give the Lady Dawgs a 2-0 lead.
After Maurer worked out of the jam in the top of the fifth inning, Tri-Valley scored twice in the bottom of the fifth inning to build its lead to 4-0.
Poletti singled to left field, stole second, moved to third on Header's groundout, and scored on a double to the right-center gap by senior catcher Brittany Rice.
Rice eventually scored on Maurer's single to left field.
Glendale got on the board in the sixth inning when senior left fielder Kelly Kasaback walked, stole second, and scored on junior second baseman Kaprice Cavalet's two-out single to center.
Glendale has graduated four seniors - center fielder Best, Kasaback, first baseman Alyssa Sinclair, and shortstop Jillian Taylor - who Vereshack said will all be sorely missed.
But, led by Peterson -- who threw 106 pitches and spaced nine hits Tuesday -- Glendale is returning a very good nucleus next spring that Vereshack believes will serve the Lady Vikings well.
"It's tough to lose the four seniors who have graduated - they are a good core group of players,'' Vereshack said. "But as long as Peterson is pitching for us, we're going to be competitive, and we're going to have a chance.''
Game notes: In a Class 2A semifinal played immediately before the Glendale-Tri-Valley game, Bald Eagle Area defeated South Williamsport, 4-0,to qualify for Thursday's 11 a.m. state championship game against District 5 Everett. That game will also be played at Penn State's Beard Field.
GLENDALE (1): Best cf 301, Peterson p 300, Kasaback lf 210, Taylor ss 300, Buterbaugh 3b 300, Kaprice Cavalet 2b 301, Rydbom c 200, Koltlyn Cavalet cr 000, Sinclair 1b 200, Weld rf 200. Totals - 23-1-2.
TRI-VALLEY (4): Poletti ss 322, C. Snyder 3b 211, Header cf 301, Rice c 312, Maurer p 301, Ava Snyder cr 000, Artz lf 300, Schwalm 2b 202, Rodichock 1b 000, McCrath dh 300, Lupole rf 200, Kroh ph 100. Totals - 25-4-9.
SCORE BY INNINGS
Glendale 000 001 0 -- 1 2 1
Tri-Valley 101 020 x-- 4 9 2
2B--Poletti, Rice. SAC--Peterson, Weld. SB--Weld, Kasaback, Snyder 3, Header, Poletti. RBI--Kaprice Cavalet, Header 2, Rice, Maurer. LOB--Glendale 7, Tri-Valley 5. DP--Glendale turned one (Kaprice Cavalet to Alyssa Sinclair after Cavalet caught line drive).
PITCHING
Glendale: Peterson (L) 7IP, 9H, 4R, 3ER, 1BB, 5SO, 106 pitches.
Tri-Valley: Maurer (W) 7IP, 2H, 1R, 1ER, 4BB, 11SO, 143 pitches.
Records: Glendale (21-5); Tri-Valley (23-3).
Umpires: Matthew West (plate); Duane Potter (second base); Craig West (first base); Doug Reeves (third base).
Time of game: 1:44.