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MARION CENTER -- The Cambria Heights Highlanders weren't giving up, giving in or going down without a fight. Unfortunately, they didn't get the final result they wanted.
Sixth-seeded Cambria Heights tied the game on Hallie Hayes' single to right field in the fifth but a bases-loaded walk pushed No. 3 Marion Center to a 3-2 victory in the first round of the District 6 Class 2A softball playoffs at Marion Center Park on Monday.
"We hung in there with one of the better teams in the area," Highlanders head coach Drew Thomas said. "I look for (Marion Center) to make a pretty good run in the state playoffs. We're young, but I told the girls out there after the game that I'm very proud of them. They all hung in there, didn't quit on us. I challenged them, 'We're a young team, they're an experienced team. Give me your best.' And I couldn't ask for anymore."
Stingers catcher Kaily Anderson belted a two-run home run, Kayla Hill and Cheyenne Silvis combined to toss a three-hitter and the Heritage Conference champion moved on to the district semifinals in the program's quest to capture its first D6 softball title since 2019.
Marion Center started the game by flexing its defense with Anderson snagging a foul tip behind the plate before second baseman Mya Lipsie laid out to grab Margaret Elias' grounder and make the throw to first for the third out.
After clearing away the Highlanders in the top of the second, Natalie Black singled to lead off for Marion Center, and Anderson crushed a 1-1 pitch over the left field fence for a 2-0 lead.
"I just knew I needed to hit the ball and she was pitching a lot inside, so I was ready for it," Anderson said. "I watched it go over, and I was so excited about it."
"That was huge," Stingers coach Emily Risinger said. "That was in the second inning, so starting off on a good start there. When she gets a hold of one, you know what's gonna happen. That was awesome for her to start the game off like that."
Anderson, a sophomore, had multiple shots clear the fence, though her second-inning blast was the only that landed fair in her 2-for-3 day at the plate.
Cambria Heights threatened in the third, putting runners on when junior Lakin Pierce's fly ball tipped off the glove of left fielder Brookelynn Hill and a walk to Gina Lane. Kayla Hill caught Sidney Nihart swinging with a changeup and forced Meghan Wholaver into a fielder's choice before wrapping up the visitors with Margaret Elias' grounder to Macie Miller, who made the throw from third to first from her knees.
The Highlanders cut their deficit in half in the fourth. Kayla Hill, a senior, walked the first two batters, and Pierce smacked a hard ground ball through Lydia Miller at short to score Ellie Bender to make it 2-1.
Marion Center swapped out starter pitcher Kayla Hill for Cheyenne Silvis to start out the fifth after throwing four one-hit innings with three strikeouts and four walks.
"Just different factors," Risinger said of making the pitching change. "It is really, really hot. She threw four good innings, and Chey does what she needs to do. So trying to even switch it up for their batters. They got a couple of bats with Kayla then making that switch for Chey to keep them off balance."
Silvis shutout out the Highlanders with a one-hitter in the Stingers' 11-0 victory on April 10, but this time they were ready for her. Cambria Heights was patient at the plate all day, forcing the Stingers' pitching staff to work through the heat.
After Nihart and Wholaver each grounded out, Elias throttled a ball to right-center field for a double and Hayes followed with a shot to right field that rolled past Madison Lipsie. Elias scored on the error to knot the game at 2.
Ivory showed some control issues in the bottom of the fifth, walking Mya Lipsie and Lydia Miller before Thomas put Nihart, his lone senior, in the circle.
Ivory surrendered three runs (all earned) on seven hits, struck out one and issued two walks.
"She is very talented," Thomas said of his sophomore starter. "I told her at the beginning of the year, 'Just hang with me, keep getting better.' She worked. She's one of the hardest workers we've had, and she deserved to start tonight."
Nihart walked Silvis to load the bases before handling the next two batters, but a walk to Abigail Smulik pushed home Lydia Miller for the eventual game-winner. Nihart took the loss.
Silvis sent the Highlanders down 1-2-3 in the sixth and seventh innings to seal the win. The junior struck out three and allowed one run on two hits in three innings of work for the win.
Cambria Heights closed the season at 10-8.
The Stingers have won their last three games by one run, and it doesn't appear they'll get a breather quite yet.
Marion Center (17-4) advanced to Thursday's semifinals to meet a familiar foe: second-seeded West Shamokin, which ousted seventh-seeded Mount Union 13-3 on Monday. The two Heritage squads have met twice in the regular season with the Stingers handing the Wolves their only losses of the season in a pair of 1-0 wins in April.
"As we continue to go, these are gonna be those tight games," Risinger said. "Just taking that and being able to apply it to the next game. Just moving forward knowing we got more games on the horizon and getting used to the heat and trying to adjust. Using this game to kind of knock a little bit of rust off from a whole week off and then be ready for the next one."
CAMBRIA HEIGHTS (2): Lane 3-0-1-0, Nihart 4-0-0-0, Wholaver 4-0-0-0, Elias 3-1-1-0, Hayes 1-0-1-0, Bender 2-1-0-0, Kountz 3-0-0-0, McAnulty 3-0-0-0, Pierce 3-0-0-0, Totals 26-2-3-0
MARION CENTER (3): M.Miller 4-0-1-0, My.Lipsie 3-0-2-0, L.Miller 3-1-0-0, Silvis 2-0-1-0, B.Hill 3-0-0-0, Black 3-0-1-0, Smulik 2-1-1-1, Anderson 3-1-2-2, Ma.Lipsie 3-0-0-0, Totals 26-3-8-3
Score by Innings
Cambria Heights 000 110 0 -- 2 3 2
Marion Center 020 010 X -- 3 8 3
2B -- Elias. HR -- Anderson.
W -- Silvis 3 K, 0 BB. L -- Nihart 1 K, 2 BB.