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TYRONE -- The Tyrone softball team has come a long way in the four years seniors KK Brodzina, Allison Beeman and Tiffanie Tuskovich have been part of the program.
Hosting Monday's District 6 Class 3A quarterfinal game against Philipsburg-Osceola was perhaps one of the bigger accolades the trio helped the Lady Eagles achieve.
P-O came out on top, 9-3, but the big crowd and the atmosphere surrounding the game were positive signs for Tyrone.
"It means we're going in the right direction," Tyrone coach Hilary Soellner said. "We want to contend in the playoffs and for district titles every single year. For us to come out and not only make it but host it when we haven't done it in six years is a testament to how hard they have worked for it this year. It started with our three seniors."
Brodzina, Beeman and Tuskovich each had a hit on Monday, but the Lady Eagles finished with just four against Philipsburg-Osceola's Alivia Bizzarri.
The Lady Mounties will play at top-seeded Forest Hills in the semifinals.
"Us advancing means probably the world to every single one of us," Bizzarri said. "We have worked so hard this season, and we have had some rough times where we kind of fell apart as a team, but this brought us back together. We have momentum. We're on a winning streak, and everyone is in this for the long run. We aren't giving up. If something bad happens, another girl picks her up."
Bizzarri did not allow an earned run, and Philipsburg-Osceola went ahead 7-0 before Tyrone got on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Lucy Fogelman drew a walk, and Tuskovich reached on an error that allowed Fogelman to go to third. Tuskovich stole second, and both players scored on Ally McNelis' two-run single.
McNelis is just a sophomore, one of many underclassmen that got experience on Monday.
"You can't create this in practice or even in a regular-season game," Soellner said. "For them to get this experience in this type of pressure situation with all the people and the noise, it's a great learning tool for them and for me."
Bizzarri got out of the jam and allowed just one more unearned run the rest of the way. She, along with Ashlynn Havens, each had three hits for the Lady Mounties. Payton Barnett added a two-run double.
"It was a great win for us and a great win for the program," Philipsburg-Osceola coach Steve Frank said. "Our schedule is so tough that it's like a playoff game every game. We were ready for this."
The Lady Eagles honored their seniors one last time after the game that closed the book on an 11-9 season.
"They were our catalysts all year and set the example to follow," Soellner said. "They will be sorely missed. We wish them the best, but it's going to be tough losing them. They each brought something different to the team."
PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA (9): Havens 3b 523, Vaughn 2b 400, Gustkey c 412, Bizzarri p 403, Pitts cr 020, Bush cf 422, Barnett lf 412, Hampton ss 401, Burns 1b 200, Muir dp 401, Fleck rf-flex 000, Conklin rf 010. Totals--35-9-14.
TYRONE (3): Brodzina 2b 401, Beeman cf 401, Sprankle ss 400, Shaw 3b 300, Dibert 1b 300, Rockwell p 300, Fogelman c 110, Naylor cr 010, Tuskovich lf 311, McNelis dp 301, Harper rf-flex 000. Totals--28-3-4.
SCORE BY INNINGS
Philipsburg-Osceola 101 231 1 — 9 14 3
Tyrone 000 020 1 — 3 4 3
E--Hampton 2, Havens, Harper, Dibert, Shaw. 2B--Tuskovich, Havens, Barnett. RBI--McNelis 2, Barnett 2, Gustkey, Bizzarri, Hampton, Muir. WP–Bizzarri. LP–Rockwell. SO--Bizzarri 4, Rockwell 4. BB--Bizzarri 1, Rockwell 2.
Umpires: Scott Viedorfer (HP); Craig Burris (1B); Greg Kohlhepp (3B)
Records: Philipsburg-Osceola (12-8); Tyrone (11-9)