C-K survives, moves on
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By Nate Ritchey
nritchey@altoonamirror.com
CLAYSBURG -- Claysburg-Kimmel did not, by any standards, begin its Monday afternoon game with West Greene on a good note.
As a matter of fact, it could have easily been a sour one if not for the experience and resolve of its upperclassmen.
After three C-K errors spotted the Pioneers a run in the top of the first, the Lady Bulldogs scored six unanswered to earn a 6-1 victory in the first round of PIAA Class 1A action.
"I don't know if it was nerves or just bad play at that time, but I said I have never seen such a game that was played so sloppy," Claysburg-Kimmel coach Mike Barbarini said. "We made really hard plays look easy, and some really easy plays that we played sloppy on. We've got to clean that up before our next round game."
With the victory, C-K moves to 23-1 and into Thursday's quarterfinal against Carmichaels, a 2-1 winner over Cambridge Springs.
With one out in the top of the first, Payton Gilbert reached on an error by first baseman Zakera Bush.
West Greene's Emmaline Beazell got on first when second baseman Bella Francona's throw to get Gilbert at second was rifled that ended up going too high.
Gilbert was thrown out on a fielders choice at third before Beazell scored from second on an error by third baseman Savanna Crissman to put the Pioneers up 1-0.
"If we could have talked them (Claysburg) into calling the game after the top of the first -- we had it," West Greene coach William Simms said with a laugh. "Then it just didn't go (our way) from there."
After Claysburg starting pitcher Emalee Cavender got Madelyn Roberts to ground out to Crissman, the senior took matters into her own hands and crushed the first pitch from Gilbert well beyond the left-field fence to tie the contest.
"Usually they (West Greene) try to work ahead and we talked about that, that she's (Gilbert) not overpowering but she's around the plate," Barbarini said. "If she comes in, go ahead and hit that first pitch. She (Cavender) just connected with it and put it over the fence."
Jenna Helsel doubled for the Bulldogs, and then got thrown out at home on a double by McKenna Black two batters later.
C-K's Launa Musselman walked, then stole second as part of a double steal before Jaylee Swindell singled home Black to give C-K a lead it didnd't relinquish.
Musselman, who moved to third on the Swindell hit, came in to score on a wild pitch to make the score 3-1 after one inning.
The final three runs for the Lady Bulldogs came off the bat of Helsel as the center fielder had a 3-for-4 day -- all hits coming with two strikes in the count -- to go along with the three RBIs.
"Jenna, what can I say, she just had a tremendous game," Barbarini said. "Every time we needed a run, she came up with girls in scoring position and she delivered."
The second of just two Claysburg seniors delivered a two-out single to left to drive home Crissman in the second to make it 4-1.
In the third, West Greene got Beazell on first via a walk, but then the sophomore was thrown out at third on a Samantha Zimmerman single to left field.
Rather than one out and a runner on first and second, Cavender got Kendra Tharp to ground out to end the inning.
"As a coaching staff, we ran us out of an inning there," Simms said. "Whenever you get hits against high-level pitching and high-level teams, you've got to take your shots. I tried to go first-to-third with the Beazell girl and it just didn't work out. ... We came up here to be aggressive because we're not going to string together eight consecutive base hits -- that's why we did it."
Helsel came through in the fourth with Crissman again on third as she lifted a 1-1 pitch to center to push across her teammate on the tag up.
Cavender, who finished with five strikeouts, five hits surrendered and one walk, pitched to just four batters in four of the last six innings after facing six in the first.
The Pioneers did bring five to the plate in the fifth when they had their best chance to score more runs. Marissa Tharp led off with a single before Gilbert doubled to left-center.
With no outs and runners on second and third in a 5-1 game, Cavender induced a fly out by Beazell to Helsel in center, struck out Zimmerman and got Kendra Tharp to ground out to Crissman on a 6-3 putout to get out of the jam.
"That's a big inning to get out of especially when there are two people on," Helsel said. "(Knowing) there were no outs, and we have to get those outs because we don't want any more runs. So, it was definitely huge to get those outs."
Helsel helped Claysburg-Kimmel score its final run when Cavender reached on a single with two outs in the sixth.
After Cavender stole second, Helsel blooped a single to right to allow Cavender to come around to set the final.
"I came into the game telling myself that I'm not allowed to strike out today," Helsel said. "I think I do best when I have two strikes on me. So, I got up, got those two strikes on me and said I knew I had to hit this, I have to get a base hit. I did and we got runs in."
Cavender retired the side and ended the game in the top of the seventh on two fly outs and aline out.
WEST GREENE (1): M. Tharp cf 401, Gilbert p 301, Beazell 3b 210, Zimmerman 2b 301, K. Tharp ss 200, Roberts lf 300, Davis c 301, Scott rf 200, Salisbury cr 000, Goodwin 1b 301. Totals — 26 1 5.
CLAYSBURG-KIMMEL (6): Cavender p 422, J. Helsel cf 303, B. Francona 2b 401, Black c 412, A. Francona lf 000, Musselman dp 110, Swindell ss 201, Zak. Bush 1b 200, Crissman 3b 120, Zai. Bush rf 100, Hinish ph 100. Totals — 23 6 9.
SCORE BY INNINGS
West Greene 100 000 0–1 5 2
Claysburg-Kimmel 310 101 0–6 9 5
E–Beazell 2, Crissman 2, Zak. Bush, B. Francona, A. Francona. 2B–Gilbert, J. Helsel, Black. HR–Cavender. RBI–J. Helsel 3, Cavender, Swindell. SB–Black, Musselman, Zai. Bush, Cavender. CS--Swindell. WP–Gilbert 3.
PITCHING
West Greene: Gilbert (L) –6 innings, 9 H, 1 K, 4 BB, 6 R, 6 ER, 109 pitches.
Claysburg-Kimmel: Cavender (W) — 7 innings, 5 H, 5 K, 1 BB, 1 R, 0 ER, 92 pitches.
Records: West Greene (13-10); Claysburg-Kimmel (23-1).