Photo for the Mirror by Roger Kerekes Claysburg-Kimmel catcher McKenna Black puts the tag on Carmichaels’ Carys McConnell.

By Nate Ritchey

nritchey@altoonamirror.com

BERLIN — After a three-run top of the first inning by Carmichaels, Claysburg-Kimmel found itself in a hole it had to dig out of right off the bat.

The way the Lady Bulldogs’ offense has proven to be explosive, no deficit could be considered insurmountable.

Unfortunately, C-K was unable to cash in on its chances with runners in scoring position.

Meanwhile, Mighty Mikes’ pitcher Bailey Barnyak made sure the prime opportunities were few as Claysburg-Kimmel saw its season come to a heartbreaking end with an 8-1 loss in PIAA Class 1A quarterfinal action on Thursday at Berlin Brothersvalley High School.

Claysburg, the District 6 champions, finished the season with a 23-2 mark.

“Anytime you only lose two games out of 25, you’ve had a good season,” Claysburg-Kimmel coach Mike Barbarini said. “It’s just a shame that it has to end this way. But they (Carmichaels) just outright beat us.”

Meanwhile, Carmichaels, the third seed out of District 7, moves into Monday’s semifinal matchup with Chartiers-Houston, a 4-0 winner over West Branch.

With one out in the top of the first, Barnyak walked before moving to third on a single by Carys McConnell to put runners at the corners for Carmichaels.

Cleanup hitter Ali Jacobs delivered the crushing blow as she sent a 2-1 pitch over the left-field fence to put the Mikes up 3-0.

“I was kind of mad when we didn’t win the flip, but now I’m glad because we got the momentum early,” “Carmichaels coach David Briggs said of his team losing the coin toss to determine who the home team would be. “That set the tone, and they (Claysburg) put their heads down a little bit there. It definitely gave us a boost.”

In the Bulldogs’ half of the first, Jenna Helsel reached first on an error by center fielder Duski Staggers.

Bella Francona doubled to center and a strong throw kept Helsel at third.

With just one out, Claysburg looked primed to put a few runs of its own on the board.

However, McKenna Black fouled out and Launa Musselman struck out to leave two stranded in scoring position.

“We had a chance to get back in the game, and we didn’t execute there,” Barbarini said. “… That will really hurt you more so than the home run in the first inning.”

The Mighty Mikes tacked on a run in the third as Barnyak began with a single and moved to third when McConnell reached on an error.

Jacobs came through again by pushing Barnyak across on a 6-3 groundout to make the score 4-0.

In the bottom of the inning, C-K’s Emalee Cavender reached first on a base hit, moved to second on a wild pitch while Helsel, who reached first base on a walk, was at the plate.

Barnyak struck out the next three Lady Bulldogs to get her team out of that half inning.

“I thought she (Barnyak) was fantastic,” Briggs said. “I was really worried about the top of their lineup. We handled them for the most part, and we didn’t let the ball get out of the yard.”

Jacobs, who was 3-for-4 on the day, delivered yet again with her fifth RBI when she smacked a two-out single to center to chase McConnell home from second base to put Carmichaels up 5-0.

Claysburg-Kimmel got things started in the right direction in its half of the fifth as Zailee Bush doubled to left.

After Cavender struck out, Helsel singled home Bush to make the score 5-1, and then was thrown out at second base for the second out before Francona grounded out.

Claysburg-Kimmel got another opportunity in the sixth as Black led off with a single and then advanced to second on an error.

After pinch hitter Payton Hinish struck out, Jaylee Swindell worked a walk and the two Lady Bulldog base runners moved into scoring position on a wild pitch.

Barnyak, who had eight strikeouts and two walks, got Zakera Bush to fly out and Savanna Crissman to foul out to leave their teammates on base.

“She (Barnyak) kept us off balance, and that was the first girl that spun the ball the way she did that we faced all year,” Barbarini said. “We were underneath a lot of her rise-balls. We just weren’t able to get on top of it and drive it.”

Carmichaels broke out for three more runs in the top of the seventh as Barnyak walked with one out, and then touched home when McConnell tallied a line-drive two-run homer to left.

After Jacobs grounded out, Megan Voithofer walked and moved to second on a Plavi hit to center.

Avery Voithofer drove home the eighth and final run as the umpire ruled Megan Voithofer touched home just before Plavi was tagged out by Crissman at third.

Zailee Bush fouled out to the shortstop McConnell and was followed by Cavender popping out to Kaitlyn Waggett, the catcher, in foul territory.

With the two outs, Helsel singled to right, moved to second on a passed ball by Waggett and then to third when Francona reached first on an error by Allie Miller at third.

Black grounded into a 5-3 putout to end the contest.

“I never felt comfortable,” Briggs said. “I was glad we didn’t rest after we got the 3-0 lead.”

CARMICHAELS (8): Waggett c 400, Barnyak p 231, McConnell ss 332, Jacobs 1b 412, M. Voithofer 2b 310, Plavi lf 402, A. Voithofer rf 402, Staggers cf 200, Miller 3b 000, Simon dh 300. Totals — 29 8 9.

CLAYSBURG-KIMMEL (1): Cavender p 401, J. Helsel cf 302, B. Francona 2b-ss 401, Black c 401, A. Francona lf 000, Musselman dh 200, Hinish ph 100, Swindell ss-2b 200, Zak. Bush 1b 200, Crissman 3b 300, Zai. Bush rf 311. Totals — 28 1 6.

SCORE BY INNINGS

Carmichaels 301 010 3–8 9 3

Claysburg-Kimmel 000 010 0–1 6 3

E–Staggers, Plavi, Miller, Swindell 2, B. Francona. 2B–B. Francona, Zai. Bush. HR–Jacobs, McConnell. RBI–Jacobs 5, McConnell 2, A. Voithofer, Helsel. SB–Waggett, McConnell. WP–Barnyak 2. PB–Waggett. HBP — Zak. Bush (by Barnyak).

PITCHING

Carmichaels: Barnyak (W) — 7 innings, 6 H, 8 K, 2 BB, 1 R, 1 ER, 108 pitches.

Claysburg-Kimmel: Cavender (L) –7 innings, 9 H, 6 K, 5 BB, 8 R, 7 ER, 126 pitches.

Records: Carmichaels (18-3); Claysburg-Kimmel (23-2).