The Lady Red Devils scored four runs in bottom of the first inning, including a two-out, three-run home run by Rowyn Ruddek, and sent nine batters to the plate.

But this wasn’t Bizzarri’s first rodeo. The senior was the winning pitcher two years ago when P-O knocked off then top-seeded Central Cambria in the quarterfinals.

She and catcher Emily Gustkey made adjustments and only gave up two more runs the rest of the way.

The ninth-seeded Lady Mounties, though, erupted for five runs in a cold, windy and rainy second inning, tacked on four more in the next three innings and upset the Lady Red Devils, 9-6, on Friday.

P-O’s Macie Bush celebrates while looking toward the Mounties’ dugout after her RBI double against CC. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

“I give a lot of credit to Philipsburg,” Central Cambria coach Stephen Ruddek said, “because they played errorless ball tonight. We played hard, but we didn’t play our best, and that came back to get us tonight.”

“I’m just so happy and proud of the girls for their hard work,” P-O first-year coach Mike Herr said, “and playing together through these playoffs. Our seeing in the district didn’t mean anything because we know what we’re capable of, and it’s starting to pay off.”

P-O advanced to next Thursday’s District 6 championship game at a site and time to be determined. The Lady Mounties will play either Centre County second-seeded rival Bald Eagle Area or sixth-seeded Marion Center, who were postponed again Friday due to inclement weather.

The Lady Mounties (14-6) have beaten eighth-seeded Huntingdon, top-seeded Forest Hills and now the Lady Red Devils (15-6) in the playoffs.

After the final out, Ruddek gathered his team in left-center field to talk about what just happened.

“These losses hurt. The last loss of the season hurts the most,” he said. “I couldn’t be prouder of the entire season they put forward.”

The bottom of the first was far from disappointing for Central Cambria as Keira Link led off with a single and Aubrey Ruddek doubled off the left field fence for the first run. With runners on second and third and two outs, Rowyn Ruddek hammered a Bizzarri offering over the center field fence.

“They met together at the beginning of the game and said let’s go out and really jump on them,” Coach Ruddek said. “They did that. Then that one inning of rain hit and we couldn’t pick a ball up.”

The outlook for CC was bright, but momentum swung to P-O for good as storm clouds grew dark and the Lady Mounties piled up five runs on four hits and took advantage of a run-scoring wild pitch by starting pitcher Aubrey Ruddek and a run-scoring throwing error on the same play.

Gustkey, who went 3-for-5 from the leadoff spot, drove in a run before the wild pitch and error.

“That was a huge counterpunch,” Herr said.

P-O’s Morgan Vaughn, Macie Bush and Maddyx Hampton, batting sixth through eighth, had two hits each in a 13-hit attack.

Bizzarri knocked home a run with a single in the third and with a sacrifice fly in the fifth. Back-to-back doubles by Vaughn and Bush produced a run in the fourth inning.

Bizzarri wasn’t overpowering as she gave up 10 hits and four walks while striking out three, but she came up with the big outs when she needed to. She was facing some adversity as she was hit below her left eye with an errant softball before the game, causing swelling and limiting her vision.

“It’s real tough to see, actually,” Bizzarri said, “but they told me that if I didn’t have any headaches or anything I was good to go.”

“We just switched it up a little bit. With getting hit in the eye, I didn’t have much time to warm up. The first inning or two were kind of warm-ups for me.”

Her defensive was on point behind her, playing errorless and turning two double plays of Aubrey Ruddek ground balls. P-O sure-handed third baseman Ashlyn Havens had eight putouts and started the first double play.

“Ashlyn Havens is phenomenal,” Bizzarri said. “I love her. I’ve played with her since JO little league. She’s always had my back.”

The Lady Red Devils drew closer in the bottom of the sixth when Camryn Matlin, who went 3-for-4, singled to right-center and Avery Biter pounded a two-run home run over the center field fence.

But that’s the closest Central Cambria got as Bizzarri again clamped down, yielding a single and a walk the rest of the way.

“I’m so proud of the girls for just staying in it down to the last out swinging the bats, running hard and trying to do what they could do,” Coach Ruddek said. “It just wasn’t enough against a team that’s really peaking at the right time in Philipsburg.

“My seniors (Aubrey Ruddek, Link and Sophie Blasko) have been four-year starters and four-year studs. Losing those three girls is going to leave some big holes to fill, but I’m really excited about the underclassmen coming through. We’ll reload. We’ll be ready again.”

When the last out was made, P-O began celebrating making the district title game for the first time since 2018.

Philipsburg-Osceola (9): Gustkey c 513, Bizzarri p 301, Meersand cr 000, Butler 1b 501, Chverchko ss 300, Jarrett lf 411, Vaughn 2b 422, Bush cf 422, Hampton rf 322, Havens 3b 411. Totals: 35-9-13.

Central Cambria (6): Link ss-2b-p 211, A. Ruddek p-ss 412, Scott c 401, Blasko 3b 311, George 1b 300, R. Ruddek 2b-p 411, Matlin cf 413, Turner lf 300, Biter rf 311. Totals: 30-6-10.

SCORE BY INNINGS

Philipsburg-Osceola….052 110 0–9 13 0

Central Cambria………..400 002 0–6 10 2

E–Link, Scott. 2B–Gustkey, Vaughn, Bush. HR–R. Ruddek, Biter. RBIs– Bizzarri 2, Havens 2, Gustkey, Bush, Hampton; R. Ruddek 3, Biter 2, A. Ruddek. SF–Bizzarri. SB–Meersand 2, Gustkey. DP–Philipsburg-Osceola 2. LOB–Philipsburg-Osceola 11, Central Cambria 8.

PITCHING

Philipsburg-Osceola: Bizzarri (W)– 7 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB,3 SO.

Central Cambria: A. Ruddek (L)– 1 2/3 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 0 SO; R. Ruddek 3 1/3 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO; Link–2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 S.

Records: Philipsburg-Osceola (14-6); Central Cambria (15-6)

Time of game: 2:00