Payton Hinish

CLAYSBURG — The Claysburg-Kimmel softball has won in a variety of ways through 21 games this season.

The Lady Bulldogs have won by blowing teams out in mercy-rule fashion, coming from behind in the middle or late innings, taking the lead early and grinding out a win, and they even have a walk-off victory on their resume.

C-K added another notch onto its ways of victory on Wednesday as the Bulldogs remained unbeaten with a walk-off grand slam from Payton Hinish to clinch the Inter-County Conference championship for the second straight year with a 7-3 victory over Berlin Brothersvalley.

“We had a 2-1 win the first game of the year, but we were the visiting team, and then Chestnut Ridge here (at home) was a walk-off hit,” Claysburg-Kimmel coach Mike Barbarini said. “… This team is special. Young, as we have two seniors. But, we have 12 players and I’m having trouble playing them all, because they are 12 (legit) players.”

Hinish, who tallied six RBIs on the day, crushed the first pitch she saw from Berlin pitcher Sam Walker and deposited over the fence in right field.

The walk off was the first such game-winner home run of Hinish’s career — high school, travel ball or otherwise.

“Just one, yea, this is it,” Hinish responded after taking a moment to think whether this was her first-ever walk-off homer. “This (ball she was holding) is probably going in my bedroom with all the rest of them.”

With the game tied at 3-3, Launa Musselman led off the bottom of the seventh with a single up the middle that got under the glove of Lady Mountaineer center fielder Cayley Poorbaugh and rolled far enough to get Musselman to third.

Savanna Crissman was hit on the helmet by the Walker pitch to give Claysburg runners at the corners.

Shope wanted to try to simplify his defensive options down to a throw going home on a ball in play, so he decided to intentionally walk Zakera Bush to load the bases.

Hinish delivered the crushing blow on a pitch she was counting on being thrown.

“Usually, I am that person (that overthinks those situations),” Hinish said. “But, I knew when they walked Zakera that I was ready for it. Not to be cocky, but I was ready for that pitch (right inside), and I was just taking it yard.”

Barbarini is hoping the hot streak Hinish had been on hitting the ball lately continues with the District 6 playoffs next on the schedule.

“She went through a tough stretch this year where I had to put her on the bench and not play her because she wasn’t hitting,” Barbarini said. “We worked on her swing, and the last few games she’s been hitting home runs and putting the ball in play. I kept telling her you can do it and it’s all confidence. She didn’t have confidence earlier in the season and now she has it. Hopefully, it carries through to the playoffs.”

Claysburg-Kimmel got on the board in the first inning as Bella Francona singled to right, then moved to third when the ball was misplayed.

McKenna Black grounded out to shortstop, but Francona was able to come in to score for a 1-0 Bulldog lead.

The Lady Mountaineers responded in the top of the fourth when Walker singled and moved to second on an error in left field.

Walker stole third and then got company on the bases when Bena Barna worked a walk.

Both touched home when Sydney Walker smashed a pitch from Isabella Paris to center just to the left of the 200-foot sign to give Berlin Brothersvalley a 3-1 edge.

“I’m super proud of my team,” Berlin Brothersvalley coach Brian Slope said. “When you look at them (Claysburg-Kimmel) on paper, they’re undefeated, and we came in and gave them a game. We didn’t quit.”

With two outs in the fifth, the Lady Bulldogs knotted the contest when Bush drew a walk, and Hinish, facing a 1-2 count, fouled off two pitches before hammering the Walker pitch over the left-field fence to make the score 3-3.

The two pitchers in the circle did a number on the opposition most of the game as Paris allowed three hits, struck out six and walked one.

Meanwhile, Walker surrendered four hits, while striking out three and walking three.

“This is a great game to lead us into the playoffs because we’re going to be facing some top tier teams as we go in,” Slope said.

Paris set the Mountaineers down 1-2-3 in five of the seven innings, while Walker retired the Lady Bulldogs in order three times.

Each team only left one runner on base as Prosser and Francona were both stranded in the sixth inning.

“It’s a playoff game and we treated it as a playoff game for a championship,” Barbarini said. “These girls work so hard even in the offseason.”

Claysburg advanced to the title game after routing Everett by a 14-3 final in five innings in the semifinals.

In the opener, Hinish delivered a two-run homer in the second inning and finished with four RBIs on two hits.

Paris went 2-for-2, including a three-run blast, while also earning the win in the circle by allowing four hits, striking out five and walking none.

Addison Wood, who had two RBIs, and Kirstin Feathers hit homers off Paris to account for the Lady Warriors runs.

Musselman had two hits and two RBIs, Crissman knocked in a pair of runs on a double, and Jaylee Swindell singled and doubled for C-K.

Berlin made its way with an 8-0 semifinal victory over West Branch.

CHAMPIONSHIP

BERLIN BROTHERSVALLEY (3): C. Prosser ss 301, Sa. Walker p 311, Phillip rf 000, Ritchey ep 300, Barna 2b 210, Sy. Walker lf 311, B. Prosser c 300, Milburn 3b 300, Poorbaugh cf 200, Speicher 2b 200. Totals — 24 3 3.

CLAYSBURG-KIMMEL (7): B. Francona 3b 211, Swindell ss 200, Black c 300, Paris p 300, Musselman lf 301, Zai. Bush cr 010, Crissman 2b 210, Zak. Bush 1b 120, A. Francona rf 000, Hinish ep 322, Harclerode cf 200. Totals — 21 7 4.

SCORE BY INNINGS

Berlin Brothersvalley 000 300 0–3 3 2

Claysburg-Kimmel 100 020 4–7 4 1

E–Phillip, Poorbaugh, Musselman. HR–Sy. Walker, Hinish 2. RBI–Sy. Walker 3, Hinish 6, Black. SB–Sa. Walker. CS–Swindell. WP–Paris. HBP–B. Francona, Crissman. LOB–Berlin Brothersvalley 1; Claysburg-Kimmel 1

PITCHING

Berlin Brothersvalley: Sa. Walker (L) — 6 innings, 4 H, 3 K, 3 BB, 7 R, 6 ER, 83 pitches.

Claysburg-Kimmel: Paris (W) — 7 innings, 3 H, 6 K, 1 BB, 3 R, 3 ER, 77 pitches.

Records: Berlin Brothersvalley (15-3); Claysburg-Kimmel (22-0).

SEMIFINALS

CLAYSBURG-KIMMEL (14): B. Francona 3b 311, Swindell ss 422, Black c 111, Paris p 222, Musselman lf 422, A. Francona lf 000, Crissman 2b 121, Zak. Bush 1b 300, Hinish 312, Harclerode cf 300. Totals — 24 14 11.

EVERETT (3): Colledge 2b 300, Dadetto rf 200, Hillegas ss 211, Wood p 211, Feathers c 211, Bowser cf 200, Kauffman 1b 200, Snyder 3b 201, Levy lf 200. Totals — 19 3 4.

SCORE BY INNINGS

Claysburg-Kimmel 024 53X X–14 11 0

Everett 010 02X X– 3 4 0

2B–Swindell, Crissman (CK). HR–Paris, Hinish (CK); Wood, Feathers (E). RBI–Hinish 4, Paris 3, Musselman 2, Crissman 2, Swindell (CK); Wood 2, Feathers (E). WP–Paris. LP–Wood. SO–Paris 5 (CK); Wood 2, Kauffman (E). BB–Wood 7, Kauffman (E).

Records: Claysburg-Kimmel (21-0); Everett (13-7).