But unfortunately for the Lady Bulldogs, the PIAA semifinal round continued to be a stumbling block Tuesday at Lycoming Valley Intermediate School when Northeast Bradford silenced the C-K bats and came away with a 1-0 victory in eight innings.

“(Heck) of a season, but today, we just didn’t have it,” Barbarini said. “We didn’t hit the ball. We didn’t execute when we had girls on second and third with less than two outs. It all comes down to execution. They executed and made all the plays, catching the pop ups and fly balls we hit, and we didn’t hit many line drives today.”

Claysburg-Kimmel fell to 1-4 all time in state semifinal games, and the last two losses have been heartbreaking.

The Lady Bulldogs’ two seniors, Bella Francona and Zakera Bush, were there for both — a loss to Union Area in which C-K held a late lead and Tuesday’s game where Claysburg, which averaged more than 10 runs a game this season going into the game, managed just three hits.

Claysburg-Kimmel first baseman Zakera Bush makes an over-the-shoulder catch for an out on a ball hit by Northeast Bradford’s Zaelea Lane Tuesday afternoon. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

“We took too many strike threes,” Barbarini said. “We weren’t aggressive when we went to the plate like we normally are. I don’t know the reason for that, but we didn’t turn on any balls and pull them. The only one we pulled went foul for a home run.”

Barbarini was referring to a deep foul ball hit by Harlee Harclerode that nearly put Claysburg-Kimmel on the board to lead off the fifth inning in a scoreless game.

“I was terrified,” Northeast Bradford starting pitcher Kelsey Moore said. “But I had so much confidence in my team behind me. I knew if I got my job done, they would get their job done.”

The Lady Bulldogs got into a jam in the second inning when a two-base error put runners on second and third with one out for Northeast Bradford, but Isabella Paris got a strikeout and then fielded a grounder with her glove and flipped it out of her glove to first for the third out.

The Lady Panthers didn’t threaten again — or get their first hit — until the seventh inning.

Claysburg-Kimmel left six runners in scoring position in that time and then stranded a runner at third with a chance to win the game in the bottom of the seventh inning.

“Isabella pitched a (heck) of a game,” Barbarini said. “We just didn’t support her offensively. When you don’t score a run, you can’t win the game.”

Paris allowed her first hit to Hannah Berger to lead off the seventh inning, and Orissa Gardner followed with a bloop single. The freshman hurler responded by striking out the next three batters on nine pitches.

In the top of the eighth inning, Paris got the first two outs and nearly the third. Kierra Delancey hit a foul liner that Savanna Crissman nearly made an outstanding catch on before the ball slipped to the ground.

With her second chance, Delancey singled. Moore got to first with a swinging bunt, and Berger hit an RBI single to right one pitch after she hit a ball that would have been a three-run home run just foul.

“(Claysburg-Kimmel) was phenomenal defensively,” Northeast Bradford coach Makaylah Leljedal said. “There was a foul ball over there earlier that (Zakera Bush) caught over her head (in the fifth inning). It was an amazing catch. I honestly thought they were going to catch that one too, but they didn’t. It worked out for us and gave us a new life.”

Berger finished 2-for-3. Northeast Bradford had just five hits as a team.

“We struggled to hit their pitching,” Leljedal said. “But we did make some adjustments and ended up putting some hits on the board and finally scored a run.”

McKenna Black walked to lead off the bottom of the eighth, but Lady Panthers relief pitcher Makenna Callear got the final three outs without C-K getting a runner into scoring position.

Northeast Bradford improved to 15-7 and will play WPIAL champion Union for the PIAA Class 1A championship on Friday at Penn State University’s Beard Field. The Lady Bulldogs ended the season 27-1 with District 6 and Inter-County Conference championships.

Paris, Harclerode and Launa Musselman had Claysburg-Kimmel’s hits.

“It’s a tough way to end the season,” Barbarini said. “But we’ll be back next year.”

But without seniors Bella Francona and Zakera Bush.

“They are the two cornerstones of our infield at third and first base,” Barbarini said. “They have been there for four years, and we are going to miss them next year. We have to replace them. They have been rock solid for us as leaders and as contributors to the team for four years.”

Bush’s bat came alive in the postseason, and she helped the Lady Bulldogs tie their PIAA quarterfinal game last week against Holy Cross with an RBI double.

“I just loved seeing everyone’s excitement throughout the whole season,” Zakera Bush said. “I’m very proud to wear a Claysburg uniform, because I know what we had, and I know it is special. Even though we lost today, I know we’re a great team, and we always fought hard.”

Francona led the Lady Bulldogs in batting average and came into Tuesday’s game hitting over .500

“I’m proud of us for going to the District 6 championship game four times and winning three times,” Francona said. “I’m proud we made it to the state semifinals twice. It was amazing playing with these girls my whole life.”

NORTHEAST BRADFORD (1): Callear ss-p 400, Delancey 3b 311, Moore p-ss 401, Berger c 302, Clark cr 000, Gardner 1b 401, Herb 2b 300, Lambert cf 300, Lane rf 300, Kapr lf 300. Totals — 30-1-5.

CLAYSBURG-KIMMEL (0): B. Francona 3b 400, Swindell ss 400, Black c 300, Paris p 301, Musselman lf 301, Hinish dp 300, Zai. Bush rf 000, Crissman 2b 300, Zak. Bush 1b 200, A. Francona pr 000, Harclerode cf 201. Totals — 27-0-3.

SCORE BY INNINGS

Northeast Bradford 000 000 01–1 5 1

Claysburg-Kimmel 000 000 00–0 3 1

E–Delancey, Harclerode. RBI–Berger.

PITCHING

Northeast Bradford: Moore–6IP, 3H, 5K, 3BB, 0R, 0ER, 88 pitches; Callear (W)–2IP, 0H, 2K, 1BB, 0R, 0ER, 23 pitches.

Claysburg-Kimmel: Paris (L)–8IP, 5H, 11K, 2BB, 1R, 1ER, 114 pitches.

Records: Claysburg-Kimmel (27-1); Northeast Bradford (15-7).