HOLLIDAYSBURG — Hollidaysburg softball may have been the No. 2 seed in the District 6 Class 5A playoffs, but hosting third-seeded Mifflin County wasn’t the easiest matchup.

The Lady Huskies had only three wins in the regular season, but it was against some of the best competition that the state has to offer in the Mid-Penn Conference.

Although the Lady Tigers played one of their cleanest games of the season, they fell just short in the semifinals in a 6-4 loss to Mifflin County.

Hollidaysburg only committed one error in the field, and had the tying run at the plate at the end of the game.

“That’s some of the best softball we’ve played all year,” Hollidaysburg coach Mike Harris said. “Mifflin County plays in the toughest division in the Mid-Penn. They’re a 5A school playing against 6A teams. They battled. We battled. We were just one or two plays short. That’s how softball is.”

Mifflin County had managed to get wins over Cedar Cliff, Altoona, and West Perry in a rugged schedule.

“(The schedule) plays a key role in our season,” Mifflin County coach Craig Weston said. “It doesn’t matter who you’re playing. Every day you’re playing against the top teams in the state. A game like this coming down to the wire like that, I think the competition throughout the season makes a big difference.”

The big difference in the game came in the top of the seventh. With Mifflin County leading 4-3, Piper Specht belted a two-run homer over the center field fence to go up 6-3.

Hollidaysburg’s Genna Peacock doubled home Rylee Murtiff in the bottom half of the inning, but couldn’t get the big hit to tie the game.

The home run from Specht proved to be bigger than just insurance.

“We always tell them, ‘We never have enough runs,'” Weston said. “We just keep fighting and scratching and clawing. Everyone sees that our record isn’t the greatest, but the kids continue to work hard. They just keep fighting and that’s why I’m proud of them.”

Mifflin County took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second after a Carly Dickson double and a Mary Pietzsch base hit scored Dickson. Pietzsch scored later in the inning on a groundout.

Hollidaysburg got the two runs back in the bottom of the third when Peacock knocked in Murtiff and Maggie Hicks on a two-run single to knot the game at 2-2.

Mifflin County took a 4-2 lead in the top of the fifth on a Dickson two-run single. The Lady Tigers got one of the runs back in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI double from Alayna Mitchell.

Mikaylah Vincent pitched the first five innings for Hollidaysburg before giving the ball to Leah Hammel. Vincent allowed four earned runs on seven hits, walked two and struck out one.

Hammel retired her first five batters before allowing a walk and the home run to Specht in the seventh.

Mifflin County’s Addison Velez allowed four earned runs on nine hits in her complete game. She allowed one free pass and struck out five.

Hollidaysburg finished the season at 6-15.

“I have no complaints. The kids played their guts out,” Harris said. “They brought a fantastic attitude. It was a pleasure to see. It’s just too bad it ends on a sour note. There’s only six teams in the state that’s going to end with a win. That’s just how it goes. We doubled our win total from last year. We made the playoffs and battled. I was really proud of everybody.”

Mifflin County will play top-seeded Central Mountain on Wednesday in the district championship at a site and time to be determined.

MIFFLIN COUNTY (6): Maxwell cf 400, Wyland ss 301, Baker 2b 322, Specht 1b 311, Shirey pr 010, Dickson 3b 413, Pietzsch dp 311, Velez p 300, Felmlee rf 300, Trutt lf 300, Sunderland (flex) c 000. Totals — 29-6-8.

HOLLIDAYSBURG (4): Hicks cf 412, Peacock 2b 402, Vincent p-lf 402, Chandler 1b 411, Gearhart 3b 300, Barger c 300, Mitchell lf-rf 301, Snyder rf 200, Hammel p 100, Murtiff dp 221, Pope (flex) ss 000. Totals — 30-4-9.

SCORE BY INNINGS

Mifflin County 020 020 2–6 8 1

Hollidaysburg 002 001 1–4 9 1

2B–Dickson; Peacock, Mitchell. HR–Specht. RBI–Specht 2, Dickson 2, Pietzsch, Felmlee; Peacock 3, Mitchell. WP–Velez. LP–Vincent. SO–Velez 5; Vincent 1, Hammel 2. BB–Velez 1; Vincent 2, Hammel 1.

Records: Mifflin County (4-15); Hollidaysburg (6-15).