Stymied: Lady Mikes held to 3 hits in PIAA final loss to DuBois, 2-0
UNIVERSITY PARK 无毛视频� Bailey Barnyak pitched well enough for Carmichaels to win Thursday无毛视频檚 PIAA Class A softball championship game at Penn State University无毛视频檚 Beard Field.
Unfortunately for the Lady Mikes batters, DuBois Central Catholic无毛视频檚 Rylee Kulbatsky was nearly unhittable in the Lady Cardinals无毛视频� 2-0 victory to win their program无毛视频檚 first state title in three trips to the finals.
Kulbatsky yielded three hits over seven innings with 15 strikeouts and no walks.
无毛视频淏ailey pitched well enough to win the game,无毛视频� Carmichaels coach Dave Briggs said. 无毛视频淭heir pitcher was tough today, and that was pretty much the story of the game. We couldn无毛视频檛 get to her, and I don无毛视频檛 know if it was nerves or the way she was moving the ball. I think it was a little bit of both.
无毛视频淚t was definitely a cool experience for the girls. The field, atmosphere and the support we had from the fans was great. I无毛视频檓 hoping this result is fuel for us next year and some incentive to work hard in the offseason, but it无毛视频檚 really hard to get here. I无毛视频檓 proud of our girls. There are over 100 schools in Class A and to get here is a big accomplishment.无毛视频�
The Lady Mikes (19-4) defeated three district champions to reach Thursday无毛视频檚 final, but couldn无毛视频檛 find their groove against Kulbatsky.
无毛视频淲e had two solid sophomores pitching in this game, so we hope to meet them again for the state title,无毛视频� DuBois Central Catholic coach George Heigel said. 无毛视频淲e had two solid senior pitchers that understood we needed to pitch Rylee because I think she is the best pitcher in the state. Those seniors didn无毛视频檛 mind taking a step back for the team and that speaks very highly of their character.无毛视频�
Barnyak allowed two earned runs on seven hits over seven innings. She had eight strikeouts and no walks.
无毛视频淲e were in the game and everything, but she (Kulbatsky) was an amazing pitcher,无毛视频� Barnyak said. 无毛视频淲e could not touch her. We had our chances, but it seemed like every time we got something going, she made another great pitch.无毛视频�
DuBois scored what would be the winning run in the fifth inning with two outs when No. 9 hitter Lexi Berta hit a ball that was too long for the Carmichaels infielders and too shallow for its outfielders to catch.
Berta hustled into second with a double and scored on Marina Hanes无毛视频� base hit to left field. Hanes was thrown out at third on the play to end the inning, but the Lady Cardinals had a 1-0 lead.
Ali Jacobs broke up Kulbatsky无毛视频檚 perfect game in the bottom of the fifth with a single to left. She advanced to second on Megan Voithofer无毛视频檚 bunt before Kulbatsky struck out the next two batters to end the threat.
无毛视频淎fter giving up that first, I just focused on the next batter,无毛视频� Kulbatsky said. 无毛视频淚 just wanted to win the game. I wasn无毛视频檛 really worried about a perfect game or no-hitter. My rise ball is definitely my favorite pitch.无毛视频�
DuBois scored an all-important insurance run in the sixth when Jessy Frank doubled and crossed home plate on Melia Mitskavich无毛视频檚 triple to right field.
The Lady Mikes had runners on first and second with one out in their half of the sixth when Alayna Simon reached on an error and Kaitlyn Waggett beat out a bunt for an infield single, but Kulbatsky recorded a strikeout and forced a popup to catcher Frank.
无毛视频淲e have been able to generate a clutch hit and do some stuff with runners on base this season,无毛视频� Briggs said. 无毛视频淲e started to make some things happen in the last couple of innings, but we couldn无毛视频檛 get that one clutch hit to put us over the top.无毛视频�
Jacobs led off the seventh with a double, but Kulbatsky forced a popup to second followed by back-to-back strikeouts for the championship.
Jacobs had two of Carmichaels无毛视频� three hits, but admitted to the difficulty in facing a pitcher like Kulbatsky.
无毛视频淎s a team, we definitely saw that she had this pitch where it would come in and it had like a clear dot in the center of the bubble and it would almost shake,无毛视频� Jacobs said. 无毛视频淲e could notice that it was breaking early, and even though we were up in the box, everyone was still ahead of it because it was breaking so early. I don无毛视频檛 know if it curved or dropped, but it had some kind of spin on it that threw all of us off.
无毛视频淚t was great to be here and I don无毛视频檛 think anyone expected us to get this far because we come from a small, little Single A (school). We have a young team and we hope to get back here next year.无毛视频�
Megan Voithofer and Simon are the Lady Mikes无毛视频� two seniors, but the Lady Cardinals have a young lineup as well and Kulbatsky is a sophomore.
无毛视频淚 feel like she (Kulbatsky) did after we played them last year,无毛视频� Voithofer said. 无毛视频淲e really hit the crap out of the ball last year and we beat them 7-0.
无毛视频淲e had a few innings where we got some things going, but just couldn无毛视频檛 get that big hit.无毛视频�