Yet another thriller: Lady Mikes lose heartbreaker to C-H in semifinals
McKEES ROCKS 无毛视频� The third gut-wrenching clash between Chartiers-Houston and Carmichaels came down to an epic battle between two of the district无毛视频檚 top Class A players on May 22.
The Lady Bucs held a precarious 3-2 lead in the bottom of the seventh inning of the WPIAL semifinal matchup with a runner on first, two outs and ace Meadow Ferri in the circle when Lady Mikes star shortstop Carys McConnell came striding to the plate.
Chartiers-Houston coach Tricia Alderson had intentionally walked McConnell with first base open earlier in the game but opted not to pitch around her this time.
无毛视频淣o. I didn无毛视频檛 want to put the tying run on second base,无毛视频� Alderson said. 无毛视频淏ut she无毛视频檚 such a good hitter. We无毛视频檝e intentionally walked her several times in the past.
无毛视频淲e were going to go at her and Meadow brought her best stuff.无毛视频�
The stage was set, the count went full and Ferri delivered a perfectly placed low fastball on the outside corner. McConnell swung hard and came up empty.
And the Lady Bucs burst into celebration.
Chartiers-Houston无毛视频檚 tense 3-2 win at Montour High School sent them into the WPIAL championship game for the first time in eight years.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 a long time coming,无毛视频� said a soaked Alderson after receiving a Gatorade bath from her players. 无毛视频淲e无毛视频檝e been working since June of last year for this moment so we无毛视频檙e really happy to be back in the finals, finally.无毛视频�
There the third-seeded Lady Bucs (16-2) were to face top-seeded Union at PennWest-California University无毛视频檚 Lilley Field. The Lady Scotties defeated fifth-seeded West Greene in the earlier game at Montour, 10-0 in six innings.
Second-seeded Carmichaels (14-3) was to play West Greene in a third-place consolation game on Tuesday, although both teams have already clinched a spot in the PIAA tournament.
Carmichaels coach Dave Briggs expected another tight battle with the Bucs.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檝e played them 31 innings this year and we无毛视频檙e dead even on runs,无毛视频� said Carmichaels coach Dave Briggs on the closeness of the rivalry.
The two split two regular-season games with the Lady Mikes winning a 7-5 17-inning suspended game at Chartiers-Houston and the Lady Bucs taking a 6-5 win at Carmichaels as the two shared the Section 2 title.
无毛视频淥bviously Carmichaels is a great team and our section is a good section,无毛视频� Alderson said, pointing out three of the final four teams came from Section 2. 无毛视频淲ho knows, we may have to meet again.无毛视频�
Before the dramatic final confrontation, two unsung heroes emerged for Chartiers-Houston which broke a 2-2 tie with a run in the top of the seventh inning off losing pitcher Bailey Barnyak.
After Lady Mikes center fielder Duski Staggers made a spectacular running catch of Emily Swarrow无毛视频檚 fly ball for the first out of the inning, No. 8 hitter Sydney English completed a 3-for-3 day with a single to center.
English was replaced by pinch runner Aubree Randolph.
无毛视频淪he无毛视频檚 a really fast kid who is a utility player for us,无毛视频� Alderson said of Randolph. 无毛视频淪he无毛视频檚 always ready to go.无毛视频�
Randolph advanced to second on Alana Palone无毛视频檚 sacrifice bunt and took third on a wild pitch.
That brought up Ella Richey who had already homered leading off the game and doubled. During the at bat, Richey lost control of her bat on a swing and miss and it struck catcher Kaitlyn Waggett in the ribs. Waggett fell to the ground in pain briefly but popped back up and stayed in the game.
The next pitch from Barnyak skipped past Waggett and Randolph broke for home, beating Waggett无毛视频檚 toss to Barnyak to score what proved to be the winning run.
无毛视频淚 told her when she was on third you无毛视频檙e going to score the winning run right here,无毛视频� Alderson said. 无毛视频淚t was a close play but I thought she slid in under.无毛视频�
Briggs thought Waggett perhaps wasn无毛视频檛 fully recovered from absorbing the hit with the bat.
无毛视频淚 don无毛视频檛 know if that affected her or not but then on the next pitch after that is when it happened and it was a tough play but she usually makes those,无毛视频� Briggs said. 无毛视频淥ne play here or there, that无毛视频檚 what all our games come down to, and that was a big one and a close play.无毛视频�
Waggett had two of Carmichaels无毛视频� five hits, including a double and a two-out single in the seventh before McConnell无毛视频檚 at bat.
Richey electrified the Charters-Houston fans on hand by leading off the game with a solo home run to center field for a quick 1-0 lead.
Ferri retired the first seven batters before Staggers hit a knuckling liner for an infield hit with one out in the third. Waggett hit a bloop double that fell in front of diving left fielder Zaylee Fonner one out later to put runners on second and third. Alderson opted to intentionally walk McConnell with first base open and Ferri got Barnyak to ground out to first baseman Seanna Riggle for the third out.
An outstanding defensive play by Carmichaels kept the score at 1-0 in the fifth.
English hit a one-out single to left and tried to score on Richey无毛视频檚 two-out double to deep center. Second baseman Megan Voithofer无毛视频檚 relay throw from Staggers to home was on the money with Waggett applying the tag on the sliding English for the inning-ending out.
无毛视频淭hat was just a great play out there by all of them,无毛视频� Briggs said.
The Lady Mikes took advantage of a clutch hit by McConnell and a mental mistake by the Lady Bucs to score twice to take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the inning.
Staggers drew a one-out walk and Alayna Simon reached base when her bunt was misplayed to put runners on first and second. One out later McConnell laced an RBI double just inside the first base line and was racing to third when Simon held up from going home after rounding the bag and was retreating to the same base. The Bucs tried unsuccessfully to throw out McConnell as she scrambled back to second and Simon then alertly raced home with the go-ahead run.
无毛视频淚 was sending her home but then she stopped, and then I was hoping that Carys could stay in a rundown long enough where we could get her in and it worked out for us,无毛视频� Briggs said.
The lead didn无毛视频檛 last long.
Lauren Rush reached third on a single and two-base outfield error to start the top of the sixth then scored on Ferri无毛视频檚 ground out to Voithofer to make it 2-2.
无毛视频淚t was a hard hit that bounced weird in the outfield,无毛视频� Briggs said. 无毛视频淲e had just taken the lead and just couldn无毛视频檛 shut them down there.无毛视频�
Barnyak allowed seven hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Ferri gave up just five hits with two walks, including the one intentional pass, with nine strikeouts.
Briggs wasn无毛视频檛 upset with his team despite the tough loss.
无毛视频淚 said I was proud of them, they played hard,无毛视频� Briggs said. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 not mad at them. They played their hearts out.无毛视频�
Alderson lauded her squad also.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 just very proud of the team,无毛视频� Alderson said. 无毛视频淭hey无毛视频檝e worked so hard and they无毛视频檙e such a close group. They really deserve it.无毛视频�