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Big First Inning Lifts DCC Past Clarion for Third D9 1A Softball Title in Four Years

DUBOIS, Pa. – One inning – a good one for DuBois Central Catholic, a bad one for Clarion – was all it took for DCC to capture its third District 9 Class 1A title in four years with a 7-2 victory over the Lady Cats at Heindl Field in DuBois.

Paced by a three-run home run from Mia Meholick, the Lady Cardinals scored all seven runs in the top of the first inning while getting five of their eight hits against Clarion ace Kait Constantino.

“It (winning the championship) was very big to me, especially since it was my first time,” the sophomore Meholick said. “I knew we were a good team, and that we had good batting, good defense. I really thought altogether we were a great team. I was really hoping for this, and I am really glad we got it.”

The seven early runs were more than enough for freshman pitcher Morgan Tyler, who kept Clarion’s bats at bay allowing the two runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out 14.

“I was mostly excited,” Tyler said. “I was a little bit nervous, but I was mostly excited. I’ve been looking forward to this. We are a great team.”

Watch Meholick and Tyler in the postgame interview

A pair of walks by Constantino – one to Shay Gulvas and one to Ashley Wruble – set up the early situation for DCC, and Meholic took advantage crushing a ball over the left-field wall for the 3-0 lead.

“I was glad to see Mia get a pitch down by her knees,” DCC manager George Heigel said. “That is usually the one she drills. She hit it square. We haven’t done that (score a lot of early runs) much. It usually takes us two or three innings to get the bats going. We did just the opposite today. We had the bats going in the first inning then things fizzled out there.”

DCC didn’t stop at the three runs.

With two outs, the Lady Cardinals strung together four hits and a walk to tack on four more tallies.

Alyssa Bittner restarted the rally with a two-out double, and after Maia Cogley walked, Jordan Kosko doubled home both runs. Chelsea Busatto followed with an RBI single, and Gulvas, batting for the second time in the inning, doubled home Busatto.

“They came out and swung the bats well,” Clarion manager Dan Shofestall said. “They hit the ball.”

After the seven-run outburst, it looked like the game was headed to a 10-run mercy rule like so many of DCC’s contests.

But Constantino, to her credit, never gave in and actually pitched a strong game after the first not allowing a run and giving up just the three hits and a walk in her final six innings. She recorded seven of her nine strikeouts during that stretch.

“I thought she got stronger after that first inning,” Shofestall said. “The defense helped pick us up behind her. She threw really well. The fight was there. That was so important. She fought. She was down, and she did not give in. She got stronger the whole game. That is part of pitching. You might have a bad inning. You can’t quit working.”

But while Constantino settled in, Tyler was in a groove.

“She has pitched that way the whole year,” Heigel said. “This is the first time we started her in a long time. We have been splitting up games. But I just thought it was time we throw her and see how it did.”

Despite having one base runner in each of the first five innings, Clarion wasn’t able to get to the DCC starter until the sixth when three straight singles by Brenna Campbell, Tori Vega and Lindsey Kemmer got the Lady Cats on the board. Vega then scored when Kemmer was thrown out trying to steal second.

“We were behind in the swings (most of the game),” Shofestall said. “(Tyler) put spin on the ball. She is a good pitcher. She puts a lot of spin on it. We knew we had to score some runs to help Kaitlyn out tonight. We just didn’t score enough.”

But that was all Clarion managed against Tyler, as she struck out the last five batters she faced.

“My fastball, my curveball, they were working good,” Tyler said.

DCC moves into the PIAA playoffs where it will take on the third-place team out of the WPIAL, Leechburg, in the opening round Monday, June 3.

“It’s nice for the senior,” Heigel said. “They have won three out of four district championship. I’ve got to be honest. That wasn’t our goal. That might sound cocky, but that’s not our goal. Coming into the year, this was one of the goals. But we are looking forward. We have to hit better than we did today. We have to string hits together.”

Clarion’s season isn’t over. But it’s a short turnaround for the Lady Cats. They will play Otto-Eldred in the true-second place game to determine the second and final D9 team to move into the PIAA playoffs. That game will be at 2 p.m. Thursday, May 30, at Heindl Field. The winner will take on District 10 champion Commodore Perry in the opening round of the PIAA playoffs Monday, June, 3.

“Twelve hours we are going to be back here,” Shofestall said. “That’s good because we can go to the state playoffs. That is still our goal. We said that in the huddle tonight. If we fight like we did tonight, I feel good.”

DUBOIS CENTRAL CATHOLIC 7, CLARION 2

Score by Innings

DCC 700 000 0 – 7
Clarion 000 002 0 – 2

DCC – 7

Shay Gulvas ss 3111, Avery Sickeri 3b 4010, Ashley Wruble 2b 3100, Mia Meholick c 4113, Carley Semancik rf 3000, Alyssa Bittner 1b 4110, Maia Cogley lf 2110, Jordan Kosko cf 3112, Chelsea Busatto 2111, Shyanne Lundy 1010, Morgan Tyler p 0000. Totals 29-7-8-7.

CLARION – 2

Kait Constantino p 4020, Carly Best 2b 2000, Brenna Campbell ss 3110, Jordan Best c 3120, Tori Vega 3b 3011, Lindsey Kemmer 1b 3000, Payton Simko cf 3010, Ava Kiser lf 3000, Noel Anthony 3000. Totals 27-2-7-1.

LOB: DCC 5. Clarion 5. Errors: DCC 0. Clarion 1. 2B: Bittner, Kosko, Gulvas. 3B: Jordan Best. HR: Meholick. CS: Cogley. Vega. DP: Clarion (strike out/throw out).

PITCHING

DCC

Morgan Tyler 7 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 14 K

Clarion

Alexis Constantino 5 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 4 BB, 9 K

Winning pitcher: Morgan Tyler
Losing pitcher: Alexis Constantino