DUBOIS, Pa. – A pair of District 9 softball teams advanced to the PIAA quarterfinals with wins Monday in the opening round.
(Photo of Punxsutawney’s Holly Hartman. Photo by Jared Bakaysa of JB Graphics. See more of Bakaysa’s work here)
DuBois Central Catholic, the third-place team out of D9 in Class 1A knocked off District 5 champion Meyersdale, 8-1, at Windber, and District 9 Class 4A champion Punxsutawney rolled past WPIAL runner-up Elizabeth Forward, 8-0, at Heindl Field in DuBois.
While DCC and Punxsutawney extended their seasons, Elk County Catholic, Coudersport, Cranberry, Karns City and DuBois all saw their campaigns come to a close with first-round losses.
Here is a quick breakdown of each game. More on the Punxsutawney, Karns City and DuBois games can be found Tuesday at our sister sites, exploreClarion.com and exploreJeffersonPa.com.
PUNXSUTAWNEY 8, ELIZABETH FORWARD 0
DUBOIS, Pa. – Kylee Lingenfelter threw a two-hit shutout and sophomore Holly Hartman drove in five runs to lead the Lady Chucks to their first PIAA victory since 2009 with the 8-0 blanking for Elizabeth Forward in the Class 4A first round at Heindl Field in DuBois.
Lingenfelter, who had watched Punxsutawney fall in heartbreaking fashion in each of her first three years in the first-round of the PIAA Playoffs (1-0 to Belle Vernon in 2017, 3-2 to West Allegheny in 2016 and 3-0 to Belle Vernon in 2015) allowed just six base runners on the two hits and four walks while striking out 14, including the last four she faced.
Hartman, meanwhile, was crushing the ball going 2-for-3 with a two-run double and a three-run home run. Her double in the second staked the Lady Chucks to a 2-0 lead, and then her home run in the third into the pavilion in dead centerfield capped a six-run inning for Punxsutawney, who sent 10 batters to the plate in the inning.
“I was just seeing the ball right down the middle that I could hit,” Hartman said.
View the entire Hartman interview.
Grace Aikens was also 4-for-4 with a run scored for Punxsutawney with Abby Gigliotti going 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles, two runs scored and two RBIs and Kendal Johnston 2-for-2 with a walk, a walk, a run scored and an RBI.
Cassidy Kern had both of Elizabeth Forward’s hits.
Kailey Larcinese took the loss going three innings allowing eight runs, seven earned, on nine hits and two walks while striking out two. Lexi Argydos relieved and went three innings giving up no runs on four hits while striking out two.
Punxsutawney (15-3) will try to advance to the PIAA semifinals for the first time since it reached the title game in 2006 when it faces District 3 champion West Perry, a 17-0 winner over District 12 runner-up Benjamin Rush, in the quarterfinals Thursday at a site and time to be announced.
NOTES – The Lady Chucks last scored eight runs in a PIAA playoff game in the 2006 semifinals when they beat Corry, 10-0 in five innings … Since that game, Punxsutawney was 1-8 in the PIAA playoffs losing five of those games by a single run and the other three by three runs.
DUBOIS CENTRAL CATHOLIC 8, MEYERSDALE 1
WINDBER, Pa. – Ashley Wruble gave up two hits and one unearned run and scored twice herself to help DuBois Central Catholic to an 8-1 win over Meyersdale at Windber High School.
Wruble also walked two and struck out five while being tagged for the unearned run in the fourth inning after Kortni Schurs doubled leading off the inning and scored on an error by the catcher, Mia Meholick, on a ball hit by Emily Schaffer.
That run by District 5 champion Meyersdale cut the DCC lead to 2-1 at that point, but the Lady Cardinals offense easily answered back with two runs in the fifth thanks to a two-run double by Shay Gulvas, who was 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBIs.
DCC then put the game away in the seventh when Carley Semanick belted a grand slam with one out to set the score at 8-1.
Maia Cogley was also 2-for-4 with a run scored for the Lady Cardinals.
Shawna Leonard took the loss allowing eight runs, seven earned, on eight hits and two walks, one intentional. She struck out eight.
DCC (20-2), the third-place finisher out of District 9, will try to advance to the semifinals for the third straight year when it plays District 6 champion Claysburg-Kimmel, an 11-1 winner over District 4 runner-up Sullivan County, in the second round Thursday at a site and time to be determined.
ALBERT GALLATIN 10, DUBOIS 2
DUBOIS, Pa. – A pair of four-run innings helped WPIAL third-place finisher Albert Gallatin knock off District 6-9 champion DuBois, 10-2, in the Class 5A first round at Heindl Field in DuBois.
The Colonials overcame a 2-1 deficit after two innings by scoring four in the third, and then, after adding a run in the fifth, put the game away with a four-run seventh.
Annalia Paoli was 2-for-3 with a pair of triples, three runs scored and two RBIs to lead the way for Albert Gallatin while winning pitcher Maddy Hershberger was also 2-for-3 with a double, a sac bunt, a run scored and an RBI. Lindsey Robinson chipped in two hits, including a double, while driving in a run with Allyn Bezjak adding a hit and two RBIs and Grade Robba picking up two hits and scoring twice. Hannah Turtzer was also 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI.
DuBois had two hits, both in a two-run second inning, including an RBI double by Kaylee Sadowski. Maddy Ho added a single and a run scored with Sadowski also scoring.
Hershberger went the distance allowing two runs, one earned, on two hits and three walks while striking out eight.
Molly Nosker took the loss allowing eight runs on 10 hits and five walks while striking out three in 6 ⅓ innings. Alehia Geer gave up two runs on three hits and a walk in ⅔ of an inning of relief.
Albert Gallatin will face WPIAL champion, West Allegheny, a winner over District 3 fifth-place finisher Donegal.
DuBois finishes the season 14-8.
SOUTH PARK 17, KARNS CITY 3
DUBOIS, Pa. – Defending state champion South Park, the WPIAL runner-up, scored 12 runs in its final two at-bats to roll past District 5-8-9 champion Karns City in the Class 3A first round at Heindl Field in DuBois.
The Lady Gremlins (16-3) trailed by just two going to the sixth innings before the Eagles exploded for six runs in the sixth and six more in the seventh off of three Karns City pitchers to pull away.
Katlyn Pavlick was 3-for-3 with two triples, a double, three runs scored and four RBIs for South Park with Chalyn Blackburn going 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles, an RBI and a run scored (her courtesy runner Kristen Mesick also scored twice). Jess Dean added a home run while going 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs, Julie Shinavski was 2-for-5 with a triple, two runs scored and two RBIs, Kaitlyn Morrison was 1-for-5 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI, Taylor Glowa was 3-for-4 with two RBIs, Chelsea Carozza was 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI and Laura Shinavski scored twice and drove in one.
Mackenzie Dunn was 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI for Karns City.
Dean got the win going 5 ⅓ innings allowing three runs, one earned, on five hits, two walks and two hit batters. She struck out six. Julie Shinavski pitched the final 1 ⅔ innings allowing a hit while striking out one.
Logan Byers made two appearances in the circle for Karn City going a total of six innings allowing seven runs, six earned, on 12 hits and three walks while striking out three to take the loss. She faced two batters in the sixth before being relieved by Makenzie Shay and then came back in the game to get the final three outs in the seventh.
Shay was tagged for seven runs, four earned, on three hits and three walks in an inning-plus of relief, while Dunn allowed three runs on a hit, a walk and a hit batter while not recording an out in the seventh.
South Park will face District 6 champion Philipsburg-Osceola in the quarterfinals Thursday at a site and time to be announced. P-O defeated District 3 runner-up Delone Catholic, 7-1.
MOHAWK 10, CRANBERRY 5
STRATTANVILLE, Pa. – Scoring all 10 of its runs in the third through fifth innings, WPIAL fourth-place finisher Mohawk doubled up District 9 champion Cranberry, 10-5, in the Class 2A first round at Clarion-Limestone Elementary School.
Mohawk grabbed a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the third and then made it 5-0 with three more in the fourth before Cranberry answered with a four-spot in the bottom of the fourth to get within a run, 5-4. But the Warriors answered right back with five in the top of the fifth to push ahead 10-4.
Courtney Upham was 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI for Mohawk with Tara Walters going 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored, Kaylee Boring 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBIs and Madison Shiderly 2-for-4 with a double, three runs scored and an RBI.
Andrea Watson was 2-for-4 with a double for Cranberry with Natalie Barcinas going 1-for-3 with a double, a run scored and an RBI, Libby Kiefer going 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI, Maddie Cornelius going 1-for-1 with three walks, a run scored and an RBI and Jenna Huegel going 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.
Watson took the loss allowing 10 runs on 12 hits and two walks.
Trinity Voss got the win giving up five runs on eight hits, six walks and a hit batter.
Cranberry finishes the season 13-3.
Mohawk will face District 10 runner-up Cochranton, a 5-1 winner over WPIAL champion Laurel, in the quarterfinals Thursday at a site and time to be determined.
UNION-NEW CASTLE 10, ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC 0
BROCKWAY, Pa. – Sarah Seamans tossed a four-hit shutout while striking out 14 to lead Union-New Castle, the third-place team out of the WPIAL, to a 10-0 win over District 9 champion Elk County Catholic in the Class 1A first round at Brockway High School.
Seamans didn’t walk a batter and needed just 89 pitches in her masterpiece.
Meanwhile, the Scotties had little problems against ECC starter and loser Michelle Gerber knocking the Lady Crusaders hurler around for 10 runs, nine earned, on 13 hits and four walks in seven innings. She struck out five.
Seamans helped her own cause going 2-for-4 with a triple, a home run, a run scored, a walk, and two RBIs.
Skylar Fisher also drove in three runs for Union going 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored, while Halaena Blakley was 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored. Shelby Ligo added a double, a walk, a run scored and two RBIs and Marleah D’Augostine scored twice.
Brandi Clyde was 2-for-3 with a pair of triples for ECC.
ECC finishes the season 15-9, while Union-New Castle will face WPIAL runner-up Monessen, a 2-1 winner over District 10 champion Cambridge Springs, in the quarterfinals Thursday at a site and time to be determined.
McCONNELLSBURG 14, COUDERSPORT 6
BROCKWAY, Pa. – McConnellsburg overcame an early 6-1 deficit to knock off Coudersport, 14-6, in the Class 1A first round at Brockway High School.
District 9 runner-up Coudy used a five-run second inning to take the 6-1 lead, but McConnellsburg, the District 5 runner-up, answered with two in the third and then scored four in the fourth, fourth in the fifth, two in the sixth and one in seventh to put the game away.
Kailey Swope and Destiny Hall had the big hits in the two four-run innings for the Spartans with Swope picking up a two-run triple in the fourth and Hall a bases-clearing three-run double in the fifth. Swope finished 2-for-5 three RBIs while Hall was 5-for-5 with a pair of doubles and five RBIs.
Sami Hensley was also 4-for-5 with a pair of RBIs for McConnellsburg, while Madison Koontz was 3-for-6 with a triple and an RBI and Matty Ross 5-for-6.
Joplin Osgood led Coudersport going 3-for-4 with four RBIs including a bases-clearing hit in the second that made it through the centerfielder on the ground. Shaelyn Black was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI, and Chelsey Steich was 2-for-3.
Hall got the win allowing six runs on 11 hits and a walk while striking out one.
Madison Smith took the loss giving up 14 runs on 23 hits and two walks while striking out one.
Coudersport closes the season 14-6, while McConnellsburg moves into the quarterfinals Thursday where it will face WPIAL champion and defending state champion West Greene, a 12-2 winner over District 6 runner-up Glendale at a site and time to be determined.
