PHILIPSBURG — Win and go on to the District 6 championship game at the Penn State Softball Park, and then into the PIAA State Championship Tournament.
Lose and go home.
Those were the stakes on May 26 when No. 4 seed Ligonier Valley came calling in Philipsburg to take on the Lady Mounties in the D6 AA semifinal softball game.
No matter how many banners line the fences of the Philipsburg Softball Field, or how many times the Mounties have been through games like this, every playoff and every playoff opponent is a new challenge.
And “challenge” is the correct word to describe the two runs Ligonier Valley put up in the fourth inning to even the score in this pivotal game at two runs each.
The Lady Rams did not come to Philipsburg to lose, and the four sudden hits and two runs they produced were testament to that.
The runs were also the turning point in the game, but in the exact opposite way that Ligonier hoped. Philipsburg was too senior and too poised to shrink in the face of its first bit of adversity.
Instead of backing off or stepping down, the Mounties replied immediately. Three of the first four P-O batters in the bottom of the fourth hit safely, incited by Chelsey Henry’s leadoff double. Pitcher Cam Harris, Maggie Lucas and Kylie Thal all followed Henry with RBI hits, another run scored on an overthrow, and when the dust settled, Philipsburg had a four-run rally and an imposing 6-2 lead.
Imposing and final, as it turned out. Stabilized by her team’s outburst, Harris allowed just two more Ligonier players to reach base and closed out the Mounties’ 6-2 victory by retiring nine of the last 10 batters she faced.
The win earned a spot for P-O in the district championship against county archrival Bald Eagle Area, as well as a berth in the upcoming state tournament. No matter what the outcome of the BEA game, P-O will be playing on.
“I thanked the girls,” Philipsburg-Osceola coach Jim Gonder said, “because, you know what, we left the field last year not feeling so good. On a game where we had bases loaded and nobody out, and we didn’t get the run in.
“But this team worked very hard, and they wanted to get into the championship game. Can’t say enough about our seniors, they were excellent leaders. Today we had one bad inning out there, but some clutch hits, some clutch base running, and Cam (Harris), a freshman, pitched a real good game for us.”
Two seniors, Henry and Haylee Hayward, started things for the Mounties in the first inning. Hayward singled, stole second and then scored on Henry’s two-out hit to give P-O a 1-0 lead.
Philipsburg made it 2-0 in the third inning after a sacrifice fly by Hayward brought in Maggie Peck.
Ligonier Valley, well aware of P-O’s ability to inexorably pull away from opponents, put itself squarely back into the game in the fourth. Sara Klinchock, Kari Kuhn, Lindsey Stormer and Nichole Tuk all had hits in the inning, with Stormer and Tuk driving in the runs.
With the game now suddenly tied, Henry began P-O’s response with a rope to right-center field for a double.
“I’m in that four spot for a reason,” Henry said. “Coach Gonder has confidence in me, and I have confidence in myself. I wasn’t looking for a home run. I just wanted a shot. A ground ball. I just wanted to get my team (a chance).”
Things went quickly for P-O after Henry’s hit. Harris followed with a single that knocked in Henry, and then after a fielder’s choice, Lucas knocked in Harris.
One out later, Maggie Peck reached on an error, scoring Lucas, and then Thal followed with an RBI single that made it 6-2.
Harris, now with the lead again, gave up a leadoff single to Lexie Petrof to begin the fifth, but she then settled down and retired the next six hitters in order.
In the seventh, pinch hitter Kailee Lear led off with an infield single, but a strikeout and two ground balls ended the game.
“I definitely felt good because my defense was behind me and we had runs up on the board,” Harris said.
The District 6 championship game was scheduled for Wednesday, June 1, at Beard Field and too late for this edition.
However, both teams will be in action again in the first round of the state tournament, scheduled to begin Monday, June 6. The D6 runner-up will take on the District 7 champion, and the D6 champion will play the No. 3 seed from D7.
