Lady Warriors advance to PIAA semis with 11-1 victory
MONROEVILLE 鈥� No need for any extra-inning heroics this time around.
Elizabeth Forward built a 5-0 lead through the first three innings Thursday afternoon and didn鈥檛 let the foot off the gas for an 11-1 victory over Chartiers Valley in the PIAA Class AAAA softball quarterfinals at Gateway High School.
The Lady Warriors (22-1) advance to the state semifinals on Monday against Archbishop Wood. Archbishop Wood (13-7) defeated St. Marys, 5-4, in 10 innings.
Elizabeth Forward蘑菇视频 Julia Johnson drove in the deciding run in Monday蘑菇视频 1-0 win over Big Spring with a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Runs came a little bit easier against Chartiers Valley.
Elizabeth Forward蘑菇视频 Julia Resnik started the game with an infield single. Shelby Telegdy followed with a double. Carlee Soukup was walked intentionally to load the bases.
Chartiers Valley tried to turn a double play on Addyson Nigut蘑菇视频 ground ball, but only got the lead runner as Resnik scored and courtesy runner Samantha Molek moved to third.
Berlyn Holibaugh lofted a fly ball to center field and Molek tried to score, but Delaney O鈥機onnell蘑菇视频 throw was on line for an inning-ending double play.
inning.
The Lady Warriors added three runs in the top of the second inning, despite having a runner蘑菇视频 interference called.
Julia Johnson walked and Alivia Grimm singled. Grimm was forced at second on Aubri Cimba蘑菇视频 ground ball and Cimba stole second.
Hannah Evans hit a grounder to the shortstop and Grimm was deemed to interfere on the play to give Elizabeth Forward runners on the corners.
Resnik was safe on a fielder蘑菇视频 choice to load the bases and Telegdy came through with a bases-clearing double.
The lead grew to 5-0 in the third inning on Alivia Grimm蘑菇视频 run-scoring ground out.
鈥淲e were able to get a few more than the last game. We had the opportunities. We left 10 runners on base,鈥� said Elizabeth Forward coach Harry Rutherford. 鈥淚t was nice to have 17 hits.
鈥淵ou have a team that sees you, and we鈥檝e seen them, so we didn鈥檛 want to give them any momentum at all. We wanted to jump on them right off the back.
鈥淚f they were able to get ahead of us, that gives them incentive to accumulate runs and put us in a bad spot. It was good to score in the first inning.鈥�
Chartiers Valley threatened in the top of the fifth inning, but only scored one run after loading the bases.
Caitlin O鈥橣arrell, Taylor Walsh and Kali Franklin all singled to load the bases. Lily Duffill was 鈥渦nintentionally walked鈥� to score the run.
鈥淭here was a short rain delay with Chartiers Valley coming to bat in the bottom of the sixth and it蘑菇视频 only 5-0. (Duffill) hits a grand slam and we鈥檙e only in a one run game. Unintentional intentional walk, it was don鈥檛 throw her anything close to the plate,鈥� explained Rutherford.
The Lady Warriors nearly invoked the mercy rule in the sixth inning with five runs, three scoring on Telegdy蘑菇视频 home run. Johnson had a run-scoring single and Alivia Grimm doubled home the last run.
Telegdy was also solid on the mound with eight strikeouts and five hits allowed.
Night had a run-scoring single in the top of the seventh inning.
鈥淲e have 12 kids hitting over .300 for the season. So, having every kid hitting in the lineup is not a surprise.鈥� said Rutherford. 鈥淚t蘑菇视频 not going to be an easy out for any pitcher.鈥�
Elizabeth Forward was deemed the team to beat last year, but suffered losses in the WPIAL and PIAA semifinals.
Rutherford said his team learned lessons from last year蘑菇视频 finish to the season.
鈥淲e鈥檙e more mentally focused this year. They were disappointed last year. To go undefeated in the regular season and lose to Belle Vernon in the WPIAL semifinals and Montour in the state semifinals. They were disgusted with themselves,鈥� said Rutherford.
鈥淲e did a lot of classroom and mental preparation. Believe in yourselves and keep doing what you鈥檙e doing, and that蘑菇视频 the attitude they鈥檝e been taking into every game.鈥�
Rutherford believes his squad has been grounded this season.
鈥淭hey haven鈥檛 been looking ahead. I think that was the problem last year. They kept hearing they were the No. 1 team in the state. They just let it get to them. Then, when they got smacked by Belle Vernon, it was a shock and it took them awhile to recover from that,鈥� added Rutherford.