Lady ‘Cats Earn Walk-Off Win Over State College

BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP – Central Mountain softball coach Dave Peters was pelted with a water balloon shower from his Lady Wildcat team about 6:30 Friday evening, but he was not complaining.

Central Mountain moments earlier scored three bottom-of-the seventh runs for a walk-off come-from-behind 6-5 win over State College. Things looked bleak heading into their last at bat, down 5-3, then even bleaker after the leadoff hitter grounded out. But then good things happened.

Freshman Josie Dershem doubled, followed by an RBI double from senior Jess Strouse and it was a 5-4 State lead. Senior Bree Hilty blooped a single to left, Strouse going to third and Hilty to second on the throw to third. Mariah Major grounded out, Strouse scoring to tie the game at 5-5. Sara Reeder became an instant hero when she lined the ball to left for a single, easily scoring Hilty with the winning run.

The game was a nail-biter from the beginning, tied 2-2 after five. State put up two in the top of the sixth, Central Mountain getting one back in the bottom of the inning on a double from Kim Coder, scoring pinch-runner Emily Caprio, the score 4-3 the Little Lions after six.

State added one run in the top of the seventh which saw Emily Strouse relieve starter Ashley Glossner. That made it 5-3 State heading into the Lady Wildcats’ 3-run at bat to pull out the win.

Central Mountain finished with 10 hits, led by Dershem’s double and two singles. Jess Strouse had a single and double, Major with a single and two RBIs and Reeder had a first inning sacrifice fly to go with her game-winning single.

Central Mountain moves to 4-2 on the season while State drops to 2-7. Emily Strouse picked up the win in relief.

The Lady Wildcats will be back home Tuesday taking on Mifflinburg.