DuBois Eliminates Lady Wildcats

RecordStaffMay 20, 2015

2 minutes read

BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP – For a 10 game stretch leading up to this Wednesday, the Central Mountain softball team could do little wrong in putting together a 10-game winning streak and buoying hopes for another strong postseason showing.

But those hopes were dashed late Wednesday afternoon when the hometown Lady Wildcats could not take advantage of the opportunities presented by visiting DuBois and fell to the Beavers by a 9-3 count.

With the win DuBois (16-5) moves onto the District 6-9 Quad-A championship game next Wednesday, the opponent top seed Mifflin County, a 6-1 winner over State College in the other semifinal contest. For Central Mountain (16-5) it was a disappointing end to an otherwise strong finish to the season.

No one could say Central Mountain did not have its chances. The Beavers committed five infield errors and winning pitcher Sara Fields walked five Lady Wildcats in addition to surrendering six hits but the home team could only score one run in the second and two more in the sixth, leaving 11 runners on base and having two more thrown out on the bases.

DuBois put up three runs in the top of the second off CM freshman hurler Josie Dershem, stringing together four singles. Central Mountain would answer with one in the bottom of the inning on a walk, a single from Sara Reeder and a DuBois error.

DuBois added a fourth run in the third on a booming double from Kaitlyn Beers and it stayed 4-1 into the fifth when the visitors put up three more, the big blow a 2-run triple from Beers. CM answered with two in the bottom of the inning, using a Jess Strouse single, an infield error and a 2-RBI double from Mariah Major, making the score 6-3 DuBois at that point.

But the visitors broke things open in the top of the seventh with three unearned runs en route to the 9-3 final.

Dershem went 4 1/3 innings and took the loss, giving up 6 runs. Junior Emily Strouse finished up, giving up the 3 unearned runs in the seventh. Offensively Dershem contributed a single and double, Jess Strouse also with a single and a double and a walk; Major had her double Sara Reeder had a single.