Central Mountain Softball Outlasts Jersey Shore, 3-2 in Ten
By Tom Elling
MILL HALL- As the late Pittsburgh Pirates baseball announcer Bob Prince used to say after a tough, hard-fought Pirates win, “No doubt about it…We had them all the way!” Of course, he said that with more than a tinge of sarcasm. I’m sure Coach Fred Caldwell and the die-hard Lady Wildcat fans would not quite agree with the hall of fame broadcaster. In fact, they were eager to wipe their collective brows in relief as the home team edged a very talented Jersey Shore softball team, 3-2 in ten innings.
With ‘Shore coming in with an 8-1 record and Central Mountain an equally impressive 7-1, all who follow the game expected a tight contest- a veritable pitchers’ duel. After all, the Lady Dawgs had their ace veteran lefty Isabelle Engle on the mound. The Lady ‘Cats put their veteran Addie McKeague in the circle. The Bulldogs were averaging nine (9) runs per game (allowing 3); The Cats were scoring at an 8+ pace (giving up a little over two (2). Most pundits figured a low-scoring contest. That assumption proved to be correct.
Jersey Shore mounted a bases-loaded, no-out top of the 5th, but the poised McKeague tossed two pop-up out and a strike-out the end the threat.
In the bottom of that inning, CM used a base hit by Cora Myers, a walk to Taylor Wahlers and a clutch two-out, two-RBI single by Taylor Doyle to grab the lead, 2-0.
Jersey Shore answered in the 6th as Dani Miller had a hard grounder in the SS hole and was sacrificed up a base by Engel. Grace Russell followed with an infield hit. Miller scored when clean-up hitter Jaymison Stellfox dropped a single to short center. The second Shore run was scored on an unusual play. Jocelyn McCracken dropped a sacrifice bunt to third base- second sacker Wahlers covering first, too the throw then threw out McCracken, trying to get to third. Russell had scored before the out at third was recorded. The game was tied at two.
Neither team could score in the 7th inning, sending the game into extra innings. Again the pitchers were in command not allowing a run in the 8th and 9th frames. Going into the 10th inning, the tie-breaker rule put a runner at second. Shore had Makalya Wrench on that base. Emma Pfirman sacrificed her to third. McKeague shut the door garnering two pinch-out the end the threat.
In the bottom of the 10th, fleet-running Doyle was placed on second. Cirstyn Watson laid down a perfect bunt and beat it out for a single. She took second as the Shore defense ignored her presence. Her run meant nothing. Katelyn Bowman stepped to the plate and worked a full-count before lining a deep drive to the fence driving in Doyle with the winning run.
Of Shore’s six hits, Russell and Stellfox each contributed two. For the home-standers, Watson had two of the ‘Cats’ 6 safeties.
McKeague got her 7th win of the season; Engel was the hard-luck losing hurler.
Central Mountain will be back at the CM Athletic Complex on Thursday, hosting Shikellamy, a team they downed 8-0 on April 9th.
Coach Caldwell was relieved and pleased with the victory. “Both teams played well. I had intended to have Addie go about 5 inning but she kept telling me she felt fine.” He also mused that “SS Watson confessed after the game that her bunt was the only successful one she has even made.” The calm head coached smiled and said the team would keep trying to get better. That could be scary for future opponents.
