CM Edges State College 2-1 in 8 Innings

STATE COLLEGE – Central Mountain (7-0) won another hard fought nail-biter at State College on Saturday morning. State College has been red-hot, knocking off Cumberland Valley and Bald Eagle Area in the past week. The Lady Cats fell behind 1-0 in the first, but responded the next inning to tie the game. The score stayed knotted at 1-1 throughout the next five frames, until an Emily Strouse single scored pinch runner Maegan Miller to put CM up 2-1 in the top of the 8th.

State College wouldn’t go away without a fight, as they had runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out in the bottom of the 8th. CM issued an intentional walk to Alyssa Shedlock to load the bases, and bring up the cleanup hitter. Strouse induced a ground ball to third that created a force out at home for the 2nd out, and then got a fly ball to left fielder Skylar Smith for the third out, which sealed the win for the undefeated Lady Wildcats.

Cait Brush led the offense, as she went 2-for-3 with an RBI on the day. Strouse helped her own cause, but knocking in the game winning RBI with a single in the top of the 8th. Sarah Reeder and Autumn Young had the other CM hits.

CM played without 2015 all-stater Josie Dershem who was injured at Danville, but it never phased the Cats’. Emily Strouse wanted the ball and went all 8-innings. Strouse already has 2 wins in relief, but she hadn’t started a game in the circle this season. She stayed in control, changed speeds, and held State to 4 hits on the day.

The coming week is busy for the Lady Wildcats as another road trip, this time to Shamokin on Monday, April 18 followed by a home contest with Shikellamy Tuesday, April 19, then traveling to Jersey Shore on Thursday, April 21.