Lady ‘Cats Finish 2nd at Thunder on the Mountain

AdminApril 30, 2016Last Updated: April 30, 2016

3 minutes read

Skylar Smith

BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP—Central Mountain softball coach Dave Peters knew his program had assembled a talent-laden lineup for the eighth annual Thunder on the Mountain tournament. And he knew of the four team field that WPIAL power Hempfield had to be considered the favorite.

The visiting Lady Spartans (13-2) showed why they were a PIAA semifinalist a year, a veteran and balanced team sweeping to the Thunder title today, a 1-0 first round win over Mifflin County and then a dominating 10-1 triumph over host Central Mountain in the championship game.

For the Lady Wildcats the title game saw just their second loss on the year against 12 wins. Coming off an exciting 5-4 last inning win over Dubois earlier in the day, the Lady ‘Cats could not get their offense untracked against Hempfield’s Molly Gribon. She held the Wildcats to five hits and one run, striking out three and walking two.

Hempfield unloaded on two CM pitchers, piling up 10 runs and 15 hits. Two sophomores hurled for the Lady Wildcats and Hempfield touched up both, starter and loser Josie Dershem and reliever Caitlyn Brush. Lady Spartan catcher Madi Stoner was especially effective: she had a 4-for-5 day with two doubles, two singles and six runs batted in. Additionally she threw out two CM base runners trying to steal.

Emily Strouse led the Central Mountain offense with two singles and the team’s only RBI. Other hits came from Dershem, Skylar Smith and Loren Marasco.

It was a different story for CM in game one, the come-from-behind win over Dubois (5-5). The visiting District 9 team opened up an early 3-0 lead. Central Mountain would score three in the fourth for a 3-3 tie; Mady Brown started with a walk, Autumn Young singled and Smith singled in a run, as did Brush on a groundout.

Dubois would go ahead again with a run in the top of the fifth but Central Mountain answered with a run in the bottom of the inning, a groundout from Young driving in Megan Miller who had opened the inning with a bunt single, followed by a bunt single from Dershem and a sacrifice bunt from Brown.

The game was 4-4 into the bottom of the seventh when the home team scored its winning run. Marasco singled and with Averie Pringle in as a pinch runner, Miller bunted her to second. Dershem then drove a groundball through the legs of the Dubois shortstop, Pringle scoring easily for the walk-off 5-4 win.

Strouse went the distance for the win, pitching a six-hitter, giving up four runs, three of them earned.

Dershem led the offense in game one with two singles, Young had a single and an RBI, Smith an RBI single, Strouse a single, Miller with her single and Marasco with her single to start the final inning rally.

Coach Peters after the game lauded the performance by Hempfield and said the tourney for Central Mountain gave it a view of the level of play it will see in the postseason. He predicted CM will bounce back, as they did after their first loss of the season to Jersey Shore earlier this month. The Lady Wildcats will get JS at home next Friday.

The Lady Wildcats are now 12-2 with today’s split and get ready for a busy week next week, scheduled to start on Monday with a home Senior Day game against Danville.

You can view the video archive of both Central Mountain games here Thunder on the Mountain (Live Video Stream)