Lady Wildcats Come from Way Back; Advance with 7-6 Win
UNIVERSITY PARK — Last week Central Mountain centerfielder Moriah Lindsey made the final out with a clutch grab in the Lady Wildcats’ 4-1 District 6 title game win over Mifflin County. Monday at Penn State’s Beard Field, Lindsey did it again, this time using her bat to deliver a game-winning two-out single in the bottom of the seventh to send CM to an improbable 7-6 win over Manheim Township in a PIAA first round game.
The victory put the Lady Wildcats into the state quarter-finals against Souderton from suburban Philadelphia. The District 1 third place finisher advanced with a 12-3 win over Cumberland Valley; location and time for the Thursday game have yet to be announced.
Central Mountain had to overcome a 6-1 end-of-five deficit and they did it with three runs in the bottom of the sixth to get within 6-4, then put up three more in the last of the seventh to pull out the victory.
Jordan Kaler doubled to start the sixth and eventually scored on a wild pitch. Rachael Shady followed with a single, followed by Avery Shaffer with a single and an RBI, a sacrifice from Emily Strouse and an RBI single from Lindsey.
The score stayed at 6-4 Manheim as Central Mountain came up for its final chance. Mariah Major opened with a single but a pinch-runner was thrown out trying to steal. Bree Hilty worked a walk and Kaler came up with her second straight double, this one scoring Hilty to make it 6-5.
Karli Coleman ran for Kaler, stole second and ended up on third, scoring the tying run on a sacrifice fly from Shady. Sarah Reeder pinch-hit and got on base on a Blue Streaks infield error; Avery Shaffer returned to the lineup as a runner and stole second. Emily Strouse worked a walk and Lindsey came to bat; a wild pitch moved the two runners to second and third and Lindsey lined a single to right, scoring Shaffer with the winning run.
It was a team victory, eight different players contributing a total of 13 hits, led by Major’s three singles, Kaler’s two clutch doubles and Lindsey’s game-opening triple to go with two late singles, including the game-winner. Shady had two singles in addition to her final inning sacrifice fly. Jess Strouse had a single and a first inning sacrifice fly scoring Lindsey.
Shady cruised into the fifth inning in a 1-1 game but Manheim Township went single-single-walk-double-double to plate four runs and take a 6-1 lead. Emily Strouse was called in for relief and responded with three shutout innings and picked up the win when the Lady Wildcats rallied.
Strouse, a sophomore, pitched three innings, giving up three singles but no runs. Central Mountain again played a superb game defensively.
| June 2, 2014 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
| MANHEIM TOWNSHIP | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 1 |
| CENTRAL MOUNTAIN | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 13 | 0 |
