Lady Wildcats Hold off Selinsgrove, 6-4

BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP – Looking to build some late season momentum, the Central Mountain softball team used some old faces and some new ones on Tuesday, picking up a home field 6-4 win over Selinsgrove.

The win put the Lady Wildcats at 8-9 with just two regular season games remaining, Thursday at Altoona (1-11) and at State College (8-8) Monday, May 13, the cut-off date for District 6 playoff seeding purposes.

The win over the visiting Lady Seals did not come easily for Central Mountain. Coach Fred Caldwell’s team took a 1-0 lead in the third inning. Alexa Schultz led off with a bunt single, worked her way around the bases and scored on a fielder’s choice.

Selinsgrove answered with a 3-spot in the top of the fifth to take a 3-1 lead but Central Mountain responded with four runs in the bottom of the inning for a 5-3 lead. Nine batters came to the plate for the Lady ‘Cats as hits came in bunches: a single from Alyssa Fisher and a single from Caitlyn “Smoke” Watson started things. Morgan Wetzel doubled in a run, as did Riley Houser and it was 4-3 Central Mountain. Freshman Madison Briggs was called on to pinch-hit and in her first varsity at bat drilled a single up the middle for a 5-3 lead.

Central Mountain added an insurance run in the sixth on a homerun from the freshman Watson who finished with two singles, a walk and the homerun.

Madi Knepp worked into the seventh inning with the 6-3 lead. Selinsgrove used an error and a single to get one run back. With the score 6-4, two outs and runners on second and third, coach Caldwell called on Fisher to get the final out, a fly ball to right-fielder Madalyn Bechdel.

In addition to Watson’s three hits, Fisher finished with two singles, Wetzel and Houser with doubles, Alexa Schultz, Briggs and Knepp with singles.

Coach Caldwell credited Selinsgrove (8-7), terming them a “tough team” CM beat by a single run earlier in the season. He praised Briggs who delivered in her first varsity appearance, stating she had been swinging well in practice. And with fellow freshman Watson and her 3-for-3 game, he said, “It makes you feel good as a coach for the future.” He also had kind words for the veteran Knepp who earned the win with 6.2 innings of work, noting she allowed her defense to do its job.