Lady Wildcats Take D6/9 Crown, 14-5 over DuBois

LORETTO – The Central Mountain softball team struggled a bit at mid-season, but over the Lady Wildcats’ final four games they gathered some momentum, winning those last four in a row, none bigger than Wednesday’s 14-5 thrashing of DuBois in the District 6/9 Class 5A final.

Coach Fred Caldwell’s team brought its offense to the St. Francis softball field in Loretto, drilling two DuBois pitchers for a total of 15 hits producing 14 runs. Players up and down the lineup contributed, every player getting at least one hit.

CM trailed early, down 2-0 after two, but put up five runs in the third to take a lead that would not be relinquished. It all happened with two outs, starting with a home run from Alyssa Fisher. Caitlyn Watson drew a walk and Morgan Wetzel followed with a single. Autumn Dershem drove in Central Mountain’s second run with a single; Riley Houser picked up a walk and Kylie Wagner and winning pitcher Madi Knepp each followed with RBI singles.

DuBois answered with two in the bottom of the third to make it 5-4 but would get no closer. Meanwhile Central Mountain continued to pound the ball, picking up three more in the fourth. Madalyn Bechdel walked to open the inning and the freshman Watson followed with a 2-run homer. Wetzel picked up another hit, a double, and scored on a single from Houser, the score 8-4 at that point.

The Lady Wildcats finished their scoring with a six-run top of the seventh. Hits came from Houser with two singles, a double from Watson, and singles from Fisher, Wetzel and Bechdel.

Centerfielder Wetzel led the way with three hits, including a double. Watson finished with a homerun, double and a walk, Fisher with a homerun, single and a walk. Dershem and Houser each had two singles and singles came from Wagner, Knepp, Alexa Shultz and Bechdel.

Meanwhile Knepp let her defense make the outs behind her. She was touched up for 10 hits and five runs, four of them earned. Right-fielder Bechdel made a great grab on a low line drive for an out and Houser, from her shortstop position, started an inning-ending 6-3 groundball double play.

For coach Caldwell it was a District 6 title in his first year at the helm. He previously had won nine district crowns at Bellefonte High School. He called the win “fantastic” and said “everybody did great,” that once the hitting started it became contagious.

The win avenged a 3-2 loss to DuBois in last year’s title contest and earned the Lady Wildcats a berth in the PIAA playoffs, scheduled for Monday, June 3 against the third place finisher from District 7 (WPIAL) at a site and time to be announced.