Central Mountain rallies to top DuBois, 6-5, Lininger delivers
By Tom Elling
DUBOIS, PA – It wasn’t the prettiest of games. The scorching sun and the contact-hitting Lady Beavers scored three runs in the bottom of the second to take the lead. And it could have been worse.
The Lady ‘Cats committed three errors, gave up two hits and issued two bases on balls in the nightmarish frame. It took a fine throw-out at home from Haleigh Peters to Gracie Saar to nab Jaden Swatsworth at home to end the inning. Central Mountain had mounted threats in the first three innings with just one hit. What balls they did hit hard were liners right to the DuBois defense.
DuBois added two more in their half of the third – both were unearned as CM committed two more errors and surrendered three hits. Most of the damage caused with two outs.
In the 4th, CM’s Sophie Mitchell and Kelsey Burrows hit back-to-back singles, but the DuBois pitcher Allie Snyder recorded a strikeout followed by an infield out to keep the visitors scoreless.
In the CM 5th, Caitlyn Watson led off with a walk. Allison Lininger followed with a single. Harley Kunes walked and Madison Hardy blooped a clutch single over Swatsworth’s outstetched glove to plate run #1. The DuBois lefty Snyder retired the next two, but hit Kelsey Burrow with a pitch, giving CM its second run. She got a ground out with the bases loaded to avert further damage.
DuBois issued a one-out threat in the bottom. After a popup, Kat Patton and Swatsworth each singled. Adalyn McKeague got her third K followed by a grounder to short to get out of the inning.
The Lady ‘Cats tied the game in the 6th at 5. Saar was hit by a pitch Lininger was clutch again with a sharp RBI single to left. Harley Kunes and Madison Hardy walked. Both moved up on a wild pitch. Madisyn Wian followed with an RBI rap to make it 5-5. Snyder got her 6th and 7th punchouts to keep the game tied.
McKeague got the Beavers 1-2-3 in the 6th on a groundout and two popups.
In CM’s 7th, Snyder got two quick outs then hit Watson with a pitch. That turned out to be a key mistake as Watson moved to second on another wild pitch and scored easily when (yet again) Allison Lininger came through with a double to the wall in left-center, which proved to be the game winner. (Lininger was 4-5 with 2 RBI.)
The warrior Adalynn McKeague worked to get the last eight-in-a-row. The bottom of the 7th, she induced a soft liner to second, her 4th strike out (a huge one), and a comebacker that careened off her glove and was scooped by a husting SS Watson to nip Patton for the final out.
The line was Central Mountain 6 runs on eight hits and five errors- stranding 12 (yes 12).
DuBois collected 5 runs on 9 hits with two errors – stranding 9.
McKeague was the winning pitcher going to 12-2. Snyder took the loss. Her record ends at 10-3. Central Mountain is now 20-2 on the season
Coach Fred Caldwell was pleased with the never-quit attitude and remarked that ‘Those early games when we went extra innings and pulled out the tight games had us ready for this sort of run. I am pleased for the team. Now we ready for Monday’s game against one of the WPIAL teams- the 3rd placer in the District.”
Assistant coach Matt Lininger (father of hitting star Allison) was certainly proud of his daughter, but offered that “It was more important that we got the “W.”
