Wild first inning key in Lady Rockes’ loss
South Side Beaver shortstop Hunter Hand (26) takes the throw but not in time to stop Jefferson Morgan's Madison Dupont (5) from stealing second during the WPIAL Class A semifinal game Thursday at California University of Pennsylvania's Lilley Field.
John F. Brothers | Herald-Standard
Jefferson Morgan’s Morgan Simkovic (15) celebrates at home plate with teammates after hitting a two-run homer in the first inning of the WPIAL Class A semifinal game against South Side Beaver Thursday at California University of Pennsylvania’s Lilley Field.
Jefferson Morgan pitcher Maddie Ludrosky (9) went the distance on the mound for the Lady Rockets during the WPIAL Class A semifinal game against South Side Beaver Thursday at California University of Pennsylvania's Lilley Field.
Jefferson Morgan's Autumn Tedrow (14) a run for the Lady Rockets during the second inning of the WPIAL Class A semifinal game against South Side Beaver Thursday at California University of Pennsylvania's Lilley Field.
CALIFORNIA — Jefferson-Morgan was up and then down in a roller-coaster first inning, and could never quite recover from that dip in its WPIAL Class A semifinal softball playoff game on Thursday.
The Lady Rockets came up short in its attempt to play for a WPIAL title, falling to South Side Beaver, 5-3, at California University of Pa.’s Lilley Field.
J-M still has a chance to qualify for the PIAA playoffs if it can win its consolation game against Burgettstown on Tuesday.
Jefferson-Morgan jumped out to a 2-0 in the top of the first before the Lady Rams answered emphatically with five runs in the bottom of the frame and held on from there.
“They beat us 5-2 (in the first inning), we beat them 1-0 (in the second inning) … and then it was a draw,” said J-M coach Tony Barbetta, who was upbeat despite the loss. “It was a good game. This is a lot of fun.
“I’m proud of them. I thought they played well.”
The Lady Rockets struck quickly in the first against winning pitcher McKenna Smith. Reagan Rush singled to right, Kristen Stoneking bunted her to second and Morgan Simkovic smashed a two-run homer to left.
The 2-0 lead didn’t last long.
The Lady Rams’ Capri Sollinger-Kinsley drew a lead-off walk against losing pitcher Madison Ludrosky and Cheyenne Seik followed with a bunt single to start the bottom of the inning. One out later, Connor McGaffic smacked an RBI single to right and Smith hit a run-scoring single to center to tie the game.
Toni Yacoviello, who hit a grand slam in a 10-3 quarterfinal victory over Carmichaels on Tuesday, went deep again, this time drilling a three-run homer to center to put South Side Beaver up 5-2.
Lady Rams coach Theresa Waxler thought her team’s immediate answer to J-M’s early runs was a key factor in her team’s victory.
“It was very important,” Waxler said. “One thing I have to say about our kids, if they get down by a couple runs they do not give up.”
The Lady Rockets weren’t about to surrender either.
Jefferson-Morgan cut the lead to two in the second when Autumn Tedrow hit a two-out single to center, went to second on Morgan Gamble’s double and scored on Rush’s single to center. Gamble also tried to score on the play, but center fielder Seik’s throw to catcher Sollinger-Kinsley cut her down to end the inning.
A good defensive play by the Lady Rockets diffused a potential Lady Rams rally in the bottom of the inning. Hunter Hand, who had two hits, doubled and Sollinger-Kinsley walked to start the frame, but Seik’s line drive was snagged by second baseman Tedrow, who quickly threw to first baseman Jessica Taylor to double off Sollinger-Kinsley.
Jefferson-Morgan kept the pressure on the rest of the way, but couldn’t crack the scoreboard against Smith.
Stoneking and Ludrosky both singled in the third only to have Smith work out of the one-out jam.
In the fourth, Dupont walked, stole second and went to third on Tedrow’s ground out before being thrown out at home by third baseman Yacoviello after she fielded Gamble’s sharp grounder.
Stoneking drew a lead-off walk and went to second on a wild pitch in the fifth. Smith then retired the heart of J-M’s order, however.
The Lady Rockets’ final threat came in the sixth when Camryn Dugan was hit by a pitch, Dupont walked and Tedrow bunted the runners up. Smith got a strikeout before Rush hit a slicing line drive that right fielder Lacey Weible made a fine running catch on to save two runs.
“A couple key hits and I guess we could’ve tied the game, then hard to tell what would’ve happened,” Barbetta said. “We get a hard line drive to right field, if that hits the gap, it’s tied 5-5.”
The Lady Rockets snuffed out every South Side Beaver threat the rest of the way as well, thanks to Ludrosky’s pitching and their defense.
Catcher Rush picked Hand off first base in the fourth and Ludrosky stranded two runners with a strikeout later in the inning.
Third baseman Stoneking made a sparkling play on McGaffic’s grounder leading off the fifth. The Lady Rams still managed to load the bases before Ludrosky struck out the next two batters to end the inning.
“I think the defense played good both ways,” Waxler said. “I think it was more of a defensive game than an offensive game today.”
“Now we have to get focused and try to come back and beat Burgettstown,” said Barbetta, who feels his team, which starts only one senior, can make another deep WPIAL run next year.
“We’ll be back.”