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With heavy hearts, J-M girls advance to Class A semfinals

By Adam Brewer, For The Greene County Messenger 5 min read

KENNEDY TWP. — Every team in the WPIAL softball playoffs has something to play for. Whether it’s playing for a championship or simply playing for respect.

For the 2015 Jefferson-Morgan softball squad, it’s playing for assistant coach Chris Dugan.

Dugan lost his battle with cancer on Friday and after a couple of emotional days, the Lady Rockets regrouped and were victorious in the Class A quarterfinals against Sewickley Academy, 3-1, Monday afternoon at Fairhaven Park to advance to the semifinals for the second year in a row.

Dugan might not have coached from the bench this season, but he did have a voice with the Lady Rockets (13-2) this season.

“Chris was a very good friend and I appreciate the school letting him on my staff this year because you just don’t know what’s going to happen,” J-M coach Tony Barbetta said. “We would talk on the phone and he would text me about the team. I would occasionally stop by and we talk two things, softball and wings. Chris loved him some wings.

“This team is a family and we came together this year. I wasn’t worried about the girls’ focus level because they are tight-knit group and they wanted to play for Chris. These girls been together for years. They really wanted to win this one for Chris.”

Dugan was a 1987 graduate of German Township High School and coached the Orange & Black the last several seasons while battling cancer.

He had an impact on a large majority of girls on the team.

“We wanted to dedicate this game for coach and it has been a difficult week for us,” senior catcher Reagan Rush said. “Chris met so much to everyone on this team and we are playing for him the rest of the way. It’s all about Team Dugan and trying to bring home a title.”

J-M only managed six hits, but took advantage of four errors by the Lady Panthers (13-2), were stout on defense and got behind the strong pitching performance of Madison Ludrosky.

“After Chris passed, we did come together as a team and talked about it,” Ludrosky said. “We knew he was with us today and we played for him. It was an emotional couple of days and we just battled for the win. We know we have someone to play for and we really wanted this.”

Ludrosky pitched seven strong innings, scattering four hits and fanning 11 batters with no walks.

Her biggest inning came in the sixth when she faced the top of the line-up for Sewickley. After retiring the first two batters via strikeouts, Ludrosky gave up a single to Olivia Henry.

The next batter was clean-up hitter Chandler White, who earlier in the game laced a RBI double in the fourth to tie the game up at 1-1. After falling behind 3-1, Ludrosky unleashed back-to-back change-ups to get the strikeout and the final out of the sixth.

“I didn’t show them my change-up all game and I wanted to use it at the right time,” Ludrosky said. “The sixth inning was huge for us and I wanted to start her outside and then come inside with the change-up. She swung on both pitches and we got out of the inning.”

Ludrosky induced two ground outs plus a strikeout in the seventh to secure the victory for J-M.

The Lady Rockets will now play the Frazier-Greensburg Central Catholic winner on Wednesday with a time and place to be determined. The Frazier-Greensburg Central Catholic game was postponed and will be play this afternoon at 4 p.m. at Baldwin.

After two scoreless innings, J-M cracked the scoreboard in the third when Rush led off the inning with a double, advanced to third on a ground out and crossed home plate on an infield error with two outs.

In the fifth with the score knotted at 1-1, Rush once again led off an inning with a two-base hit and scored on a two-out RBI single by Ludrosky.

“I wanted to hit a strike and not chase any pitches,” Rush said. “Those two doubles were important for us to set up our offense. On both doubles she gave me an inside pitch and I love driving those inside pitches to left field.”

The Lady Rockets added an insurance run in the sixth when Autumn Tedrow drew a two-out walk and came around to score on an infield single by Morgan Gamble. Tedrow was able to score after the throw from shortstop sailed over the first baseman’s head.

“I was nervous about today’s game and it’s a big deal for us to make it the semifinals for the second straight year,” Barbetta said. “We had some jitters and we didn’t hit like we usually do. We are on a nine-game winning streak and now we just need two more wins now.”

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