Connellsville still undefeated in Section 3-AAA
Kerri Hiles just missed perfection, but she did help Connellsville’s softball team remain perfect in Section 3-AAA. Hiles fired her third no-hitter of the season and came within a walk of a perfect game as the Lady Falcons defeated visiting Laurel Highlands 7-0 Wednesday.
The win clinched a WPIAL playoff berth and at least a share of the section championship for coach Rich Carbonara’s squad.
Lindsay O’Donnell tripled and doubled, and Christina Brooks doubled twice to lead a nine-hit attack for Connellsville (13-1, 8-0). Natalie Bukovac also doubled.
The only batter Hiles didn’t retire was Ashley Capranica, who drew a lead-off walk in the third inning. She struck out 14.
“Kerry was very sharp today,” Carbonara said. “She had command of her fastball and good movement on her other pitches. When she pitches ahead in the count, as she did today, she’s very successful.”
Carbonara stopped short of calling the sparkling performance Hiles’ best of the season, however.
“It was one of her better ones,” Carbonara said. “She pitched a real gem a couple days ago at Greensburg Salem. She took a no-hitter into the seventh and gave up a two-out single.”
It was the Lady Falcons’ fourth no-hitter of the season with Ashley Whipkey also tossing one.
“We’re lucky because we do have two very good pitchers, but Kerri’s the ace,” said third-year coach Carbonara, who has led Connellsville to back-to-back section titles.
“This year’s section championship is a little more gratifying because we had to beat Hempfield to do it. Any time you beat Hempfield twice, it’s a pretty good season, because they’re a very good program.”
Losing pitcher Angie Shotter kept the Lady Falcons off the board until the fourth when O’Donnell and Brooks had run-scoring doubles to highlight a four-run rally.
Connellsville struck for three more runs in the sixth on a two-run single by Hiles, who had two hits, and a run-scoring hit by Rachel Means, who also had two hits.
“Brooks hit the ball well today and so did Kerri,” Carbonara said. “Kerri’s bat has been struggling, so it’s nice to hopefully see it come back to life right around playoff time.”
Carbonara isn’t about to let the Lady Falcons rest now that the playoffs and section are wrapped up.
“We want to finish in first place alone,” Carbonara said. “Basically our goals are to finish 10-0 in the section and qualify for the state playoffs, which takes two wins in the WPIAL playoffs.”
Connellsville may advance much further than that if it keeps playing the way it has.
“We have a lot of good athletes on our team and that makes my job a lot easier,” Carbonara said.
The Lady Falcons travel to Uniontown on Friday and host Albert Gallatin on Monday, with both games beginning at 4 p.m., to close out section play. Connellsville winds up its regular season with three non-section games.