Connellsville edges LH to clinch softball playoff spot
Connellsville softball coach Max Bukovac is fast becoming a believer in the adage that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. In the moments after his team had blanked Laurel Highlands, 2-0, in a Section 3-AAA game, Bukovac was reminded that his team had won despite committing five errors.
But all Bukovac could do was smile, as if to acknowledge another famous axiom: we’ll take a win anyway we can get one. And, of course, this one was pretty meaningful.
It lifted the Lady Falcons (11-3 overall) into the WPIAL playoffs with a 6-2 section mark.
The loss eliminated LH from postseason contention. The Fillies fell to 3-5 overall and 3-4 in the section.
“We got some key hits when we needed them and some great pitching from Ashley Whipkey,” Bukovac said.
Whipkey, in fact, threw a one-hit shutout at the Fillies to improve to 4-0 on the season. Whipkey has allowed only one unearned run this season. She struck out 11 and did not allow a walk.
“She is a quality pitcher,” Bukovac said. “She has some speed and she throws strikes. That’s all you can ask of a pitcher.”
Connellsville’s offense struggled, but as Bukovac noted, did enough to win. Rachel Means led off the game with a double to right-center and scored on freshman Lauren Crouse’s single to right field to give Whipkey all the support she would need.
“Anytime you can start a game off like that, it’s good,” Bukovac said.
Keri Smiell hit a solid single to left field leading off the Fillies’ second inning, but couldn’t advance. An inning later, the Fillies loaded the bases on back-to-back Connellsville errors and a fielder’s choice, but Whipkey ended the threat with a strikeout and a line drive to Means at shortstop.
Connellsville added a run in the sixth when Means walked and scored on an infield single by Kerri Hiles.
Fillies pitcher Jen Barry limited the Lady Falcons to four hits and got some outstanding defensive support, but it wasn’t enough.
“We played very good defensive game and used a couple of our pick-off moves pretty well,” Fillies coach George Kaiser said. “That one inning when we had the bases loaded was an opportunity we had to take advantage of, but we didn’t.
“Jen pitched a real good game for us. We weren’t sure how far she could go because she had a shoulder injury against Greensburg Salem. But she did a great job today, as did Whipkey. She pitched very well for Connellsville.”
Connellsville hosts Uniontown Wednesday, while Laurel Highlands hosts Hempfield.