Carmichaels ends season with 7-4 loss
IMPERIAL – Most coaches agree that strong defense usually equates to victories, regardless of sport. On Monday, Carmichaels saw the final chapter of its season written after failing to make several routine plays in a 7-4 loss to Neshannock in the WPIAL Class A softball quarterfinals at West Allegheny High School.
Carmichaels finishes its season 15-3, with a section championship and the team’s first postseason victory in six years in hand. But Lady Mikes coach Dave Briggs has to wonder what might have been after watching his team commit four errors against Neshannock, and allow several other routine fly balls to drop in for base hits.
“This is very disappointing,” Briggs said. “It seemed like we didn’t want the ball out there today.”
Neshannock (16-2) advances to the semifinals, where it will face two-time defending Class A champion Chartiers-Houston. The Lady Bucs defeated Elderton, 2-0, Monday.
Against Carmichaels, Neshannock’s Jess Egbert was 4-for-4 and drove in two runs. Hitting seventh in the lineup, winning pitcher Lindsey Farris was 3-for-3, and leadoff batter Maria Sansone reached base twice and score a pair of runs.
The Lady Lancers finished with 11 hits off losing pitcher Cortney Newland, but three of the hits could have just as easily wound up put outs.
“You have to be aggressive on defense, especially in a playoff game,” Briggs said. “We haven’t done this all year. You have to want the ball. I thought we would have been past the nerves after we won our first game.”
Trailing 4-3, Carmichaels tied the game in the top of the sixth inning when No. 8 hitter Taylor Nichols singled with one out and went to second on a throwing error. With two outs, leadoff batter Morgan Pratt singled to center to bring in Nichols.
Neshannock pieced together three hits and a sacrifice fly to take a commanding 7-4 lead in the bottom half of the inning. Bri Kauffman stroked a leadoff double and scored when Farris grounded a single under the glove of Carmichaels shortstop Ashley Chernisky.
Briggs argued Kauffman interfered with Chernisky as she advanced to third base, but the play stood and Kauffman scored the eventual winning run.
Egbert later singled in Farris to make it 6-4, and Stephanie Graziani followed with a sacrifice fly to left field to bring home Neshannock’s seventh run.
Farris (14-2) then retired Carmichaels in order in the top of the seventh inning.
Newland saw her high school career end Monday, after having pitched in every inning of every game over the past four years. She struck out six Lady Lancers and walked just one.
“She’s been great; we’re really going to miss her,” Briggs said. “I’m disappointed for her. I thought we could have gone a little deeper into the playoffs. She’s been a great pitcher and a good leader since she’s been here.”
Carmichaels took a 3-0 lead in its first at bat. Pratt led off the game with a single to centerfield, Chernisky was hit by a pitch and Newland walked to load the bases.
Laci Ludrosky’s fielder’s choice groundout scored Pratt to make it 1-0, with Chernisky erased at third base on the play. Shayleigh Busti then bounced into a fielder’s choice, with Newland being forced out at third base for the second out.
A passed ball allowed Ludrosky and Busti to advance, and Memry Jordan delivered a two-out, two-run single to centerfield to give the Lady Mikes a 3-0 lead.
Neshannock answered with three runs of its own in the bottom half of the first inning. Sansone singled to left field to start off the frame, stole second and scored when Egbert’s fly ball dropped in front of the Carmichaels’ left fielder and kicked away, leaving Egbert at second base.
Graziani then hit a fly ball to left field that was misplayed into a two-base error, with Egbert scoring on the play to cut Neshannock’s deficit to 3-2. The Lady Lancers tied the game when Sam Nicholson grounded out to second to score Graziani.
“That’s what you try to do, put the ball in play,” said Neshannock coach Tracy Kimmel. “When you put the ball in play, you have a chance to make something happen.”
Neshannock took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning when Farris singled and advanced to second when Lina Sansone’s attempted sacrifice was popped up and dropped.
Farris was then forced out at third base by Maria Sansone, and Lina Sansone was thrown out trying to steal third with Egbert hitting. But Egbert smacked a full-count pitch into centerfield to score Maria Sansone with the go-ahead run.
Through seven innings, Farris scattered eight hits, stuck out six and walked two. She retired the Lady Mikes in order twice, and struck out one batter in each of the final six innings.
“She settled down after the first inning,” Kimmel said. “She had a rough start, but she got it together. This has happened before to her this year.”