May 25, 2007 By Mike Ciarochi 3 min read

McKEES ROCKS – Ashley Nichols pitched her third consecutive playoff shutout and Belle Vernon advanced to its first WPIAL softball championship game with its third consecutive 2-0 win Thursday. The Lady Leps advance to next Thursday’s Class AAA championship game – a fourth game against Elizabeth-Forward – with Thursday’s 2-0 win over Mars at Fairhaven Park.

“I always tell the girls that good defense, good pitching and timely hitting leads to good things,” Belle Vernon coach Tom Rodriguez said. “These playoff games are a perfect example. Ashley has gotten stronger as the season and playoffs have progressed, we’re solid on defense and we’ve been getting just enough timely hits to win ball games.”

The Lady Leps got an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth inning, when Heather Sellew singled and courtesy runner Kristi Baxendell advanced when losing pitcher Monica Glomb threw Apryl Patterson’s sacrifice bunt into right field. The error put runners on second and third with no outs and Nichols brought in a run with a suicide squeeze bunt that was dropped when Baxendell knocked it from the catcher’s grasp.

“We work on bunts all the time in practice,” Rodriguez said. “We knew their pitcher was very good, so we thought if we got runners in position, maybe we could get a run with a suicide squeeze. We thought we’d have to make something happen because she doesn’t give up much.”

Mars pitcher Monica Glomb struck out nine Belle Vernon batters, including striking out the side in the second.

“That obviously gave them momentum,” Mars coach Michele Goodworth said of BVA’s suicide squeeze play. We’ve struggled to produce runs all year and that was true today. We see a lot of bunts, so it surprised me to see Monica throw that one away.”

That was all Nichols would need, but Belle Vernon added a run in the fifth when Megan Chadwell singled, advanced on Sellew’s second hit of the game and scored on Patterson’s RBI single to left field.

“Ashley’s probably not as fast as some pitchers, but she spots her pitches very well and has excellent control,” Rodriguez said.

The win was Belle Vernon’s 12th in a row. The Lady Leps haven’t lost since April 21. For their efforts, the Lady Leps (17-5) earn a fourth game against Section 4-AAA champion Elizabeth-Forward, a 1-0 winner over Hampton in Thursday’s other semifinal.

All three of their prior meetings went extra innings, with Belle Vernon winning the last time they met. Mars fell to 12-9 and into a consolation game against Hampton with a PIAA berth at stake.

Belle Vernon lost in the WPIAL semifinals last season and in 1990, so this win was a breakthrough for the Lady Leps and Rodriguez, in his sixth season as their coach.

“This was certainly a big win for us,” he said. “I’m very happy for the girls. I think a lot of people expected us to get there this year, so there was a little more pressure on the girls, but they came through.”

Rodriguez and the Lady Leps should find the surroundings familiar and quite friendly at California University’s Lilly Field, where the championship game will be played.

“We’re happy to go back there,” Rodriguez said. “We’re 3-0 at Lilly Field.”

And looking to go 4-0.