Dramatic finish: Lady Colonials rally in 7th for 4-3 victory over LH
YORK RUN – Laurel Highlands opened the door in the bottom of the seventh inning, and Albert Gallatin charged right through Thursday afternoon for a 4-3 come-from-victory that eliminated Laurel Highlands from a Section 2-AAAA playoff berth.
“All year we’ve been losing games in the seventh inning and finally we came out and finished one today,” said Albert Gallatin coach Gary Serock. “We could’ve let down. LH is a good team. We knew what we were getting into today.
“They had to win to get in the playoffs. We knew that.”
It was “win and get in” for Laurel Highlands, who lost out on fourth place after being swept by Greensburg Salem. Laurel Highlands (5-9) finished 5-7 in the section.
Greensburg Salem defeated Ringgold, 4-0, to clinch fourth place and the playoff berth.
“I don’t know if it was pressure. We had a big game against Greensburg Salem last night and we left it on the field. It was a 7-5 defeat,” said Laurel Highlands coach Pat Livingston. “We knew coming into tonight that we wanted it. I don’t think the pressure was there.”
Winning pitcher Avery Walls started Albert Gallatin’s game-winning rally with a single. Mia Myers walked. Aly Sharpnack’s infield ground ball was mishandled, allowing courtesy runner Zofia Radosevich to score from second and Myers to move to third.
Harlie Dirda returned to the mound in relief of Izzy Coleman and induced Gianna Seese to pop out to first base.
Myers was eventually run down for the second out on Gabby Delorenzo’s ground ball with Sharpnak holding second and Delorenzo on first.
The Lady Colonials’ Leah Myers then ended the game with a sharp hit to the left-center gap for a two-run double.
“We told them she’s coming to you. I told them to sit back and wait on it. Let the ball come to you and drive the pitch, and that’s what they did,” said Serock.
Serock continued, adding, “I’m proud of our team. They didn’t give up.
“We had a tough year. Things happened, but that’s the way it goes. We’re looking forward to next year.”
Laurel Highlands had the opportunity to blow the game open in the top of the inning, but only scored one run.
Lindsay Klink opened the inning with a perfectly placed bunt for a single. She stole second and moved to third when Nola Mancini’s line drive ricocheted off Walls for an infield single.
Mancini stole second and Aubrey Speelman followed with a run-scoring single. Zoe Robson was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Charitie Babbitt’s ground ball skipped past third baseman Sharpnack, but shortstop Mya Glisan alertly fielded the ball and threw to home for the out on Speelman.
The Lady Colonials escaped any further damage with a fly ball to center field for the third out.
“We had bases loaded and no outs. We had a chance to blow it open,” said Livingston. “We had our chance and we didn’t grasp it.
“We had bases loaded with no outs, so that was our inning to score five or six runs, definitely.”
Laurel Highlands scored first with a single run in the top of the second inning when Mancini singled with two outs and scored on Speelman’s double.
The visitors’ lead grew to 2-0 in the fifth inning with an unearned run.
Speelman opened the inning when she legged out an infield single. She moved to second on Robson’s sacrifice bunt, third on a wild pitch and came home on another wild pitch.
Dirda held the Lady Colonials scoreless through four innings on one hit.
Albert Gallatin’s first run scored on a strange bit of circumstances after Wells started the inning with a walk. Myers struck out and Sharpnack’s sacrifice bunt moved Radosevich to third.
Gianna Seese hit a ground ball, but the infielder had a moment of indecision whether to throw the ball to the plate. Radosevich and Seese were both safe on the play to cut the lead to 2-1.