Lady Falcons advance with 9-4 victory over Plum
MONROEVILLE – Back-to-back home runs by Kirra Davis and Cali Leichliter punctuated Connellsville’s 9-4 victory over Plum Monday afternoon in the first round of the WPIAL Class AAAAA softball playoffs at Gateway.
The Lady Falcons (13-7) advance to Wednesday’s quarterfinal round against top-seeded Armstrong. Armstrong defeated Western Beaver, 9-5.
“I’d like to play Armstrong. I’m sure they were here watching. I’m sure they’re going to hit the ball,” said Connellsville coach John Burd.
Burd sensed no opening round nerves with his squad.
“We’re a young team. We have a nice group of veterans and seniors, but we have a lot of freshmen so we can get that first-game atmosphere out and they understand what it is,” said John Burd, adding, “I don’t think they get nervous. Sometimes they’re not nervous enough.”
Connellsville made the most of three defensive miscues to post an early 6-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.
Rylee Dreves opened the inning with a single. Kirra Davis and Cali Leichliter both singled with one out to load the bases.
An errant pickoff throw to third base allowed Dreves to score, and Davis and Leichliter to move up a base. Basinger then ripped a two-run double to right-center field.
Kameron Kantorik dumped a single into left field. Molly Greenawalt’s fly ball was misplayed for an error to plate the two runners and Greenawalt came home when the throw to third base was wide of the bag for the second error on the play.
Kaylee Roadman kept the inning alive with a single, knocking starting pitcher Riley Stephans out of the game. Mackenzie Marotta ended the rally with a ground out and infield fly ball.
Marotta held the Connellsville offense at bay in the second and third innings with only one runner in each inning.
The Lady Falcons found their bats in a big way in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Winning pitcher Iris Burd hustled down the line for a one-out infield single and she trotted home on Davis’ line drive home run over the left field wall. Leichliter followed with a solo blast for a 9-0 lead.
“They just hit the ball so hard. Those two like to hit them out,” John Burd said of Davis and Leichliter.
Burd skirted danger in the second, third and fourth innings and managed to strand a total of four runners, including the bases loaded bottom of the second inning when she struck out Madelyn Wagner.
“She battles and I can’t say enough about her. Not too much fazes her,” John Burd said of his daughter.
Burd allowed three hits and had no walks over the first four innings, and struck out seven, including the side in the top of the second inning.
“We held them a couple innings (after the big inning). That was big. We had the momentum.
We didn’t let them get any (runs) until we got to nine (runs). That was a big thing to come back from,” said John Burd.
Plum (11-7) answered Connellsville’s home run burst with one of its own in the top of the fifth inning.
Wagner walked with one out and Jaiden Gentile followed with a single. Wagner broke late on a fly ball hit by Liana Yusko and Dreves alertly threw to third in time for the second out of the inning.
Danielle Pici left little to chance when she bombed a three-run home run over the center field fence. Stephans followed with a single, but Davis snared Marotta’s line drive to third base for the third out of the inning.
“We knew they could hit and we had a couple good innings.(The 9-0 lead) seemed like a comfortable lead, it did,” said John Burd, adding, “I knew it wasn’t going to be easy.”
Plum sliced another run off its deficit in the top of the sixth inning. Gia Tavella doubled with one out and scored on Bella Tavella’s single.
Two solid plays by Dreves in center field ended the threat.
Not to be outdone, Bella Tavella made two spectacular running catches to keep Connellsville off the scoreboard in the top of the seventh inning.
“Their center fielder made some great catches. We could’ve had a couple more there. Give her a lot of credit,” said John Burd.