Baldwin edges Connellsville on walk-off single
Baldwin’s Melina Defelice not only earned the pitching victory in Sunday’s Section 4-5A game against Connellsville, but she had the game-winning hit in the Lady Highlanders’ 3-2 victory in walk-off fashion at Baldwin High School.
Defelice’s base hit to centerfield scored teammate Avery Herrington for the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Reaghan Temme led off the frame for Baldwin (2-0, 4-1) with a single to third base before Herrington reached on an error. Temme stole second during Herrington’s at-bat, and advanced to third on the error.
The Lady Falcons (0-2, 4-2) prevented the home team from scoring the winning run in the next at-bat when Molly Greenawalt threw out Temme at home on Mackenzie Bowen’s bunt attempt.
Teaghan Scanlon walked to load the bases before Defelice’s heroics.
The run-scoring single was Defelice’s only of the game, but she did walk once.
Defelice was strong in the pitching circle, as she didn’t allow an earned run on four hits over seven innings. She had eight strikeouts and didn’t issue a walk.
Connellsville’s Halle Parfitt took the loss, but she had a quality outing in not yielding an earned run in pitching 6 ⅓ innings. She allowed six hits, struck out three and walked six batters.
The Lady Highlanders came out of the gate strong with two runs in the bottom of the first inning.
Camryn Temme got her team going with one out following a double to left field before Jordan Gerendash reached on an error. Temme advanced to third on the play.
Gerendash stole second, and with two outs, both scored on Bowen’s base hit to centerfield for a 2-0 lead.
The Lady Falcons tied the game with two runs in the top of the third.
Parfitt reached on an error and Kinley Layman entered as a courtesy runner. Layman advanced to second on Maggie Orndorff’s sacrifice bunt before Addison Lloyd reached on an error.
Layman and Lloyd moved to second and third on the play. Both scored on Cali Leichliter’s single to centerfield.
Greenawalt, Kaylee Roadman and Addison Smith each had one single apiece.