tool name
closePHILIPSBURG — Senior year is all about making memories and Katie Confer gave herself one that will have a long shelf life here Wednesday.
Craig Houtz
Philipsburg-Osceola's Katie Carpin scores on a wild pitch as Central Cambria reliever Jordan Miken loses the throw from the catcher in the 6th inning during their District 6 AA semi-final game on Wednesday, May 20, 2009.
The senior first baseman launched a three-run homer to dead center field in the first inning that staked Philipsburg-Osceola to a 4-0 lead over Central Cambria in a District 6 Class AA softball semifinal game. The Lady Mounties (21-1) built on that and rolled to a 10-0 victory that was over in 51/ 3 innings, setting the stage for a rematch with Bald Eagle Area (19-3) that will determine the district champion.
“This was my last game on this field,” Confer said, clutching a pair of game balls, one for the homer and one in recognition of her final appearance at P-O. “It’s kind of sad and kind of exciting. I wasn’t sure if it (the homer) was out or not. I thought it was just a line drive.”
It was a stake in the heart of the Lady Red Devils (15-5), who for the third time in four years, were shut out by the Lady Mounties in district competition.
And this game followed the same script as the others — a disastrous first inning that led to a shutout.
“This is the third time we’ve played them that we gave the game away in the first inning,” said veteran coach Pat Stock. “In ’06 and ’07 we got beat 5-0 and 6-0. What we wanted to avoid at all costs was a bad first inning. This turned into a one-inning game. We dropped a fly ball, then we dropped a perfect throw at first. We got down in the first inning and never found our stroke. We hit the ball all year long and today we had kids swinging at pitches that were out of the zone and we haven’t swung at pitches like that in 10 games.
“We knew we were coming here to play a quality team. You expect to see them in the final four, if not the final two in the PIAA. And the only way to beat a team like that is to hang around until about the fourth inning. Then you start to think you can beat them.”
By the fourth inning, the Lady Mounties were sitting on a comfortable 6-0 lead.
Kelsey Gonder led off the game for P-O with a fly to center that was dropped. Mackenzie Wilson was safe at first when the throw on her sacrifice bunt was dropped. And when Taylor Harpster, who had three hits and four RBI for P-O, singled to left the ball was overrun, allowing Gonder to score. Confer made Central Cambria pay when she roped a 1-0 pitch over the fence in center.
“It was nice to see a senior get that home run,” said P-O coach Jim Gonder. “That gave us some separation. That was big. It had to deflate them. With a four-run lead, I wasn’t exactly on a beach vacation, but I was pretty comfortable. Katie made them pay for their mistakes.”
P-O tacked on a pair of runs in the second inning thanks to an error, Wilson’s infield single and a two-run double down the left field line by Harpster.
“Taylor has to be a clutch hitter,” Gonder said. “She’s our No. 3 hitter.”
The Lady Mounties brought the game to an early end with a four-run outburst in the sixth inning against relief pitcher Jordan Makin.
Amber Hockenberry opened the inning with a double to left-center and Kelsey Knepp reached on a fielder’s choice in which no out was recorded. Kelsey Gonder singled Hockenberry home and a pair of wild pitches scored Knepp and put Gonder on third. Wilson drew a walk before Harpster singled up the middle for the game-ending runs.
Kelsey Gonder and Chelsea Rex combined for a two-hit, nine-strikeout performance for P-O.
“They both did a nice job,” Jim Gonder said. “They are different, but they’re both effective. I don’t know what we’ll do from here on out, but the Dynamic Duo is working for us now. Central Cambria came in here with something like 40 home runs and their first five hitters were phenomenal. To hold them to two hits says a lot about our pitching and a lot about our league.”
In Print
@Nyx.CommentBody@