State College softball no-hit by Mifflin County in District 6 Class 6A championship game
State College had fun all season by hustling and gelling together as a team.
Mifflin County just so happened to be a team that could extinguish their fire in the District 6 Class 6A championship on Wednesday at the windy Saint Francis University softball field by a score of 8-0. Huskies pitcher Madison Wolfgang was her team’s blanket, tossing a no-hitter with eight strikeouts.
“We had a great season,” State College coach Shawn Hercane said. “Today certainly doesn’t take away from what we’ve accomplished throughout the year. Our senior leadership was off the charts, right? Zia (Bodnar) and crew have done a nice job.
“We asked a lot of them because we started a lot of young kids — freshmen and sophomores — and they needed some senior leadership to help them through that and to help them transition into high-level high school softball.”
The Lady Little Lions entered the game with an 18-2 record, having just been crowned Mid Penn champions. The aforementioned Bodnar has been at the forefront of the team’s success, leading them through strong pitching and a headstrong demeanor that has constantly boosted their spirit.
According to Bodnar, this iteration of the Lady Little Lions has been the most cohesive unit that she’s been a part of. She’s enjoyed her journey every step of the way, as the sunset of her softball-playing career has come. Bodnar is headed to Ohio State to join its rowing team.
“This was the best group of girls that I’ve gotten to play with in my high school career,” Bodnar said. “Everyone just had each other’s backs this season and that’s why we were able to be successful. So, we had a lot of talent, but it was really all about picking each other up.”
As for Wednesday’s game, State College and Mifflin County were deadlocked at 0-0 at the beginning of the fourth inning. Bodnar and Wolfgang both had a no-hitter, but it wouldn’t last much longer. Wolfgang bunted to reach first base for Mifflin County and Payton McClure followed with a double to score her pitcher.
Dakota Hershberger was subsequently intentionally walked and later scored on an error. Alexis O’Brien tripled to plate Sophie McCurdy for a 4-0 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth inning.
Mifflin County wouldn’t relent in the top of the fifth inning. Alaina Sharp jumped on a pitch for a ground rule double, stole third base and later scored on a double by McClure. Hershberger struck a ball over the left field fence for a two-out, two-run home run. Sophie McCurdy drove in a run to give Mifflin County an 8-0 lead.
Wolfgang had a perfect game heading into the seventh inning. With two quick outs, the Huskies pitcher looked to complete a storybook ending to their District 6 championship run. With two outs, Mifflin County committed an error to end the perfect game. The no-hitter was still intact and would stay that way with a groundout to end the game.
“It was definitely nerve-racking and I remember the bus ride here — my stomach was just turning and turning,” Woflgang said. “But we came out and the first three innings, it felt like it was going to be a battle the whole game and as soon as we got that inning (fourth) starter, I knew we were going to keep rolling and rolling. That’s exactly what happened.”
This story was originally published May 25, 2022 at 8:18 PM.
