Comeback Kids: Lady Bulldogs erase 4-0 deficit to win in extra innings

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MILL HALL — Momentum isn’t something that has a physical form — sure there’s evidence of it in one team’s cheers and the other’s dejection — but it’s something everyone feels.

With one out and Holy Cross leading Claysburg-Kimmel by three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, Lila Kolcharno tagged up at third and barely beat an excellent throw from Lady Bulldogs right fielder Zailee Bush to seemingly put the Lady Crusaders up four only six outs away from a victory in the PIAA Class 1A softball quarterfinals at Central Mountain High School on Thursday.

But C-K third baseman Bella Francona called for the ball, and catcher McKenna Black threw it down to her. She tagged third, but there was initially no call. However, third base umpire Terry Bastian called for a conference with his fellow umpires, and after about 30 seconds, Kolcharno was called out for leaving the base early.

The Claysburg-Kimmel portion of the stands erupted with cheers. The players sprinted off the field pumping their fists, and Holy Cross and its coach Joe Ross were left standing in shock.

The Lady Bulldogs used the momentum shift to score three runs in the top of the sixth to tie the game, escaped a pressure-packed jam in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings and won the game on Isabella Paris’ solo home run in the top of the eighth inning that gave C-K a 5-4 win.

“That was such an emotional high for her to slide in there safely and beat a great throw and a great tag,” Ross said. “And then, all of a sudden it’s a double play. That definitely swung momentum.”

Though he did speak with the umpires about the delayed call, Ross admitted it was the correct one.

“It’s kind of like going to war with toothpicks,” Ross said. “I’m standing right there, and I see that she left early. She left a half-step early. The Francona kid called for the ball, and they threw the ball and there was no call immediately. So, I thought we had a chance. He said they got together and decided she left early and that she was out. He told me she left early, and how was I supposed to respond when I knew she did? I just told him it was a state quarterfinal game and that of course I needed to have a conversation with him, but there’s nothing I could do. That’s softball, and they made the play. She left early.”

Claysburg-Kimmel coach Mike Barbarini has been on the wrong side of some heartbreaking calls in the state playoffs, so he knew the play might make a big impact.

“She definitely left early,” Barbarini said. “That was a mistake on their part that cost them a run. It ended the inning, and little mistakes like that cost you in a big game like this.”

Holy Cross built a 4-0 lead despite only hitting one ball out of the infield.

Peyton Graboske and Jules Gabella walked to begin the second inning, and Megan Hassaj loaded the bases when she bunted and Paris faked a throw to first but wasn’t able to get any other runners. Claire Helring followed with a two-run single to center. After a lineout, Chloe Mendicino’s RBI bunt single made it 3-0, and Helring scored on a wild pitch an out later.

“We have not gotten down much in games this year,” Paris said. “It was overwhelming. It put me in a high-pressure situation, but I knew I had to bounce back quickly.”

Claysburg-Kimmel got a run back in the top of the fourth when Jaylee Swindell singled and eventually scored on a Launa Musselman groundout after getting to third on a Black single and a Paris walk.

Holy Cross threatened to break the game open in the bottom of the fourth inning with runners on second and third, but Paris got Holy Cross pitcher Ava Schmidt to pop out and end the threat.

Black started the rally in the sixth with a leadoff single. Paris followed with one of her own, and after a pop out, Payton Hinish drove in Black with an RBI single. Paris scored on an error after a pop out, and with two outs, Zakera Bush tied the game with a double off the fence to score pinch runner Zailee Bush.

Zakera Bush, who drove in four runs in the PIAA first round win over Bucktail, continued her hot streak after struggling with her confidence early in the playoffs.

“I’m just trying to relax some more,” Bush said. “It’s my senior year. Every time I go to the plate, I tell myself this could be my last game and to give it my all. My hits have been falling in.”

Barbarini was happy to see her have another big moment.

“She’s a senior and is starting to come through here,” Barbarini said. “She’s hitting the ball. The first time up, she struggled at the plate, and she came back and asked what to do. I told her to keep plugging away. They gave her a good pitch, and she connected with it.”

Claysburg-Kimmel wasn’t out of the woods yet as Mendicino walked to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning. Kolcharno singled, and both players moved up a base on Mia Galella’s fly out before Zakera Bush snagged Graboske’s foul pop out to send the game to extra innings.

“I thought our momentum was definitely back, and we were picking up the pitches (Schmidt) was throwing,” Paris said. “We had it going again.”

Paris led off the top of the eighth inning and quickly fell behind in the count 0-2.

Schmidt went for the strikeout rather than trying to get Paris to chase something out of the zone. Instead, Paris sent the pitch over the fence for a go-ahead home run.

“It was right down the middle,” Paris said. “It was a meatball pitch. I knew right when I hit it that it was going out.”

Paris walked two batters in the bottom of the inning, laboring slightly after throwing nearly 150 pitches, before she struck out Mendicino on three pitches to end the game.

“Isabella got herself into trouble with the walks,” Barbarini said. “We made a few mental errors fielding bunts and gave them some runs, but she worked through it and hit the home run to put herself back up. She took that positive energy back out to the (pitching circle), and she struck out (the last batter). It’s great for a freshman to see her be so mature.”

Barbarini said his team didn’t panic down 4-0 because of their offensive firepower.

“Everyone in our lineup can hit the ball,” Barbarini said. “So, it was just a matter of time until we got on her. She kept us off balance through the first four innings until we started making better contact against her and getting some hits. We had some chances we didn’t take advantage of with girls on second and third, but they kept their heads up, stayed positive and chipped away.”

Holy Cross ended the season 22-2 with its only other loss to Class 3A Mid Valley.

“These were two very good teams with two very good pitchers, and we happened to score one less run than them,” Ross said. “My hat is off to them. Their pitcher was a freshman, but she showed a lot of composure and then squared up a line drive and hit it over the fence.”

The Lady Bulldogs will take on District 4 champion Northeast Bradford in the PIAA semifinals on Monday. This will be the fifth time Claysburg-Kimmel has played in that round and will go into the game with a record of 1-3 in those contests.

“We have been there before, four other times,” Barbarini said. “We’re looking forward to our next opponent.”

Northeast Bradford also won in dramatic fashion, getting a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh inning from Kierra Delancey to top Dock Mennonite, 4-3.

“This is everything I have been working for my entire life,” Paris said. “This has been my goal. It’s still just one game at a time, but I am really excited.”

CLAYSBURG-KIMMEL (5): B. Francona 3b 401, Swindell ss 411, Black c 412, Paris p 322, Musselman lf 400, Hinish dp 401, Zai. Bush rf-pr 010, Crissman 2b 400, Zak. Bush 1b 400, A. Francona pr 000, Harclerode cf 301. Totals — 33-5-9.

HOLY CROSS (4): Schmidt p 400, Kolcharno 2b 402, M. Galella 1b 400, Graboske c 311, J. Galella ss 210, Hassaj 3b 311, Helring lf 311, Rogers lf 311, Coroniti cf 400, Mendicino rf 302. Totals — 30-4-7.

SCORE BY INNINGS

Claysburg-Kimmel 000 103 01–5 9 0

Holy Cross 040 000 00–4 7 1

E–Schmidt. 2B–Francona, Zak. Bush. HR–Paris. RBI–Paris, Musselman, Hinish, Zak. Bush, Helring 2, Mendicino.

PITCHING

Claysburg-Kimmel: Paris (W)–8IP, 7H, 10K, 6BB, 4R, 4ER, 149 pitches.

Holy Cross: Schmidt (L)–8IP, 9H, 7K, 1BB, 5R, 5ER, 116 pitches.

Umpires: Duff Ripka (HP); Jeff Cernica (1B); Ed Souter (2B); Terry Bastian (3B).

Records: Claysburg-Kimmel (27-0); Holy Cross (22-2).