J-M wins first state playoff game
Jefferson-Morgan’s Madison Ludrosky, left, celebrates with teammate Morgan Simkovic Monday after the Rockets defeated Smethport 2-1 for their first PIAA playoff victory.
Katie Roupe/Observer-Reporter Jefferson-Morgan fans cheer and celebrate after Jefferson-Morgan beat Smethport 2-1 in the first round of the PIAA playoffs.
Katie Roupe/Observer-Reporter Jefferson-Morgan head coach Tony Barbetta advises Brooke Diamond before her turn at bat during the game against Smethport.
Jefferson-Morgan’s Autumn Tedrow throws to first for an out during the top of the sixth inning against Smethport Monday.
Jefferson-Morgan’s Morgan Simkovic runs to first base after hitting a single in the top of the fifth inning against Smethport.
WEXFORD – Jefferson-Morgan and Smethport have more in common than a first-round matchup in the PIAA Class A softball playoffs. Those in attendance at North Allegheny High School Monday afternoon could barely tell the two teams apart.
Both wore black uniforms with orange numbers and trim, both were fundamentally sound in the field and both are traditionally a softball powerhouse. Though their similarities were noticeable, it was the difference between the two that led to another benchmark for the Rockets’ softball program.
The difference between the programs was obvious with every fastball by Jefferson-Morgan senior pitcher Madison Ludrosky. The right hander tossed a complete game one-hitter with five strikeouts and drove in what proved to be the winning run in the third inning as the Rockets defeated Smethport, 2-1.
Less than a week after winning its first WPIAL title, Jefferson-Morgan (18-2) captured its first state playoff win in program history, extended its winning streak to 12 games and earned a spot in the quarterfinals, where it will face Cochranton (16-2), the District 10 champions and 11-1 winners over Bishop Canevin, Thursday at a site and time to be determined.
Junior shortstop Morgan Simkovic, who went 2-for-3, delivered a first-inning RBI single to give the Rockets the early lead. Jefferson-Morgan stranded six on base, including three in scoring position, and committed three errors for the second straight game.
“I thought we could score a couple more runs,” J-M head coach Tony Barbetta said. “We bunted nice to move runners up, but we couldn’t get the key hit. We made three errors the last two games and we won them both. Something is working for us. I’m really pleased for the school and the community. It was nice to get this one under our belt.”
Ludrosky walked three batters – her first of the postseason – and held a no-hitter through five innings until a one-out single by Hubbers catcher Nicole Nolte dropped into left field. Ludrosky retired the final five batters she faced to clinch the victory.
She forced Smethport to strand five runners in the final four innings and the Hubbers went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position for the game. Ludrosky spotted her rising fastball on the outside corner, and mixed a curveball with a changeup.
“The first time through was obviously a little shaky because I’ve never seen the team or even heard of them before, but I got more confidence the second time through,” Ludrosky said. “I’m pretty happy with the way things went – a few errors, but other than that, we handled them pretty good.”
It helped grabbing an early lead against the District 9 runner-up. Rockets senior catcher Reagan Rush, a Seton Hill recruit, led off the first inning with a four-pitch walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt before Simkovic lined a single to left field for the 1-0 lead.
Simkovic was stranded at third and Jefferson-Morgan left a runner at second in the second inning. The Rockets were struggling with pitch selection against Hubbers pitcher Brooke Kane-Walker, who was mixing speeds and peppering the inside part of the plate with high fastballs.
Junior second baseman Camryn Dugan delivered in the third inning with a leadoff double over Smethport right fielder Emily Treat’s head and she scored when Ludrosky hit a single to left field to make it a two-run advantage.
“(Jefferson-Morgan) hit the ball better than we did today,” Smethport head coach Jim Kane said. “They see better pitching throughout the season than we do. It makes a difference when it comes down to games like this. They are a really good team, and I hope they go a long way. I’m proud and happy for them. It’s like looking at ourselves watching them play.”
It did not take a hit for the Hubbers break the shutout. The Rockets committed two errors in the fifth inning to give Smethport a run, but a runner was stranded on second to end the inning.
The Hubbers got their first hit of the game in the sixth inning with Nolte’s single, and they had runners on first and second with one out, but Ludrosky induced two fly balls to end the threat.
“We made three mistakes and we still won. We haven’t done that much,” Barbetta said. “You can lose a game without giving up a hit. We almost found that out.”
Jefferson-Morgan stranded two runners on base in the sixth inning to give Smethport hope, but the Hubbers could not muster anything against Ludrosky, who struck out Bailey Brien with a change-up to end the game and add another chapter to the Rockets’ storybook season.
There was no wild celebration. Jefferson-Morgan continued to honor former assistant coach Chris Dugan, who died a couple weeks ago. The program is not settling for one state playoff win. The Rockets want a title to honor Dugan and bring pride to Greene County.
“It’s awesome. I don’t know if it’s been done – by softball definitely – but any team at Jefferson, so it’s cool we’re the first ones,” Simkovic said of the state playoff win.