C-H in WPIAL finals, has rematch with Jeff-Morgan
Bishop Canevin’s Lexi Pilch (15) is caught between bases and tagged out by Chartiers-Houston’s 3rd baseman, Sabrina Stankus (12) in the 5th inning of the WPIAL playoffs at California University’s Lilley Field Thursday.
Bishop Canevin’s Alex Parra line drives a hit past Chartiers-Houston’s third baseman Brittany Blumen for a double during the sixth inning leading to 3 runs before Chartiers-Houston put the game away 7-5 in the WPIAL playoffs at California University’s Lilley Field Thursday.
Charitiers-Houston’s pitcher Kaitlyn Dittrich hugs catcher Casey Craig after Chartiers-Houston defeated Bishop Canevin in the WPIAL playoffs at California University’s Lilly Field Thursday.
CALIFORNIA – The game was as raw as the afternoon.
Chartiers-Houston and Bishop Canevin combined for 19 hits, six errors and a few mental lapses in the field in Thursday’s WPIAL Class A semifinal softball game at California University’s Lilley Field.
But here is the important part: No matter how bad you play, it’s better to win.
And that’s what the top-seeded Bucs did, using a five-run second inning that was sparked by the first home run in the varsity career of Jalynn Myers to come away with a 7-5 victory over the Crusaders.
Chartiers-Houston (20-2), the top seed, advanced to the WPIAL finals against third-seeded Jefferson-Morgan (15-2) Thursday at Lilley Field. First pitch is 11:30 a.m. Bishop Canevin will play Frazier for the third and final spot in the PIAA playoffs Tuesday at a site and time to be determined.
Myers home run grew in importance as the game wore on. Chartiers-Houston left that second inning with a 6-1 lead, thanks to Myers and Kassie Kesneck’s bases-loaded double that scored three more.
Myers said her teammate, Megan Kraushaar, was somewhat clairvoyant about this game.
“On the way here, she told me I was going to hit it over the fence,” said Myers. “I said, ‘That would be awesome.’ She said it and it happened.”
The burst of runs in the second inning was impressive, considering Bishop Canevin starter Kylee Sonson got the first two outs of the innings and had an 0-2 count on Macie Kesneck. But Kesneck drew a walk and Myers followed with a home run.
“It was pretty awesome to hit it,” said Myers, “and very needed. I don’t remember it hitting the bat. I want to say it was down the middle and I swung for it. I didn’t know it was going out until I heard them say it was out.”
Myers nearly hit her first home run in the quarterfinals, during a 9-1 win over Monessen at North Strabane Intermediate School.
“I consider myself a doubles hitter,” said Myers. “Our last game against Monessen, I hit one to the gravel of the warning track towards right field.”
Following the home run, Kraushaar, was hit by a pitch, Sabrina Stankus singled her to third and Kayla Alderson walked to load the bases for Kassie Kesneck. She launched a shot to the base of the fence and all three runs scored.
“(Kesneck) played great. She played well in the field and hit the ball,” said Tricia Alderson, Chartiers-Houston’s head coach. “You could tell she really wanted it.”
Bishop Canevin chipped away with a run in the third and fourth innings and two more in the top of the sixth when Kraushaar made an errant throw from shortstop.
“That wasn’t our best game overall, defensively or offensively,” said Alderson. “Sometimes you win ugly and I guess we’ll take it.”
Chartiers-Houston made it a two-run game in the bottom of the sixth inning. Kraushaar walked, stole second base, went to third on a ground out and scored on the Crusaders fourth error of the game.
“We kind of ran out of outs,” said Bishop Canevin head coach Karen Seitz-LaFianza. “We kept putting people on base and got a number of them in. But a key hit here and there would certainly have made it a different ball game.”
The Crusaders had a runner thrown out at home plate to end the first inning and another caught in a rundown in the second.
“That was a good throw,” said Seitz-LaFianza. “I’m going to send her every time in that situation. In the second, we wanted to make them make a play and were a little over aggressive.”
Chartiers-Houston and Jefferson-Morgan tied for the Section 1 title after splitting the two-game season series. Chartiers-Houston won 4-2 in an April Fool’s Day game and Jefferson-Morgan won 1-0 April 24 behind Maddie Ludrosky’s no-hitter.
“We had two close games,” Alderson said. “This should be a good game. Obviously, we know each other and respect each other. We have a week to prepare.”