May 10, 2016 4 min read

BELLE VERNON – The Belle Vernon High School softball team defeated Elizabeth Forward, 3-2, on Senior Day Tuesday afternoon to move into second place in Section 3-AAA.

Just how long the Leopards stay in second place might be determined Wednesday afternoon.

Belle Vernon, the defending WPIAL Class AAA champion, might not be heading to the playoffs because of questions about the use of alleged ineligible players in three Leopards wins. If Belle Vernon is found to have used ineligble players, then the Leopards could be forced to forfeit those three wins.

Belle Vernon coach Tom Rodriguez stated after the game that he has a meeting today with the WPIAL but would not comment on the situation until after the meeting.

If Belle Vernon has to forfeit three wins, then Trinity (6-6, 7-9) would be the third-place team in the section and gain the final playoff spot. Elizabeth Forward (8-4, 11-5) would finish in second place and Belle Vernon, which is currently 9-3 in section and 15-5 overall, would be out of playoff contention.

One of the three Belle Vernon games in question was a 5-2 win over Trinity at Hiller Field on April 28.

Belle Vernon has been operating without an athletic director for more than three months, since the resignation of Jesse Cramer in late January.

Rodriguez did comment on the win over EF.

“It is important to pick up the win,” he said. “This is big and I figured it would be a one-run game.”

Belle Vernon sophomore pitcher Bailey Parshall, a Penn State commit, struck out 14 batters and added three hits to pace the leopards at the plate and in the field.

“The team played well defensively behind me,” she said. “And we had some key hits in the game.

“The whole team was really excited to play the whole game because we knew that we could clinch second place.”

After EF starting pitcher Sarah Turek struck out the first two BV batters of the game, Parshall doubled to right centerfield. Kourtney Gavatorta followed with an RBI-single to score Parshall and give BV the early 1-0 lead.

Parshall retired the first eight batters she faced, six on strikeouts, before Lauren Cain drilled a home run to right field to tie the score at 1-1.

“That’s probably my fault,” Rodriguez said of the home run. “I threw her inside every pitch and I thought I’d go outside, and that is the one she took out.”

The score remained 1-1 until the fifth inning.

With one out, EF’s Lauren Mathews singled and Taylor Jeffers entered the game as a pinch-runner.

Cassidy Kern singled and after a lineout, and Cain walked to load the bases.

Taylor Ludwick followed with an infield single to bring in Jeffers, but Parshall got out of the bases-loaded jam by getting Maddie Porter to ground out to first base.

Trailing 2-1, Belle Vernon battled back in the home half of the inning.

Paige Parshall reached base on an error to lead off the inning, and Megan Christner walked on four pitches.

Lexie Church laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move the runners up, and Bailey Parshall brought them home with a single, her third hit of the game, to right centerfield and Belle Vernon had a 3-2 lead.

With one out in the seventh, Kern reached base on an error but she was thrown out trying to steal second.

Parshall struck out Kaylee Ludwick to end the game and clinch second place for Belle vernon, at least until the hearing later today and the WPIAL’s ruling.

The BVA win ends the section season for both teams with the Lady Leopards (15-5, 9-3) one game up on EF (11-5, 8-4) with the playoffs on the horizon.

EF is scheduled to host South Park today while BVA has concluded its regular season.