Hillers’ offense stymied in playoff loss to Latrobe
McKEES ROCKS — Trinity’s normally potent offense struggled to get going Monday in a 5-1 loss to Latrobe in the first round of the WPIAL Class 5A softball playoffs at Montour High School.
The Hillers defeated the Wildcats 13-3 last year in the district quarterfinals on their way to a WPIAL title but Latrobe (10-10) was able to produce just enough offense and starting pitcher Kayla Williams yielded one earned run on three hits while striking out five and walking three. She did hit four batters, but Trinity (11-5) wasn’t able to capitalize on its opportunities.
“We couldn’t get the timely hits,” Trinity coach Shawn Gray said. “She (Williams) kept us off balance and had our number.”
Williams, a four-year starter who will play softball at Slippery Rock, recorded her 400th career strikeout and fourth of the game in the bottom of the seventh inning for the first out.
Following the strikeout, Trinity’s Ally Krenzelak reached on an infield single and Finley Hohn walked but Williams was able to force the Hillers’ Hanna Suhoski into a groundout to second before the senior finished the game with her fifth strikeout.
Williams knew the reputation of Suhoski and the rest of Trinity’s lineup, but was able to get out of several jams, as the Hillers left eight runners on base.
“I was just really focusing on hitting the corner against Hanna (Suhoski),” Williams said. “I didn’t want to give anything down the middle, because obviously, she would have hit it. I was really trusting in my defense today.
“Usually, I throw a lot of screwballs, but that wasn’t really working today, so we did a lot of curveballs, and that was working really well, so we just stuck with that the whole game. It was a great feeling to win this game after they beat us last year.”
After Williams and Trinity starting pitcher Maddie Ray went toe-to-toe and didn’t allow a run through the first three innings, the Wildcats broke through in the fourth when Williams singled to left and courtesy runner Gabi Cunningham scored on Maddie Balko’s home run to left field for a 2-0 lead. Balko had a double in the seventh.
Mya McHugh reached on an error before being thrown out at second base as Sara Blossey reached on a fielder’s choice. The miscue came back to haunt the Hillers when Blossey scored on Sami Kronenwetter’s double to left for a 3-0 advantage.
“They didn’t get the big hit and we played good defense,” Latrobe coach Bob Kovalcin said. “This was the first clean game we’ve had in a while, and you got to do that in the playoffs. Maddie (Balko) hit the ball really well today. They kicked the crap out of us last year, so it was nice to get a little revenge. We didn’t kick the crap out of them, but it was a good game and we are glad to be moving on.”
Trinity scored its lone run in its half of the fourth when Emma Starr was hit by a pitch, stole second, moved to third on a groundout to shortstop and scored on Nina Christy’s single to left field, which was the first Williams hit allowed through 3⅔ innings.
Despite taking the pitching loss, Ray, a freshman, had a solid start allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits over five innings. She struck out four and walked one before Hohn came in to pitch the final two innings.
Latrobe scored two more runs with one in the fifth and sixth innings for a four-run cushion. Williams helped herself in the fifth with a double to right that scored Miley Williams in the fifth and Blossey scored when Miley Williams reached on an infield single in the sixth.
The Wildcats play the winner of West Allegheny and Fox Chapel on Wednesday in the quarterfinals.
The Hillers’ season comes to an end, but Gray is eager for the future as the majority of his lineup returns next year.
“I am losing three off the total,” Gray said. “Defensively, there’s only one playing in the field as a senior. The rest of them are just being used as a DH or to run. We have a big group coming back and we have a good feeder program coming up. I’m excited about the girls I am being introduced to.”