Bentworth avoids letdown, rolls over Wilmington
Gonglik pitches perfect game
McMURRAY – Perfect games are elusive. Not just the perfect games that pitchers throw, but teams can have days when everything goes right. They pitch, hit and field flawlessly.
The WPIAL champion Bentworth softball team had one of those rare games Monday in the first round of the PIAA Class 2A playoffs.
The Bearcats hit the ball to the tune of 13 base hits in less than six full innings, took advantage of a couple of errors by District 10 runner-up Wilmington, played flawlessly in the field and, oh, by the way, pitcher Sydney Gonglik was perfect.
Again.
It all added up to a 10-0 win in six innings for Bentworth in a game played at the Pleasant Valley Elementary School field.
The win sends Bentworth (22-2) to the state quarterfinals Thursday againstDistrict 5 champion Everett, a 9-7 winner over Cranberry in the first round.
Bentworth head coach Jack Cramer was well aware of the “WPIAL hangover” that often afflicts teams after winning a district championship, then enters the first round of the state playoffs against an unfamiliar opponent, with fewer people attending the game and with no trophy or medals to win at the end of the day. It can easily lead to a letdown.
Cramer wasn’t going to let that happen.
“The atmosphere is not the same,” Cramer pointed out. “Normally, when we get here we’re rushed because the kids have school or whatever. But today we made sure we got here early. … They played good ball.”
Not being rushed might have helped the Bearcats. They jumped on Wilmington (8-12), the District 10 runner-up, in the bottom of the first inning, scoring three runs and were never challenged. Catcher Zoie McDonald had a big game with three hits and four RBI.
“The last game was frustrating because I didn’t hit, so this game I was determined, I had to hit,” McDonald said.
Gonglik took advantage of not being walked intentionally in this game and hit two doubles and scored three runs.
In the circle, Gonglik retired all 18 batters she faced, 12 on strikeouts.
“The first time through the order I’m just trying to find out who can hit what (pitches),” said Gonglik, who tossed her second perfect game of the postseason. “I see who their big hitters are and how they make contact, then go from there. I found out today their first three hitters, especially the first one, who I played travel ball against, I knew to spin it and not throw it down the middle.”
“The last two games she has really spun the ball,” Cramer said.
The bottom five hitters in Wilmington’s lineup went 0-for-10 with nine strikeouts. The only time they put the ball in play was when losing pitcher Stella Maynard popped up a bunt attempt that was easily caught by McDonald.
The first four hitters went 0-for-8 with three strikeouts. The two best opportunities for Wilmington hits were line drives. In the first, Skyler Leishman hit a line drive but right at first baseman Addison McVicker for the final out of the inning. In the fourth, Avery Harlan, the player Gonglik had played against last summer, hit a liner that seemed sure to be for a single up the middle. However, Bentworth second baseman Alexa Babirad took a step to her right, jumped and snagged the ball out of the air with the end of her glove.
“She got off the ground for it, but the way the ball was moving it was going up and over. It had some spin on it, so I thought it was going to hit off the tip of her glove,’ Gonglik said. “I’m glad she made that catch. She snowconed it.”
Babirad started the bottom of the first inning with a line-drive single and Sofia Gaussa followed with a walk. After Makayla Gonglik hit a fly ball that Wilmington left fielder Kyla Baney caught while crashing into the left-field fence, a wild pitch scored Babirad. Sydney Gonglik drew a five-pitch walk and immediately stole second base. McDonald then singled to left centerfield, scoring two runs and making it 3-0.
In the third, Makayla Gonglik’s line drive to right field was dropped for a three-base error and the throw back to the infield was errant, allowing Gonglik to score and make it 4-0.
In the fourth, singles by Hailey Tatar, Lauren Luster and Babirad produced the Bearcats’ fifth run.
The lead went to 8-0 in the fifth as Bentworth scored three times after having two outs and nobody on base. Sydney Gonglik doubled off the left-field fence and scored on a McDonald single to right field. Addison McVicker walked and Nora Lindley beat out an infield chopper to load the bases.
Tatar then hit a grounder that Wilmington shortstop Callie Settle couldn’t handle as a run scored. Lauren Luster followed with an RBI single up the middle.
The Bearcats ended the game via the 10-run rule in the sixth. Makayla Gonglik hit a smash off the glove of the Wilmington third baseman and advanced all the way to third base on an errant throw. Sydney Gonglik followed with a wicked line drive down the third-base line for a double and she scored and ended the game when McDonald singled to center field.
“At the end of the day it doesn’t matter how many people are here, you have to play your game, get past who you’re playing, and if you keep winning then there’s going to be a ton of people there,” Sydney Gonglik said. “We won WPIALs but we want more.”