CLARION, Pa. (D9Sports) — The middle of Coudersport’s lineup proved to be too much for Clarion, as the visiting Lady Falcons rallied twice to beat Clarion, 6-3, in the District 9 Class 1A quarterfinals at Paul A. Weaver Park.
(Photo: Family — Clarion senior Alexis Constantino hugs head coach Dan Shofestall after the Bobcats season came to a close with a 6-3 loss to Coudersport in the District 9 Class 1A quarterfinals Wednesday at Weaver Park. Constantino played four years for Shofestall. Photo by Kim Constanino)
The three-four-five hitters of Joplin Osgood, Shaelyn Black and EmmaRae Easton were a combined 6-for-11 with four doubles, four runs scored and five RBIs in the win.
“I just focused on keeping my hands to the ball, just making contact, not trying to do too much” Black, who was 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored and three RBIs said. “We just had confidence in ourselves, and we knew that we could pull through.”
Watch all of Black’s thoughts on the win.
Black was right in the middle of both of Coudersport’s rallies, as the Lady Falcons overcame a 2-0 deficit in the fourth and a 3-2 deficit in the sixth to win the game.
Her RBI double in the fourth that followed a one-out double by Osgood, who was 2-for-3 with two doubles, a walk and two runs scored, got the Lady Falcons on the board, and she scored on an RBI groundout by Easton, who was 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored and two RBIs.
Then in the sixth, she struck out with one out and Osgood on second following a double, but the pitch was in the dirt, and when Clarion freshman catcher Bree Campbell hesitated on where to throw the ball Black was safe at first and Osgood was in at third. Black then stole second, and Clarion elected to pitch to Easton, who is headed to St. Bonaventure, instead of walking her to face Paiton Whipple, who had struck out twice looking against Clarion pitcher Sadie Rudesyle.
Easton made Clarion pay for the decision by roping a shot to right that right fielder Wendy Beveridge, just entered into the game, misplayed into an RBI double with Black out at the plate after Osgood had scored trying to score at four. Easton ended up at third on the play.
“We talked about (walking Easton),” Clarion manager Dan Shofestall said. “We talked several times about walking. But we didn’t in that situation. You wish you had it back, but you wish a lot of things sometimes. I make mistakes all the time out there. You put runners on, they hit one in the gap.”
Whipple made the decision possibly moot when she singled to left driving home Easton with the go-ahead run making it 4-3.
The Lady Falcons then tacked on two more runs in the seventh after an infield single by pinch-hitter Erica Williams, a walk to Chelsey Streich, a sac bunt by Emma Powell, an intentional walk to Osgood and a two-run single by Black to center.
“Coudersport is a good team,” Shofestall said. They played well. They did a lot of good things, and they are well coached, too.”
Clarion didn’t help its own cause having five runners erased on the base paths in the game, including a bizarre sequence in the second inning when it went from looking like the Lady Cats would have the bases loaded with one out to an inning-ending double play.
With Beveridge, who was courtesy running from Brenna Campbell, at third and Maya Thornton at second with one out following a Sydney Kiser sac bunt, Shofestall called on MacKenzie DiTullio to bunt as well.
DiTullio’s bunted back towards the circle where Coudersport pitcher Madison Smith picked it up and decided to throw home despite Beveridge maybe being a step or two off of third.
But Thornton came aggresively to third, and Beveridge then went off third a little farther and then seemed to freeze for a moment before breaking to the plate when Coudersport threw the ball to third. The return throw to home was in time to erase Beveridge, and then Thornton, who had been within a foot of third base before retreating back towards second, decided to make a break towards third and was thrown out there to end the inning.
“We had it set up,” Shofestall said. “We kind of got forced off the base there. We are putting kids in situations where they make split-second decisions and stuff. We wanted to be aggressive there. So I can’t fault anybody. I will take the blame myself. We had it set up where if they throw to first (Wendy) scores and if she doesn’t throw we have the bases loaded. It’s just one of those things. It didn’t work for us. Credit them for being alert on it.”
Clarion did break through in the third with a pair of runs after one out thanks to aggressive base running.
Kait Constantino walked to start the rally and stole second. Carly Best followed with an infield single with Constantino going to third, and Best then stole second before a wild pitch on that stolen base allowed Constantino to score and Best to go to third. Alexis Constantino followed with an RBI groundout to put Clarion up 2-0.
“We wanted to be aggressive,” Shofestall said. “We played them three years in a row, and the last two years have been 4-2 scores, I think (with each team winning once). We wanted to be a little more aggressive tonight.”
Rudesyle kept the inning going with a rocketed double to center, and Campbell followed with another rocket to center but this time, Powell, the centerfielder, caught the ball for the final out.
Clarion had a chance to add on in the third when Kiser singled to right with one out, but Kiser was thrown out at second trying to stretch the play.
Coudersport then tied the game with the two runs in the fourth before Clarion took the lead back with a run in the fifth with some two-out lightning.
Best walked with two outs and stole second before scoring on a hard-hit double to left by Alexis Constantino.
Coudersport, though, scored the game’s final four runs to advance to the semifinals where it will play A-C Valley, the seventh seed who upset second-seeded and NTL Champion Smethport, 10-2.
“It’s disappointing,” Shofestall said. “Especially for our seniors. This is the last game they will ever play at this field. They have been playing here since they were little kids. We wanted to play another game with them Friday night. That is the disappointing part. We just weren’t able to continue with them. But they battled. The effort was good. They are good kids. They fought hard.”
