BROCKWAY – The 2006 Lady Hubbers’ Revenge Tour continued on
Thursday as Smethport defeated Curwensville 4-1 in the PIAA Class A
softball quarterfinals at Brockway High School.

After losing to Chartiers-Houston in last year’s PIAA playoffs
and to Curwensville two weeks ago in the District 9 semifinals, the
Lady Hubbers (20-2) eliminated both teams in successive games to
reach Monday’s western final against D-9 champion Elk County
Catholic/D-10 champion Iroquois.

“It was definitely unfinished business,” said Christine
Lightner, Smethport head coach. “I felt we didn’t play as well as
we should have when we played them (Golden Tide) the first time.
This game was revenge just like it was against Chartiers-Houston on
Monday. Going to the state finals was one of our goals. We also
wanted to be undefeated and District 9 champs, so this is the only
one left. Every experience has made us stronger.”

It was a pitchers’ duel early on as the Golden Tide’s Holly
Lansberry and Smethport’s Diana Phalon both retired the side in
order in the first inning.

The Lady Hubs threatened in the second with one-out singles by
Bobbi McClelland and Stephanie Black, but Lansberry induced a
fielder’s choice and a strikeout to strand runners at first and
second.

With two outs in the bottom of the second, Curwensville’s
Shannon McDonald tripled to center and was thrown out at the plate
on a fine relay from Megan Woods to Black to catcher Lauren
Kinniburgh.

Then in the third frame, Smethport’s misfortunes began to
snowball on the partly cloudy, 74-degree day.

Curwensville (18-4) loaded the bases with no outs on a dropped
third strike, a throw to the wrong base and an infield error.
Another infield miscue permitted the first run of the game, but
Phalon battened down the hatches with a pair of infield popups and
a whiff to freeze the scoreboard at 1-0.

“We’ve been in that situation with the bases loaded many times
and we’ve been able to pull out of it,” Lightner recalled. “It
boils down to mental toughness.”

The tide had obviously turned in the Lady Hubbers’ favor in the
fourth when Kinniburgh drew a one-out walk and scored on
McClelland’s triple to leftcenter. Black then laid down a perfect
bunt to plate McClelland and then Emma Hahn drove Black home with a
two-bagger to make it 3-1.

“We had a fast runner (McClelland) at third and a good bunter
(Black) at the plate,” Lightner said of the suicide squeeze. “All
the ingredients were there. It was a little revenge because they
(Golden Tide) scored on us.”

Smethport increased its lead to 4-1 in the sixth when Mattie
Baker singled and later scored on Black’s RBI base hit to center.
Black was 3-for-3 with a pair of RBIs in the No. 6 slot in the
batting order and McClelland was 2-for-3 with an RBI in the five
hole.

“I think we have our lineup figured out,” Lightner declared. “We
toyed with things all year, but you really can’t mess with
chemistry much.”

In the home half of the sixth, Smethport’s Alyssa Cunningham
executed the defensive gem of the day when the second baseman
tagged the runner going to second and then fired to first for an
inning-ending double play.

“How about that play for a freshman?” Lightner asked. “We just
moved her (Cunningham) to second base when the playoffs
started.”

In the seventh, Hahn relieved fellow sophomore Phalon on the
mound and disposed of the Golden Tide in 12 pitches with two
punchouts and a game-ending fly ball to right field. Phalon notched
the victory after allowing just two hits and striking out
eight.

“We certainly have a luxury,” Lightner boasted. “Diana (Phalon)
and Emma (Hahn) can both bring it on any day.”