WARREN – The run was unimpressive but decisive as Iroquois used
a sixth-inning fielder’s choice to defeat Smethport 1-0 in the PIAA
Class A softball semifinal at Betts Park on Monday.

A single, a throwing error and a ball that never left the
infield denied the Lady Hubbers a berth in Friday’s state
championship game in Shippensburg.

“We’ve been walking a tightrope for a long time, so it’s
heartbreaking to know it came down to that (one run),” said
Christine Lightner, Smethport head coach. “It’s too bad it’s not
the best two out of three. It’s a sad thing. Nobody is talking and
the girls are crying. It was the execution in the sixth inning and
then the fielder’s choice. We also needed to get the bat on the
ball a little better. We just missed a couple of pitches.”

The Braves’ senior pitcher Danielle Chase, who was pitching with
a stress fracture in her throwing hand, turned in a gutsy
performance by striking out seven and scattering just three
hits.

“Their pitcher (Chase) is deceiving, but she has to be good for
them to be 22-0,” Lightner admitted. “Watching her, I had
confidence the girls would connect better. We knew she was hurt. We
crowded the plate and she would throw inside. She had a nice little
rise.”

District 10 champion Iroquois threatened in the first inning
when Becky Zill and Kelly Hammer stroked consecutive base hits off
Diana Phalon, but the sophomore right-hander escaped the dilemma
with an infield groundout.

An infield error and then a sacrifice by Tiffany Rogala placed a
Braves’ runner in scoring position with two outs in the second
frame, but once again Phalon rose to the occasion and induced a
comebacker to the mound.

The Lady Hubs had a golden opportunity with one out in the third
when ninth-place hitter Alyssa Cunningham drilled a ground-rule
double that rolled beyond the right field fence. The freshman
advanced to third on a grounder to the right side by freshman Bobbi
Mitchell and was stranded there following another groundout.

“I thought about a suicide with Alyssa at third because she is
very fast and we had a decent bunter at the plate,” Lightner
recalled. “But with two outs, what are they (Braves) going to do?
They will pick it up and go to one (first base). So in that case
you just hope for a hit.”

Then in the fourth, the Braves’ Ashlie Totlen singled to
leftcenter, stole second and continued to third on the errant
throw. Totlen was also marooned at the third sack when Phalon
induced a ground ball to third baseman Stephanie Black.

The best shot for Smethport came in the fifth when Black led off
the frame with a base knock off the third baseman’s glove and Megan
Woods ensued with a walk. But alas, the duo never budged an inch
following a failed bunt attempt, a fly ball to left and a groundout
to second.

“That was it. That was it,” Lightner repeated. “We just needed a
little bit of execution.”

Then in the fateful sixth, Heather Burnside commenced the inning
with a single to rightcenter. Zill laid down a sacrifice, but the
throw to first sailed down the right field line as pinch runner
Sarah Johnson advanced to third and Zill ended up at second.

One out later, Natalie Orloff reached on a fielder’s choice to
load the bases. Totlen then smacked a sharp ground ball to
Cunningham at second, but Johnson beat the throw home for the
game-winning tally.

“I told the girls before the game it would come down to the team
that cracked first,” Lightner declared. “The throwing error in the
sixth inning was the crack. That was it right there. It boiled down
to the leadoff single and the throwing error.”

Chase retired the Lady Hubbers (21-3) in order in the bottom of
the sixth, and then reliever Emma Hahn gave the Braves the same
treatment in the top of the seventh with a whiff and a pair of
groundouts.

In Smethport’s last hurrah in the home half, Chase recorded a
strikeout, and a popup and a grounder to shortstop to finalize the
Lady Hubbers’ second appearance in the western final in the past
three years.

“We are a young team and we have everybody coming back,”
Lightner stated. “They’re smart and they know it’s a long
road.”

A single, a throwing error and a ball that never left the
infield denied the Lady Hubbers a berth in Friday’s state
championship game in Shippensburg.

“We’ve been walking a tightrope for a long time, so it’s
heartbreaking to know it came down to that (one run),” said
Christine Lightner, Smethport head coach. “It’s too bad it’s not
the best two out of three. It’s a sad thing. Nobody is talking and
the girls are crying. It was the execution in the sixth inning and
then the fielder’s choice. We also needed to get the bat on the
ball a little better. We just missed a couple of pitches.”

The Braves’ senior pitcher Danielle Chase, who was pitching with
a stress fracture in her throwing hand, turned in a gutsy
performance by striking out seven and scattering just three
hits.

“Their pitcher (Chase) is deceiving, but she has to be good for
them to be 22-0,” Lightner admitted. “Watching her, I had
confidence the girls would connect better. We knew she was hurt. We
crowded the plate and she would throw inside. She had a nice little
rise.”

District 10 champion Iroquois threatened in the first inning
when Becky Zill and Kelly Hammer stroked consecutive base hits off
Diana Phalon, but the sophomore right-hander escaped the dilemma
with an infield groundout.

An infield error and then a sacrifice by Tiffany Rogala placed a
Braves’ runner in scoring position with two outs in the second
frame, but once again Phalon rose to the occasion and induced a
comebacker to the mound.

The Lady Hubs had a golden opportunity with one out in the third
when ninth-place hitter Alyssa Cunningham drilled a ground-rule
double that rolled beyond the right field fence. The freshman
advanced to third on a grounder to the right side by freshman Bobbi
Mitchell and was stranded there following another groundout.

“I thought about a suicide with Alyssa at third because she is
very fast and we had a decent bunter at the plate,” Lightner
recalled. “But with two outs, what are they (Braves) going to do?
They will pick it up and go to one (first base). So in that case
you just hope for a hit.”

Then in the fourth, the Braves’ Ashlie Totlen singled to
leftcenter, stole second and continued to third on the errant
throw. Totlen was also marooned at the third sack when Phalon
induced a ground ball to third baseman Stephanie Black.

The best shot for Smethport came in the fifth when Black led off
the frame with a base knock off the third baseman’s glove and Megan
Woods ensued with a walk. But alas, the duo never budged an inch
following a failed bunt attempt, a fly ball to left and a groundout
to second.

“That was it. That was it,” Lightner repeated. “We just needed a
little bit of execution.”

Then in the fateful sixth, Heather Burnside commenced the inning
with a single to rightcenter. Zill laid down a sacrifice, but the
throw to first sailed down the right field line as pinch runner
Sarah Johnson advanced to third and Zill ended up at second.

One out later, Natalie Orloff reached on a fielder’s choice to
load the bases. Totlen then smacked a sharp ground ball to
Cunningham at second, but Johnson beat the throw home for the
game-winning tally.

“I told the girls before the game it would come down to the team
that cracked first,” Lightner declared. “The throwing error in the
sixth inning was the crack. That was it right there. It boiled down
to the leadoff single and the throwing error.”

Chase retired the Lady Hubbers (21-3) in order in the bottom of
the sixth, and then reliever Emma Hahn gave the Braves the same
treatment in the top of the seventh with a whiff and a pair of
groundouts.

In Smethport’s last hurrah in the home half, Chase recorded a
strikeout, and a popup and a grounder to shortstop to finalize the
Lady Hubbers’ second appearance in the western final in the past
three years.

“We are a young team and we have everybody coming back,”
Lightner stated. “They’re smart and they know it’s a long
road.”