ST. MARYS – Smethport picked a bad day to have a bad day as the
previously unbeaten Lady Hubbers were eliminated from the
post-season with a 4-3 loss to Curwensville in the District 9 Class
A softball semifinals at St. Marys High School on Tuesday.
The normally solid Smethport defense, which had only
relinquished 10 runs in 20 games, allowed three unearned runs on
two costly errors, and the potent 10-runs-per-game offense managed
just five hits and left a small village on base.
“I believe we had a case of the jitters, although I didn’t think
we were nervous when we got here,” said Christine Lightner,
Smethport’s fifth-year (97-11) head coach. “We made some
(defensive) mistakes and we left way too many (eight) on base. I’m
very disappointed. We are a better team than we showed today. We
jokingly blame these things on the softball gods. The softball gods
weren’t smiling down on us today. We had high, high hopes of
advancing deep like we did last year (PIAA Final Four).”
Third-seeded Curwensville (20-2) actually ended two Smethport
streaks as the second-seeded Lady Hubbers (20-1) saw their 20-game
win skein and four straight trips to the PIAA playoffs both come to
a crashing halt.
“It is unfortunate we had to meet them (Golden Tide) in this
game,” Lightner declared. “I believe Curwensville and Smethport are
the two best teams in District 9. If they (Golden Tide) were on the
other side of the bracket, things would’ve been different.”
The Golden Tide threatened in the second inning when Shannon
McDonald doubled and advanced to third on a wild pitch, but
Smethport junior starter Diana Phalon induced an inning-ending
popup to first baseman Matti Baker.
Smethport had a golden opportunity in the bottom of the frame
when an infield error, a hit batsman and a walk loaded the bases,
but Curwensville’s Holly Lansberry was equal to the task by
retiring Phalon on a flyout to center.
With one out in the third, Lansberry walked and scored on Dana
Johnson’s opposite field triple to right. After Ashley Demchak’s
fly ball to left was dropped to score Johnson, McDonald singled to
center to make it 3-0 Curwensville.
Lansberry was perfect in the third with two strikeouts and a
flyout, but the sophomore right-hander ran into trouble in the
fourth when Emma Hahn singled and stole second. Once again
Lansberry escaped a dilemma by sandwiching a pair of whiffs around
a fielder’s choice.
Then with no outs in the fifth, Phalon reached on an error and
motored to third on a bloop double to rightcenter by Stephanie
Black. The Lady Hubbers then brought up the heart of the order, but
two punchouts and an infield popup later the runners were marooned
at second and third.
“We thought about a suicide squeeze,” Lightner recalled. “But,
do you do that with your No. 3 and 4 batters?”
It didn’t seem important at the time when Curwensville tallied
another unearned run in the seventh on a single by Lansberry, a
two-bagger from Johnson and a throwing error.
That fourth run would prove to be the eventual game-winner in
the bottom of the seventh when Phalon laid down a bunt single,
Black reached on a misplayed fly ball and Baker lined an 0-1 pitch
over the centerfield fence for a three-run homer.
Lansberry then propelled the Golden Tide into Thursday’s
championship game against Elk County Catholic with a popup to short
and a flyout to right.
“We battled to the end,” Lightner stated. “We are a tight team
and we don’t give up. It was a little too late. It was still a
great season and the girls can hold their heads up high. I’m proud
of the girls.”
