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Moniteau vs. Redbank Valley
District 9 Class AA Semifinal |
Keeping up the good work
Warriors hurler continues to dominate in win |
| Game Photos |
 By John Enrietto
Eagle Sports Editor
CHERRY TWP — Thank goodness for trends — if you're a Moniteau fan.
Pitcher Maura McCaslin continued her dominant presence and Redbank Valley continued to hurt itself with fielding errors Wednesday. Both were key elements in the Warriors' 4-2 District 9 Class AAsoftball semifinal victory.
Moniteau (13-2) scored all four of its runs in the second inning. Each tally was unearned as three Redbank errors contributed to the uprising.
"Our fielding was fine early in the year, then we went up to Brockway and committed nine errors one day,"Bulldogs coach John Sayers said. "Our defense hasn't been the same since."
Redbank (8-10) took a five-game losing streak into the playoffs before knocking off Brookville Tuesday.
Ashley Pisor led off the Moniteau second with a single to left. She moved to second on a wild pitch and to third when the Bulldogs shortstop booted Ashley Lominski's ground ball.
The Warriors' Autumn Neff then hit a ground ball to shortstop Ashley Stepulla, who threw wildly to the plate trying to cut down Pisor, putting runners at second and third. Sarah Dittig grounded a two-run single into right field and scored when third baseman Haley Wanninger threw Jaryn Beatty's bunt into right field.
"We'll take the runs when we can get them,"Moniteau coach Dan Hindman said. "We would have liked to have gotten more, but we didn't."
Redbank scored a run in the first and another in the fifth, but managed only five hits against McCaslin. The Warriors pitcher struck out 11 and walked one.
Stepulla reached on Moniteau's lone error to lead off the game. She scored on a two-out single by Brittney Hildebrand.
Hildebrand tripled to the left-center field gap to open the fifth and scored on Hope Crawford's ground out to second, cutting the Warriors' lead to 4-2.
The Bulldogs got no closer.
"I'm always more focused on the mound when the score is close,"McCaslin said. "It was hard to score runs today."
McCaslin entered the game with 112 strikeouts among 320 batters faced.
"She strikes out about one of every three batters she faces,"Hindman said. "That's pretty much what she did today."
Hildebrand had three of her team's five hits.
"Brittney is an outstanding hitter. In my opinion, she's the best player in the district,"Sayers said. "We just didn't get any of the sticks working around her today."
Moniteau will face Kane, a 9-6 winner over Karns City, for the district title Wednesday at a site to be determined. The Warriors will be looking for their second straight crown.
"Every season is different, but we've got 90 percent of last year's team back, so that has to help," Hindman said. |
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W: Maura McCaslin (7IP, 11 K, 1 BB). L: Keri Bowser (7 IP, 5 K, 3 BB).
Redbank Valley (8-10): Brittney Hildebrand 3B 2-1B RBI, Keri Bowser 1B, Kit Wiant 1B, Hope Crawford RBI
Moniteau (13-2): Amber Neff 2-1B, Alex Guercio 2-1B, Ashley Pisor 2-1B, Sarah Dittig 1B2-RBI, Jaryn Beatty 1B
Wednesday: District 9 Class AAchampionship game, Moniteau vs. Kane, 4:30 p.m., site TBA |
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