A-K Valley softball notebook: Highlands set for showdown with Burrell

By: Michael Love
Wednesday, April 28, 2021 | 9:10 PM

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When the Highlands softball team suffered a 14-4 loss to Freeport in its Section 1-4A opener at home April 9, the Golden Rams could have looked ahead to the next matchup with the Yellowjackets.

But the focus for the team, coach Jen Koprivnikar said, stayed in the short term.

As of late, Highlands has picked up steam with three straight wins, averaging 12 runs per game. That included Monday’s 13-2 rout of Freeport in the rematch and Wednesday’s 11-3 home triumph over Knoch.

“We had a good feeling that the girls were going to come together and play well, and they are really showing that now,” said Koprivnikar, whose team improved to 10-3-1 overall and remain tied with Burrell for first in the section at 5-2.

Against Knoch on Wednesday, Highlands led 10-0 after three innings and collected 15 hits for the game. Jaycee Haidze, Kylie Zourelias and Jess Cekada each tallied three hits, and Abbie Deiseroth knocked in three runs.

Battle for first

Leechburg and Springdale established themselves as the top two teams in Section 3-A before their first matchup of the season Wednesday afternoon.

Both were 4-0 in the section and had dominant wins along the way.

Round 1 went to Springdale in dramatic fashion. Junior Autumn Sprouse singled with one out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh to lift the Dynamos, 5-4.

The win snapped Leechburg’s 19-game winning streak in section games.

Springdale got the game winner after Leechburg tied it in the top of seventh on a two-run homer from Karli Mazak.

“The girls understood this was a big game against a really good, well-coached Leechburg team,” Springdale coach Anthony Pototo said. “But we’re a good team, too. We’ve been playing really well.”

The rematch is set for May 7 at Leechburg’s Gilpin Park.

On pause

With five Section 1-5A games left, Plum is off the field for the next week because of covid issues.

Wednesday’s section doubleheader with Woodland Hills, Friday’s section matchup with Kiski Area and Monday’s section clash with Armstrong have been postponed. Coach Phil DiLonardo said he hopes his team will be able to play their remaining section games before the end of the regular season.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Plum