Mt. Lebanon softball racks up the runs in win over Baldwin

By: Don Rebel
Monday, May 10, 2021 | 9:18 PM

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Mt. Lebanon football coach Bob Palko rolled the dice and went for two points in the fourth as the Blue Devils defeated Baldwin, 25-12.

Wait, this was softball game, not football.

Mt. Lebanon scored eight runs in the second inning then added 13 more in the fourth to beat Baldwin on Monday and clinch second place in Section 1-6A.

“I just told the kids after the game that there’s not much more we can do offensively,” Mt. Lebanon coach Casey Phillips said following the marathon victory. “That’s as good of an offensive game as you’re going to see. I’m not being conceited, but it’s an anomaly. It doesn’t really happen, especially against a good team.”

The game was actually back-and-forth until the bottom of the fourth inning, when the Blue Devils turned a tight 12-11 game into a laugher with 13 runs.

In that half inning, Mt. Lebanon sent 17 batters to the plate and had nine hits with five walks.

The Blue Devils had seven hitters with multiple-hit games with five of those seven delivering at least three hits.

“We hit ahead of the count. We laid off bad pitches. All of the things we talked about doing all year, we kind of put it together (Monday),” Phillips said. “I was proud of the kids. I told them if our pitching and defense can start to catch up a little bit to the offense, then I think we can compete with anybody out there.”

Kaye Borza led Mt. Lebanon with four hits and was one of three Blue Devils players to tally five RBIs.

Jenna Gorecki had Deirdre Flaherty each three hits and each drove in five runs as well.

Flaherty hit a three-run homer in the first inning and launched a two-run shot in the fourth inning.

Elizabeth Kubancek capped off the 25-run barrage for the Blue Devils with a grand slam in the fourth inning.

Baldwin had nine hits off three Mt. Lebanon pitchers and was led by junior shortstop Maleah Pacella, who had three hits, two runs scored, a home run and five RBIs.

“The young lady that started, Gabby Boone, pitched on Thursday in a 6-2 win at Baldwin,” Phillips said. “(Monday) just wasn’t her best day, a little bit of control (issues), but that’s something she’s worked on and continues to work on.

“We’ve been a little bit of pitching by committee. Sometimes that’s been by chance, sometime by choice. We’ve taken the last couple of weeks to figure out exactly what the right formula is. We have a week to figure that out, and we intend on doing that.”

Mt. Lebanon (5-3, 10-5) secured second place in Section 1-6A behind undefeated Bethel Park.

Baldwin (3-4, 3-8) plays Bethel Park on Wednesday in its final section game. If the Highlanders pull off the upset, they will tie Canon-McMillan for third place. If Baldwin falls, they will go into the playoffs as the fourth-place team out of the section.

Tags: Baldwin, Mt. lebanon