Yough Blanks L-S For First Ever State Softball Crown

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, June 16, 2016 | 11:10 PM

Olivia Miller and Cassidy Pearce hit back-to-back doubles in the top of the seventh, giving Yough a 1-0 win over Lampeter-Strasburg, the Cougars’ first-ever PIAA softball championship.

The WPIAL third-place team won five straight post-season games since a 1-0 loss to West Allegheny in the WPIAL semifinals.

With the aid of a caught stealing in the top of the fourth, the first 13 Yough batters were retired by LS senior Jordan Weaver, a Mount St. Mary’s recruit.

Back-to-back singles to open the sixth by Kayley Westerman and Kierra Waywood were wasted by Yough (22-3) with a bunt pop-out, a fielder’s choice and a groundout.

With one out in the seventh, Miller grounded a double over the third-base bag. Pearce laced a ball to right-center, splitting the outfielders, easily scoring Miller with the game’s only run. In the fifth, Pearce hit a ball deep to left-center but Jordyn Kondras ran it down, taking away extra bases and keeping the game scoreless.

Winning pitcher Macy Mularski worked through early struggles, stranding five Pioneer base-runners through the first three innings. The senior right-hander allowed two hits, walked one and overcame two errors behind her in those first three frames. From that point, she allowed just one LS runner to reach base the rest of the game.

With her team down a run in the final frame, Robin Feastor reached on a throwing error to open the seventh and was sacrificed to second. Aubrie Mance, who had the two early fielding errors, ran down a would be base-hit on a shallow pop to center for the second out. A tapper in front of home ended the game and bringing the championship home for the first time to Yough (22-3).

Mularski threw seven shutout innings, allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out four. Yough retired 13 of the last 14 Pioneer batters. Weaver was charged with one run on five hits, walked one and struck out six in taking the loss. Hannah Bach had the other hit for Yough. Bri Garber had a bunt single in the first. Hannah Garber’s groundball single with tow out in the third was the last hit for Lampeter-Strasburg (27-3).

Yough Cougars : 0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 1 = 1-5-3-4
Lampeter-Strasburg Pioneers : 0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0 = 0-2-0-6

Tags: Yough