Elizabeth Forward puts end to Burrell’s softball title hopes

By: Michael Love
Wednesday, May 25, 2022 | 8:50 PM

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While the Burrell softball team failed to reach one of its goals Wednesday, another one remains very much in play.

The Bucs saw their pursuit of a WPIAL Class 4A title halted in a 2-1 semifinal loss to No. 2 Elizabeth Forward at Norwin.

But No. 3 Burrell’s season isn’t over as it will play Montour on Tuesday in the third-place game with a trip to the PIAA playoffs on the line.

“I was at Valley, and we lost in the semifinals in 2011 and went on to win the state title,” Bucs coach Rick Nealer said. “I’ve been through this before, and the girls know they have a lot to still play for.

“We gave this one away today. Hopefully, the girls can learn from this and regroup and go for states.”

Both of the Warriors’ runs came in the second inning and were aided by a pair of Burrell throwing errors.

Elizabeth Forward (16-2) will seek its second WPIAL title in three seasons as it takes on undefeated Beaver in the title game June 2 at Lilley Field at Cal (Pa.).

The Warriors won the 2019 title, beating Mt. Pleasant, 3-0. EF lost the 2018 title game to Belle Vernon, 5-4.

“I am 1-1 going there, so we’re hoping we can put this one on the win side,” Elizabeth Forward coach Harry Rutherford said.

Burrell junior ace Katie Armstrong surrendered four hits, struck out 11 and walked one against an EF lineup with five hitters batting .425 or better. She struck out two in the bottom of the first — her 199th and 200th of the season.

Two of the hits came in that fateful second inning. Senior Grace Smith led off with a bloop double to shallow right field, and a throwing error on the play allowed her to advance to third.

Senior Brooke Markland followed with a double where the ball got caught up in the wind during a breezy afternoon at Norwin and tailed away from the running attempt of Bucs senior shortstop Caroline Dynka.

Smith scored on the play, and another throwing error enabled Markland to come all the way around for the second run.

Armstrong then struck out the next three Warriors batters to end the threat.

“The wind was really difficult when a ball got up in the air,” Nealer said. “It was moving pretty good. We had a couple tough situations there. It’s the way the ball bounces sometimes.”

EF got a runner to second in both the fifth and sixth innings, but it was not able to produce any desired insurance runs.

Meanwhile, the Bucs broke through in the fifth to close to within one. Freshman Bella Stewart got it started with a one-out single.

Fellow freshman Pyper Ferres then hit a ball down the left field line. Warriors sophomore left fielder Maddi Best ranged to the line in an attempt to make a diving catch, but the ball glanced off her glove.

Best came back to haul in the second out of the inning, but junior Alanna Miller reached on an error, and Stewart came home on the play.

Junior Cassidy Novak and freshman Bray Jones collected singles for Burrell, while Markland finished 2 for 3 and freshman Julia Johnson recorded a double in the fifth for EF.

EF starter Shelby Telegdy, a sophomore, struck out seven and walked just one as she improved to 12-1 on the season.

“We were a little concerned because we really didn’t get an opportunity to see how well they could hit,” Rutherford said. “The first time I saw them was against Belle Vernon, and I didn’t really get a good read on what their hitters could do. They did get two or three nice hits, but it was good to see we kind of spread them out.”

Burrell’s four hits came after the Bucs managed just two in 11 innings in Monday’s 1-0 win over Belle Vernon.

“We were much better at the plate today, but we just can’t give up runs the way we did,” Nealer said. “We can’t give good teams five or six outs in an inning. But we will regroup. The girls have life, and they will fight hard to keep going.”

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: Burrell, Elizabeth Forward