Highlands knocks off Burrell, heating up race for section softball title
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Monday, May 2, 2022 | 10:14 PM
Highlands’ Kassidy Cambal collides with Burrell catcher Bella Stewart to score during their game on Monday in Lower Burrell.
Highlands pitcher Madison Gorney delivers against Burrell on Monday.
Highlands’ Abbie Deiseroth celebrates at second base during a game against Burrell on Monday.
Highlands pitcher Madison Gorney celebrates after scoring against Burrell on Monday.
Highlands’ Kassidy Cambal scores next to Burrell catcher Bella Stewart in front of umpire Eric Felack during their game on Monday.
The Burrell softball team had an outright Section 1-4A championship in its sights as it hosted Highlands on senior night Monday evening at Bon Air Field in Lower Burrell.
The Golden Rams had other ideas.
Highlands broke through for four runs in the fourth inning — taking advantage of four Burrell errors — and freshman Madi Gorney picked up her second victory in as many games as the Golden Rams stayed alive in the race for the section title with a 4-1 victory.
“This was so big for the girls,” Highlands coach Jenn Koprivnikar said. “This is a lot of fun, the way the section is and how big these games are. I work with a guy whose daughter plays for Freeport. They are still right there, too. I wouldn’t expect anything less from this section.”
Highlands remained alive for a shot at the section title as it moved to 6-2 in section play with games remaining at Greensburg Salem on Thursday and at McKeesport on Friday. The Golden Rams upped their overall mark to 7-4.
Burrell suffered its first loss of the season, falling to 8-1 overall. The Bucs are 7-1 in the section and will host Freeport on Wednesday.
The Yellowjackets kept pace in the section Monday with a 4-1 win over Knoch to improve to 6-3.
“Give Highlands a lot of credit,” Burrell coach Rick Nealer said. “They are a good, solid team, and we knew that. We saw that from the last time we played them. (Gorney) pitched a really good game. We just can’t give them four, five or six outs in one inning. Good teams will capitalize on it, and Highlands did just that.”
Highlands senior Jaycee Haidze didn’t pitch Monday as she rested a sore arm. She hit as the designated player.
Gorney, who relieved Haidze in Friday’s 12-6 win over Greensburg-Salem, got the start, and she was effective, giving up five hits, walking three and striking out two.
She and the defense behind her combined to work out of jams in the second, fifth and sixth innings. Burrell left eight runners on base.
“I was kind of nervous because I am only a freshman,” Gorney said. “They were expecting Jaycee, so I had a little bit of an advantage. A couple innings were shaky, but I pulled through. I had my whole team backing me up. I knew going in that I had to pitch strikes, and they would make plays behind me.”
Burrell’s lone run came in the bottom of the seventh as the Bucs’ only senior, shortstop Caroline Dynka, doubled with one out and came around to score on a fielder’s choice off the bat of catcher Bella Stewart.
Highlands shortstop Jess Cekada made a running, diving catch in foul territory for the final out.
“We told Madi to keep putting it in there and that she had a lot of help behind her,” Koprivnikar said. “We didn’t want her to rush or get down on herself if something didn’t go the way she wanted. She walked two straight (in the fifth) with two outs, and we went out there and reassured her that everything was all right, and she got that third out.
“Burrell was used to that fast, fast, fast (from Haidze), and this change of speed, I think, really threw them off.”
Burrell ace Katie Armstrong, a junior, came into Monday’s game with 124 strikeouts and just one earned run allowed in eight games. The Bucs were on a run of five straight shutouts since Highlands scored three times in a 6-3 game April 13.
All three Golden Rams runs against Armstrong in the first meeting were unearned, and Armstrong allowed just two hits and struck out 17.
She gave up two hits and fanned 10 on Monday, and all four Highlands runs in the fourth were unearned.
Haidze had an RBI single in the inning, and senior Maera Williams delivered another run on a sacrifice fly to right.
“We made contact and ran the bases hard and made them have to make plays,” Koprivnikar said.
Alanna Miller had two of Burrell’s five hits with singles in the second and fourth innings. She also reached on a fielder’s choice in the sixth after Pyper Ferres (single) and Bray Jones (walk) got on base to open the inning.
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.
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