Hometown Softball Program Game Recap For Baldwin vs Bethel Park

By: Bruce Markey
Friday, May 3, 2013 | 2:51 PM

The 2013 WPIAL playoffs started a little early Thursday in the South Hills as Baldwin visited Bethel Park in a win-and-your-in battle for third place in Class AAAA Section 4. When all was said and done, youth was served again as the freshmen led Highlanders knocked out the Black Hawks 9-5.

Baldwin broke a scoreless tie in the third inning when after Jaimie Schleicher reached on an error, Kayla Ebert's pop fly fell safely when Bethel Park second baseman Julia Sherwin lost it in the sun. Abbey Suhoski tripled home both, then scored on a ground ball to the shortstop.

The Highlanders added to their lead in the fourth inning on the first of three triples by Eberst scored Breanna Meyer who led the inning off with a single.

The Black Hawks cut the lead in half in the bottom of the fifth when sophomore Shelby Reid singled to score both Hayley Lazzari and Molly Welsh to make it 4-2.

A big seventh inning proved to be the difference for Baldwin and it all came with two out. With Ashley Brady at second base and two outs, Ana Hale hit an RBI single. Hale moved to third on a double by Meyer and they both scored on a two-bagger by Schleicher. After a bunt single by Mallory O'Brien, Ebert tripled home two to make it 9-2 Highlanders.

Bethel Park would not go quietly into the night though as they rallied for three runs, two of them coming on another two-run single by Reid. However with the bases loaded and the score at 9-5, Hale struck out the tying run, Haley Reid to end the contest and the Black Hawks playoff hopes.

Baldwin head coach Samantha Kuharic, who is expecting her first child any day, leads the Highlanders (8-6, 9-7) back into the postseason for the third time in her three years as head coach. Of the nine starters for the purple and white, six of them are ninth graders.

Bethel Park just misses the playoffs for a second straight season. Even though Heather Scott's squad (7-7, 8-7) graduates four starters, a strong sophomore class should help the orange and black be competitive again in 2014.

Tags: Baldwin, Bethel Park