Hometown Softball Recap for Elizabeth Forward Warriors – 04/28/2015

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, April 28, 2015 | 3:21 PM

A rare battle of two teams in the MSA Sports Hometown Softball Program transpired Monday at William Penn Field.  The West Mifflin Titans were seeking a much-needed win to put some distance between themselves and the Thomas Jefferson Jaguars in the race for a playoff spot in Class AAA.  The Elizabeth-Forward Warriors already had a firm grip on 3rd place in Section 3 and were looking to win to lock up their own spot in the postseason.  In the end it was EF squeeking past visiting WM in a dandy by a score of 5-4.

Early on, it looked like the Titans were playing with the sense of urgency they needed as they took advantage of  2 EF fielding errors and 3 hits in the 2nd inning to plate 2 runs.  Amber Cook and Kacie Larson led off with singles, and after a strikeout, Tiana Sekowski’s base hit loaded the bases.  Taylor Lapko was hit by a pitch to score Cook, then Taylor Ackerman lined out to 1st.  In an attempt to double off Larson at 3rd, however, 1B Kelsey Benedek’s throw was errant, which allowed Larson to score and give WM a 2-0 lead.  The Titans got 2 more in the 4th as Sekowski singled and moved to 2nd on a passed ball.  Lapko reached on an error, and after a fly-out and a groundout, Maddie Porter’s throwing error attempting to throw out Shannon Davis scored both Sekowski and Lapko to make it 4-0.

The Warriors did not panic, however.  In the 5th inning, EF’s bats suddenly came alive as with 1out, they reeled off 6 straight hits which scored 4 runs to tie game.  Caitlyn Arico doubled to get it started, and Cassidy Kern’s single moved her to 3rd.  Jess Cartia’s double drove in both Arico and Kern to cut the lead to 4-2.  Sarah Turek followed with a single to drive in Cartia to pull within 1.  Kaylee Ludwick also singled to move the tying run to 2nd.  Lexi Ribarchak followed with a double that drove in Rachel Duval, courtesy-running for Turek.  On the play, however, Ludwick was thrown out at the plate, effectively ending the rally.

The game was ultimately decided in the bottom of the 7th in walk-off fashion.  Cartia led off the frame with a double and was lifted for a courtesy-runner, Mercedesz Boyce.  Sarah Turek’s single pushed the winning run to within 60 feet.  Cook then walked Ludwick to load the bases, but the unintentional-intentional walk strategy ultimately backfired on the Titans as Ribarchak’s slow-roller was unable to be fielded by SS Alyssa Carins, and Boyce crossed the plate to win the game for the EF Warriors, 5-4.

The win effectively puts the Warriors in the playoffs with a 7-3 section record.  WM falls to 4-5 in the section and remains on the outside-looking-in for a postseason berth.

Tags: Elizabeth Forward, West Mifflin