Patience at plate pays off for Armstrong softball in WPIAL championship win

By: George Guido
Friday, June 3, 2022 | 10:05 PM

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After earning a reputation as an aggressive batting aggregation, patience turned out to be a virtue for the Armstrong softball team Friday.

The River Hawks — averaging 11 runs per game — used patience at the plate, and it paid off.

Leading off the bottom of the seventh in a 5-5 game for the WPIAL Class 5A title, junior Jenna Clontz didn’t offer at any of the first five pitches from Penn-Trafford’s Mia Smith. But Clontz clobbered a 3-2 pitch over the right field fence to give Armstrong the first WPIAL championship in the school’s seven-year history, 6-5, at Cal (Pa.’s) Lilley Field.

“I was kind of expecting an intentional walk after the last at-bat,” Clontz said. “I figured if I learned anything at the Seton Hall camps, I was expecting anything from her. But she put one right down the middle and I had to swing as hard as I could.”

After doubling home two runs in the first inning, Clontz flied to right in the second. She was intentionally passed in the fifth to load the bases with two outs, but Smith pitched out of it.

“We’re very disciplined at the plate,” said River Hawks coach Doug Flanders. “Jenna’s job was to just get on base, and she threw a mistake over the plate. Jenna’s my (clean-up) hitter and she crushed it.”

After Armstrong scored five runs in the first two innings, Smith settled in and blanked the powerful River Hawks over the next four innings.

The Warriors chipped away until finally tying the game 5-5 in the sixth,

“I saw the momentum change and swing our way,” said Penn-Trafford coach Denny Little.”In the top of seventh, if we could have made noise there, you would have probably seen something different.”

Winning pitcher Cameryn Sprankle retired the Warriors in order in the seventh, setting up Clontz’s walk-off.

“When we got out of that top of the seventh, I said we need one to win,” Flanders said.

The Armstrong patience was personified by sophomore Emma Paul, the No. 2 hitter in the order. She walked four times but scored a pair of runs.

“They pitched Emma Paul so carefully,” Flanders said, “She’s so dangerous. She wreaks havoc on the bases. She had that steal in the sixth, and she went to third on that single in the third on a close play. That’s what she does. She always takes that next base.”

Penn-Trafford was also chasing its first WPIAL softball crown.

“The girls scratched and clawed their way back into it, and they fought hard,” Little said. “We’ll take a day off then get back at it for Monday.”

One for the county

Armstrong became the second school from Armstrong County to win a WPIAL softball title, joining Leechburg, a winner in 1991, ’92 and ’95.

The Armstrong hockey and bowling teams, two non-school sponsored teams, earlier won titles.

Up next

Both teams will be in action Monday to open the PIAA tournament.

Armstrong, last year’s state runner-up, will host WPIAL fourth-place finisher Chartiers Valley. Penn-Trafford will visit District 2 runner-up Twin Valley.

Tags: Penn-Trafford