WINDBER — Pressure?

Karns City sophomore Katie Neff didn't feel it, even with the enormity of the situation.

Top of the seventh inning against Chestnut Ridge.

Tie game.

Two out.

Two runners in scoring position.

A PIAA 2A subregional softball title on the line.

Neff calmly shrugged it all off.

“I always play to have fun,” Neff said. “It doesn't matter what the stakes are. I don't care if we're down 500, I'm going to be playing for fun. I treated it like any other at-bat.”

Neff delivered.

The sophomore slashed a two-run single past diving Chestnut Ridge shortstop Makayla Weyant to give the Gremlins a 5-3 lead on the way to a win Thursday at Windber High School.

When Neff saw the ball scoot into the outfield, she was understandably elated.

“My heart was just blasting and bursting into a million pieces, I was so happy,” she said. “It was an amazing feeling.”

Karns City (10-4) had to overcome four errors and a 3-1 deficit heading into that fateful seventh inning to move on to a date with WPIAL runner-up Deer Lakes in the first round of the state playoffs Monday.

Neff's big hit capped a four-run rally that started when freshman Emma Clark drew a leadoff walk.

Courtesy runner Makayla Bailey was erased on a fielder's choice, but Mackenzie Dunn scored on a single by Sami Grazioli and Kate Allen, who singled, scored on a wild pitch to tie the game.

“Coming out we gave them a speech,” said Karns City coach Mike Stitt. “This season has been about heart. I wanted to see them come seven innings strong and you saw what they did. I couldn't be prouder as a coach.”

The Gremlins, though, had to withstand another threat by Chestnut Ridge (14-8) in the bottom of the seventh.

The Lions loaded the bases with one out, but Dunn caught a hard, sinking liner off the bat of Attic Milliron at third base in foul ground and alertly tagged out the runner at third for a game-ending double play to send the Gremlins into a celebratory frenzy.

It was a startling comeback for a team that started three freshmen and four sophomores.

One of the freshmen, Logan Byers, started in the circle for Karns City, but was relieved by sophomore Mackenzie Shay in the fifth.

Shay got out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth and again in the seventh to get the win.

The two pitchers have alternated in the circle this year.

“We're not afraid to pull the trigger and bring in a new pitcher,” Stitt said. “It's worked all season.”

Byers pitched well. She gave up three runs on just three hits in 4 1/3 innings, but was the victim of three errors.

Shay was also solid.

“This team is a team that can bounce back no matter what goes on,” Shay said. “We all love each other very much. Bouncing back shows how close we are.

“We fight sometimes,” Shay added, laughing, “but it doesn't matter because we love each other.”

Karns City had nearly two weeks off before the game Thursday.

It had begun to wear on the team, said sophomore shortstop Alyssa Stitt, who had a RBI double that put Karns City up 1-0 in the top of the fourth inning.

“You could tell we were getting tired of the practices,” Alyssa Stitt said. “But we kept pushing hard. We wanted this.”

Karns City 000 100 4 — 5 5 4

Chestnut Ridge 000 300 0 — 3 5 0

W: Mackenzie Shay 2.2IP (0K, 1BB). L: Kayla Diehl 7IP (2K, 3BB).

Karns City (10-4): Emily Wolfe 1B, Alyssa Stitt 2B RBI, Kate Allen 1B, Sami Grazioli 1B RBI, Katie Neff 1B 2-RBI

Chestnut Ridge (14-8): Makayla Weyant 2-1B, Kayla Diehl 1B, Payton Whysong 3B 2-RBI, Darcee Diehl RBI, Samantha Baney 1B

Monday: Karns City vs. Deer Lakes in first round of PIAA 3A playoffs, TBD