Silencing Act
DUBOIS — The task facing Logan Byers seemed daunting.
In Wednesday's Class 3A subregional softball playoff game, Karns City's sophomore pitcher was opposing an Everett squad sporting a team batting average of .424. The Warriors were averaging over 10 runs per game and had 56 extra-base hits this season.
None of it mattered to Byers, who used an effective mix of pitches to scatter seven hits and hold Everett in check in the Gremlins' 6-2 victory at Heindl Memorial Field.
The Warriors were frustrated, hitting weak pop flies for much of the game.
“The sequence was I started off throwing a lot of inside fastballs,” Byers said. “When they caught on to that, I switched to change-ups on the outside. I threw a drop every once in a while. The plan worked pretty well today.”
Byers allowed a two-out, RBI-single to Alex Iseminger in the top of the first. The next time the Warriors (15-3) managed a serious threat was the top of the seventh with KC leading 6-1.
Katie Price and Jacie Martin began the inning with back-to-back doubles to make it 6-2. With one out, Lexus Grubb reached on a fielding error to put runners at first and third. But Byers retired Kristen Ewing and Sydney Reffner to end the game and Everett's season.
“When Logan gets the lead, she's tough,” said Gremlin coach Mike Stitt. “She isn't going to give it up.”
Martin, Everett's starting pitcher, surrendered her team's lead in the bottom of the first inning, but did not get help from her defense. Three errors, including a passed ball, allowed courtesy runner Garrah Milochik to score to tie the game.
The Gremlins took the lead for good in the third. Mackenzie Dunn tripled to right-center, plating Alyssa Stitt. Dunn then raced home on Kate Allen's groundout for a 3-1 lead.
Byers continued to stymie Everett's bats and was helped by several fine defensive plays, including Emily Wolfe's diving catch of a fly ball to lead off the top of the fourth.
Byers was handed three insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth. Wolfe singled in Lanie Fetterman before two more runs came across due to a throwing error.
“To go from a 3-1 lead to 6-1, those runs were huge,” said Coach Stitt. “I could tell when we got on the bus today, the girls had that look in their eyes. They came to play.”
Dunn, Wolfe and Taylor Ekis each had two hits for Karns City.
“We've put up a lot of runs this year. We have a lineup, one through nine, you never know where the hits are going to come from,” added Coach Stitt. “They can all hit the ball.”
Everett entered the game having won 14 of its previous 15 games.
“We played as hard as we could and the girls stayed positive,” said Warrior coach Jackie Levy, “but nerves played a part. We have a very young team.”
The Gremlins (16-2) will next play on Monday in a PIAA first-round playoff against the loser of Thursday's WPIAL title game between South Park and Southmoreland.
Everett 100 000 1 — 2 7 5
Karns City 102 003 x — 6 7 2
W: Logan Byers 7 IP (4K, 0BB). L: Jacie Martin 6 IP (4K, 2BB).
Everett (15-3): Brittany Ewing 1B, Brooke Colledge 2-1B R, Alex Iseminger 1B RBI, Katie Price 2B R, Jacie Martin 2B RBI, Kristen Ewing 1B
Karns City (16-2): Alyssa Stitt R, Mackenzie Dunn 1B 3B R RBI, Kate Allen RBI, Taylor Ekis 2-1B, Sami Grazioli R, Emily Wolfe 1B 2B R RBI, Garrah Milochik R, Mackenzie Shay 1B, Lanie Fetterman R
Monday: Karns City vs. South Park/Southmoreland loser, PIAA Class 3A first-round playoff, TBD
