Survival Instinct
DuBOIS — Secret to a softball championship?
Just out-hit any mistakes.
Moniteau did exactly that Monday afternoon at Heindl Field, banging out 20 hits in a 16-13 District 9 Class 2A title victory over Keystone.
The lead changed hands four times. The Warriors (15-6) finally put the game away with four runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh.
“Absolutely crazy ... seven innings of nerves,” Moniteau coach Bob Rottman said.
“I never expected anything like this,” Keystone coach John Stiglitz said. “This was two good pitchers going. I can't explain it.”
Courtney Stewart pitched the entire game for Moniteau, striking out 10, walking 12 and throwing a number of wild pitches. She had two doubles, two singles, three runs scored and two RBI offensively.
“I don't take credit for this win at all,” Stewart said. “This was a battle of nerves. We just outlasted them.
“We're used to playing our games on dirt. This artificial turf ... The ball kept getting slick. I had trouble gripping it. It was driving me crazy.”
Natalie Bowser pitched the final six innings for Keystone (14-5), which entered the game having won 13 of its last 15. Bowser only walked two batters, but was touched by 15 hits.The Warriors got to Panther starter Leah Exley for five hits and four runs in the first inning.Emma Covert, who had four RBI in the game, had a two-run single in that first frame.Keystone answered with three runs in the bottom of the opening inning, setting the tone for a slugfest.Bowser entered the game with a .763 batting average and 13 home runs. She was intentionally walked four times on five plate appearances. The lone time the Warriors pitched to Bowser, she hit a two-run homer to left in the third, giving the Panthers a 9-7 lead at the time.Bowser finished the season with 14 home runs — while making just 14 outs all year.Moniteau snapped a 10-10 tie by scoring four runs in the sixth. Stewart's RBI double was the big hit in the frame.Exley answered with a bases-loaded triple in the bottom of the inning, her deep drive to left hitting off the top of the fence. Exley was thrown out at the plate on the play.“I thought it was a home run,” Stiglitz said. “I still think it landed over the fence.”Emily Staab and Rylee Hoffman started the Moniteau seventh with singles. Both wound up scoring insurance runs for the Warriors.Stewart allowed a leadoff single in the Keystone seventh before retiring the next three hitters to end a nearly three-hour game.Taylor Schultz had two singles and three runs scored, Hoffman two singles and two runs, Autumn Stewart had three singles, Destiny Travis two singles for Moniteau.“I can't say enough for these girls. What a resilient bunch,” Rottman said.At the head of that list might be junior Brynne Barger, who came off the bench in the third inning and produced two singles, two RBI and scored three runs.“I wasn't expecting anything like that,” Barger said. “I just wanted to help the team. This feels awesome. Our goal since the beginning of the year was to win D9.“We worked hard for it and we got it.”The district title is Moniteau's first since 2016. The Warriors will compete in the state tournament, which begins June 7.Moniteau 403 034 2 — 16 20 3Keystone 333 013 0 — 13 9 6W: Courtney Stewart 7IP (10K, 12BB). L: Natalie Bowser 6IP (4K, 2BB)Moniteau (15-6): Taylor Schultz 2-1B RBI 3-R, Courtney Stewart 2-2B 2-1B 2-RBI 3-R, Abby Rottman 2-1B RBI, Emma Covert 3-1B 4-RBI, Emily Staab 1B, Rylee Hoffman 2-1B 2-R, Autumn Stewarts 3-1B RBI, Destiny Travis 2-1B RBI, Brynne Barger 2-1B 2-RBI 3-RKeystone (14-5): Alexandria Johnston 3B 1B RBI 3-R, Natalie Bowser HR 2-RBI 4-R, Leah Exley 2B 3B 5-RBI, Madelyn Dunlap 2-1B 2-RBI, Emma Gruber 1B 2-R, Carla Schoeppner 2-R, Gabby Wolbert 1BJune 7: Moniteau vs. TBD in first round of the PIAA Class 2A playoffs
