ADAMS TWP — The game lasted all of 80 minutes.

“It seemed like a lot longer,” Knoch shortstop Olivia Vissari said, smiling. “It was hot out there.”

Vissari's bat was pretty warm as well, her two-run homer to center field in the second inning being the key blow in the Knights' 4-1 WPIAL Class 4A first-round softball playoff victory Wednesday over Central Valley at the Mars High School field.

“That hit was the difference in this game,” Knoch coach Gary Coe said. “This was a well-played, clean game. That was nice to see for a change.

“We've had struggles on defense, but not today.”

Both teams struck out only once and committed one error in the contest.

Winning pitcher Baikey Rickenbrode scattered four singles while going the distance. She said she relies on her defense.

“My pitches aren't very fast,” Rickenbrode admitted. “I try to pitch to contact. I try to get a lot of fly balls.

“The defense made the plays.”

Central Valley (9-9) hitters were retired 10 times on balls hit in the air. The Warriors stranded runners at second and third in the second inning, runners at first and third in the third.

None of that bothered Rickenbrode. In fact, she thrives on such situations.

“I love the pressure,” she said. “I know it sounds weird, but I love pitching with the bases loaded, no one out, hitting with the bases loaded and a full count ... that's just my thing.”

Central Valley scored seven runs or more in half of its games this year. The Warriors only have one senior and had three freshmen and three sophomores in their starting lineup Wednesday.

“We had 20 hits against Montour in a game this year,” Warriors coach Ray Fernandez said. “We couldn't do much.

“I think we were swinging for the fences too much. That's why we had all those fly balls. Since we didn't play last year, our sophomores were like freshmen, too, this year. So, overall, we had a good season.”

Vissari walked and scored on a Lindsay Edwards single in Knoch's first inning. Quinn Hughes doubled with one out in the second. With two outs, Vissari drilled the ball over the center field fence.

It was her fourth home run of the season after hitting no homers in her life before this year.

“Liv always puts a good swing on the ball,” Coe said. “She's realizing she's strong enough to hit home runs. She's always hitting the ball hard.”

With two outs in the third, Vissari said “I was just trying to hit the ball hard someplace. The pitch was right down the middle, so I just went for it.”

After stranding runners in scoring position in the fourth and fifth innings, Madi Gardner, Marissa Melius and Sophie Brandon singled in the sixth to produce Knoch's fourth run.

Gardner and Melius had two singles each.

The Knights (10-7) play top-seeded Elizabeth Forward in the 4A quarterfinal round Monday.

“They have a really good pitcher,” Coe said. “Our gameplan is to manufacture runs. We have to play small ball.”

Central Valley 001 000 0 — 1 4 1

Knoch 120 001 x — 4 10 1

W: Bailey Rickenbrode 7IP (1K, 3BB). L: Abigail Borello 2IP (1K, 1BB)

Central Valley (9-9): Kylie Heid 1B, Payton Haller 1B RBI, Breannan Colville 2-1B

Knoch (10-7): Oilivia Vissari HR 2-RBI 2-R, Brynnae Coe 1B, Lindsay Edwards 1B RBI, Bailey Rickenbrode 1B, Madi Gardner 2-1B, Maerissa Melius 2-1B, Quinn Hughes 2B, Sophie Brandon 1B RBI

Monday: WPIAL 4A quarterfinal-Knoch vs. Elizabeth Forward, site and time TBA