Tough first inning sinks Freeport in WPIAL softball playoff opener vs Laurel Highlands
NORTH HUNTINGDON TWP — Sitting down the first inning’s initial two batters during Monday’s WPIAL Class 4A first-round softball playoff was an easy task for Ali Smith and No. 11 Freeport.
The same couldn’t be said for the crowd that followed.
After Laurel Highlands’ Kayla Howell grounded out to second and Harlie Dirda popped out to the same place, the No. 6 Mustangs’ next 10 batters reached base, tacking up nine runs in what wound up a 12-0, five-inning win at Norwin High School.
Payton Senge got the two-out barrage going with a single to left field, then Emme Cavaliere followed suit, scoring Senge, who’d advanced to second on a wild pitch. Payton Rambo walked to put runners on the corners before third baseman Addyson Caruso couldn’t corral a knock off Chloe Komacko’s bat.
Soon after, Liv McClelland rocketed another pitch off Smith’s glove, pushing Cavaliere across, then Aubrey Speelman roped a single to right field, putting another pair on the scoreboard. Gianna Miller singled, Howell kept things going by reaching first on a dropped third strike and Dirda reached on another fielding error before Senge’s three-run single.
“I tell the girls all the time, not one of them do I wanna get upset with them for making an error — because not one of them go out there and do it on purpose,” Yellowjackets coach Ron DeJidas said. “And there’s not one person who feels worse than the person who made the mistake. So it’s part of the game. Overcoming it is part of the game, too.”
Laurel Highlands tacked on one run in the second, third and fourth frames, making it even harder for a quiet Freeport (8-11) offense to claw back into it.
The ’Jackets were held without a hit and didn’t get on base until Lauren Clark worked a six-pitch walk in the top of the fifth. Leah Clark also got on via a walk three batters later, but Jayden Rezak struck out swinging to end matters.
The Mustangs’ Senge had 11 strikeouts on the day.
“We needed to get to that point in the fifth inning where we were making them work, where it’s a one-run game, two-run game,” DeJidas said. “We just let it fall apart too early. Defensive mistakes hurt us, big-time. And you’ve gotta give it to them — they got a couple big hits where they needed them and drove some runs in.”
The ’Jackets started 3-6 in section play this season, but still earned a postseason berth.
“We had to dig our way out,” DeJidas said. “We really put ourselves in a hole first time through our section. We really had to battle and work, and the girls never stopped.”
DeJidas is disappointed he won’t get to see his bunch try to respond again. Laurel Highlands (11-5) advances to play No. 3 Blackhawk in the quarterfinals.
“This wasn’t us today,” DeJidas said. “We came out a little timid, I think, and when things didn’t go our way right away, we kinda lost that focus a little bit. ... Just a tough way to finish, that’s for sure.
“If we had another game, there’s no doubt in my mind that they would come back and be ready to go get it.”
Freeport 000 00 — 0 0 6
Laurel Highlands 911 1x — 12 8 0
WP: Payton Senge 5IP (11K, 2BB). LP: Ali Smith 3IP (1K, 1BB)
Laurel Highlands: Kayla Howell R, Harlie Dirda 1B 2R, Payton Senge 2-1B 2RBI R, Emme Cavaliere 2B 1B 2RBI R, Payton Rambo R, Chloe Komacko 2R, Aubrey Speelman 1B 2RBI R, Gianna Miller 2B 1B 2RBI R.
