Adversity strikes Falcons in season-ending loss
For BucksLocalSports
CAoiISib — Sometimes all you can do is shrug your shoulders and accept the fact it simply wasn’t your day.
Between blown calls, base running mistakes, a defensive breakdown and a lack of clutch hitting, just about everything that could go wrong for the Pennsbury High School softball team Tuesday, June 11 did go wrong.
The result was a disappointing 3-1 loss to Canon McMillan, as Pennsbury E21-5) came up short in the PIAA Class AAAA state semifinals for the second year in a row.
This wasn’t so much a matter of which was the bet- ter team, but rather which team got the job done with a berth in Friday’s state final in State College on the line.
The biggest turning point of all occurred in the sixth after Cannon McMillan’s iinda oush got the Western Pennsylvania team started with a leadoff single. Up stepped Abby McCartney, who first lofted a fly ball down the left field line. Pennsbury’s Taylor Boltersdorf nearly made a fine diving catch on the ball, which landed barely foul.
The next pitch senior righthander sal Buehler threw to McCartney also proved to be uncatchable, as the Canon Mac sophomore cleanup hitter crunched a towering two-run home run to dead center field.
“When I felt it go off the bat, I knew it was gone,” McCartney said of her fifth home run of the year. “It’s the first time in history Canon McMillan has been to the state final. This is so exciting.”
What was exciting for one team was absolutely devastating for the other.
After three innings against Canon Mac senior righthander Alayna Astuto, Pennsbury had left five runners on base. It also had a runner picked off first with another runner perched on second in the third inning.
The play loomed even larger when Suzanne Swanicke hit a hard single to lead off the fourth, which was the one inning Pennsbury scored. After a sac by Boltersdorf, an infield single by Farryl Groder and a grounder to first with the bases loaded, Christina Bascara got the run home with a hot smash to shortstop.
Cannon McMillan’s iinda oush made a nice play to stop the ball, but her throw to first was low and Pennsbury tied the game at 1-all. A pivotal moment followed when Jess Greenwald slapped a ball to third and appeared to clearly beat the throw to first for what would have been a second run.
Instead, the umpire called Greenwald out to loud protestations, and Pennsbury’s last scoring chance of the game was gone as Astuto sent the Falcons down in order in the last three innings.
“The umpire missed that call and he missed one in the first inning on our pickoff play,” Pennsbury coach
It only got worse in the bottom of the first, when Pennsbury quickly loaded the bases with no outs on a single by Basacara, an error and a bunt single by Mackenzie Obert. The Falcons were in a strong position to take control of the game right there, but instead, popped out twice and hit a ground ball to set the tone for the day. ♦♦