Late Milton rally dooms Athens in district final.
By: Chris Manning | Towanda Daily Review | June 1, 2012 | Photo courtesy Chris Manning
2012 NTL and District 4 News
WILLIAMSPORT - The Wildcats were so close.
Up 3-2 heading into the bottom of the fifth Athens could almost wrap their fingers around the District IV, Class AAA trophy.
That's when the train began to come off the rails.
Milton tied it up in the bottom half of that inning, then tacked on three more in the bottom of the sixth to come away with a 6-3 win.
"We played really well," Athens coach Rich Decatur remarked. "They never gave up."
Errors were a big problem for Athens, with all four of their miscues leading to Milton runs.
"We made a few mistakes towards the end but that's our youth," Decatur remarked. "We'll get them next year."
The Wildcats used all three of their pitchers in the game, starting with Wednesday's winner Katelyn Serfass. Then in the third they brought in Christin Dunkling, followed by Alexa Daddona to start the sixth.
Serfass went 2 2/3-innings to strike out three while allowing four hits, one walk and one earned runs. Christin Dunkling went 2 1/3-innings with one strike out while allowing one hit and one earned runs. Daddona pitched the one inning and scores the loss. She struck out one while allowing two hits and one earned run.
It wasn't Decatur's plan to use all three pitchers.
"It was just something that was coming along," he said. "They started getting on Katelyn a little big, she wasn't really hitting her spots. The umpire was a little different than last night."
Decatur said they wanted to keep Milton off balance.
"We tried to mix things up a little bit," he explained. "We knew they were going to hit fast pitching."
Early on it looked like Athens was going to be lighting up the scoreboard.
With one out in the top of the first Jenn Wells got on off a bunt single, followed by Jensen Dunkling joining her after being hit by a pitch.
Christin Dunkling sacrificed them over to second and third. Mackenzie Hafer then walked to load the bases for Serfass.
After battling off a few pitches she line one but right at the third baseman who made the catch to end the inning.
Milton was put down in order in the bottom half, followed by the Wildcats going down in order in the first half of the second.
The Black Panthers would strike first in the bottom half of the second.
Kristy Werner lead of with a walk, followed by Cinda Brouse bunting. Serfass overthrew the first baseman, putting Werner and Brouse on second and third with no outs.
Serfass would strike out the next batter but Bethany Brennan drove in Werner with a single to put Milton up 1-0.
The Wildcats prevented Brouse from scoring as they relayed it in to Wells who tagged her out at home. Serfass struck out the next batter to end the rally.
In the top half of the third Jensen Dunkling reached second with two outs but Christin grounded out to end the threat.
Milton kept up the pressure in the bottom half of the inning.
With two outs McKenna Miller reached on a bunt single then stole second. Justine Marks followed with a single as Miller came home on an error to put Milton up 2-0. Werner then singled to put runners on first and second.
That's when Christin Dunkling came on in relief of Serfass. After throwing a wild pitch that moved the runners up the junior got Brouse to fly out to center to end the inning.
Down 2-0 that's when the Wildcats got their bats going.
Hafer and Serfass led off the top of the fourth with back to back singles, followed by Abbie Beck moving them over on a sacrifice.
Kiersten Horton came up big again Thursday as she hit a line drive down the right field line that brought in Hafer and Serfass to knot things up at 2-2.
This is the type of hitting Decatur has seen all season.
"Our girls this year, we've hit the best of any Athens team that I know of," he remarked. "We've put the bat on the ball more than anybody."
Athens wasn't done yet.
She would reach third where Searah Kennedy bunted her in on a flawless squeeze play to give the Wildcats a 3-2 lead and the momentum.
The Wildcats continued to roll in the bottom half of the inning as they retired the side, with Milton following suit in the top half of the fifth.
The Black Panthers would orchestrate another scoring opportunity in the bottom half of the fifth.
Philips lead off and got on after being hit by a pitch. She was then sacrificed over and eventually sacrificed in by Miller on a deep pop fly to knot things up at 3-3.
That was enough to get the momentum back on Milton's side.
Athens went down in order again in the top of the sixth.
In the bottom half Daddona came on in relief of Christin Dunkling. Brouse led off and reached on an error, then with one out back to back hits by Brennan and Taylor Batman brought Brouse to score and give the Black Panthers a 4-3 lead.
Brennan then scored on a sacrifice fly, followed by Batman reaching home on an error to put Milton up 6-3 before the Wildcats could get out of the inning.
Milton pitcher Werner then did most of the work in the top of the seventh, striking out two of the three Athens hitters to seal the win.
Horton went 1-for-3 with the RBI single while Hafer went 1-for-2 with a run scored. Serfass was 1-for-3 with a run scored while Kennedy went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Wells went 1-for-4 in the game as well.
Werner got the win, going six innings to strike out six while allowing six hits, one walk and three earned runs. She also went 2-for-3 from the plate to help Milton earn the title.
Decatur always believed that they could make it to Elm Park.
"Every year we see ourselves here," Decatur said. "Actually this year going in told the girls they have the had the ability to make if they played as a team. And they did, from the first game one they played as a team."
The Wildcats bring back several key players and now have the experience to make another deep run.
"Hopefully they play a little more summer ball," Decatur said. "Hopefully they continue to work on their fundamentals and stay together as a team."
