NEB runs comes to an end, fall to Greenwood 3-1.
By: Chris Manning | Towanda Daily Review | June 8, 2012 | Photo courtesy Chris Manning
2012 NTL and District 4 News
BLOOMSBURG - For most the game Northeast Bradford looked, and played, like the better team.
They out hit Greenwood, Panther pitcher Chelsie Souto was dominant from the mound again with 11 strikeouts and defensively, they only had one error all game.
But one bad inning negated all that.
The Lady Wildcats scored three runs in the third without getting a hit to edge the Panthers 3-1 in PIAA Class A quarterfinals softball action Friday.
"One of those games where it just wasn't meant to be," Northeast coach Gary Hennip said. "We were probably the better team today. We had one inning where they didn't have a hit and scored three runs. You just can't do that when you get into this level of competition."
Northeast Bradford had many chances throughout the game but never seemed to get that big hit when they needed it. They would ultimately leave seven runners on base.
"We hit the ball at them," Hennip said.
Going in he knew it might be a higher scoring game than last Monday's 4-0 win over Claysburg-Kimmel.
"I thought they would score some runs," Hennip said. "I think in most times we play this team we would score a bigger number of runs, we just didn't do it today."
It looked like a good omen early for the Panthers in the top of the first as Calla Martin and MaKaylah Holbert reached first and second with no outs.
With one out they moved up on a passed ball but were stranded there as the Greenwood defense held.
Northeast threatened again in the second as Chelsey Souto hit a one out single followed by Maddy Johnson reaching on an error with two outs. However, Greenwood hurler Jessica Heichel got Martin to fly out to end the inning.
In the top of the third, Northeast finally broke through.
With one out Haylie Phillips singled, followed by fellow senior Kelsey Carlsen knocking a triple into the corner that scored Phillips. Carlsen would be stranded at third but the run put Northeast on top 1-0.
Greenwood would answer in the bottom half of the inning.
Northeast pitcher Chelsie Souto led off the bottom half of the third by walking Greenwood's nine hitter Kendra Schaman.
Things went downhill after that.
Wildcat Salene Shaffer laid down a bunt but the throw to first got past Carlsen and out into right field. Making things worse was that rightfielder Phillips was in the infield as part of their defense against the Greenwood slap hitter. Second baseman Kelsey Goodwin had to track down the throw and get it in. By the time that happened Schaman had scored and Shaffer was on third.
Brittany Fleischer then followed by laying down a squeeze bunt. Souto fielded it and immediately went looked Shaffer back at third allowing Fleischer to reach first.
She would eventually steal second to make it runners on second and third with no outs.
Greenwood's A.J. Seigal would ground out to the second basemen to bring in Shaffer, giving the Wildcats a 2-1 lead.
Greenwood clean-up hitter Amy Heggenslaller then hit Fleischer in on a sacrifice fly to put the Wildcats up 3-1.
Despite the deficit, the Panthers kept up the pressure.
In the top of the fourth, Kelsey Goodwin hit a one out double but was stranded on second.
Then in the fifth Holbert led off with a single but the next two batters struck out, followed by Holbert getting caught in a rundown and being thrown out at second.
They would even get a runner in scoring position in the seventh as Martin reached second on an error with two outs but would be stranded.
Greenwood only threatened in one other inning, getting runners on first and second with two outs in the second but Souto ended that threat with a strikeout.
Holbert had the best bat for the Panthers, going 2-for-4 while Phillips, Carlsen, Souto and Goodwin all went 1-fo-3 with Martin having a 1-for-4 day. Carlsen got the lone RBI.
Souto was strong once again, striking out 11 while allowing three hits, one walk and just one earned run.
Heggenslaller had the big bat for Greenwood, going 2-for-2 with an RBI while Heichel went 1-for-2. Seigal had the other hit.
Heichel scored the win, striking out four while allowing seven hits, no walks and one earned run.
Her defense was strong behind her as centerfielder Heggenslaller made two runs saving catches while third baseman Shaffer also had several smooth plays.
"Their center fielder is an excellent ball player," Hennip remarked.
While they didn't get to the state final they had as a goal Hennip believes that the Panthers still had an excellent season.
"I told these kids an absolute great season," he said. "You're 22 and 0, they can't take that away from you. You won an NTL championship, you won a district championship. Yeah, we wanted to get two more games after this one but anyway it was a good year, it really was."
