NEB softball advances to PIAA quarters.
By: Brett R. Crossley | Towanda Daily Review | June 6, 2017
2017 NTL and District 4 News
TURBOTVILLE — Northeast Bradford has entered territory that will lead to the conclusion of its current winning streak.
It could possibly end the conventional, way with a loss, or it could end the way most fans would like to see: with a win. The Panthers punched their ticket to the PIAA Class A Tournament with their 17th consecutive win.
The win meant a trip back to Turbotville to take on District 3 winner Millersburg. Despite a late rally by Millersburg, Northeast Bradford picked up its 17th straight win with a 7-6 victory to advance into the quarterfinals.
The Panthers will play District 11 champions Williams Valley, which defeated 1-1 Faith Christian Academy, 11-1, in five innings.
For Millersburg, the game seemed to get away in the first two innings, but after some early soul searching, the Indians found some life.
"It was a tough beginning, but you have to go in there and just play," Millersburg coach Steve Allman said. "It took us three innings before we started to play. We had a strikeout from a girl that hardly strikeouts to open the game. That's just not us. We have to show up and play."
Gabby Slater was the pitcher to record the rare lead-off strikeout against Millersburg. She continued to deal, fanning 10 batters and pitching her way out of the seventh-inning jam to give the Panthers their 17th consecutive win.
"Just everything involving pitching, we've relied on Gabby," Northeast Bradford coach Gary Hennip said. "She's just been on a roll. The last hitter she was after."
Cheyan Lebo opened the seventh with a single for Millersburg. It was just the sixth hit of the day for the Indians, but it seemed to spark the bench which suddenly came to life with cheers.
A flyout to centerfield followed, but McKenna Border, who stole a base in the fifth, connected with a single right up the middle of the field. Slater picked up the inning's second out with a flyout, but the next two batters followed with a single and double, respectively, to cut the Panthers' advantage down to a single run.
Lindsey Casner's double was especially damaging. It scored two runs and put the game-tying runner in position to score off a base hit.
"It's always tough, but to know they didn't give up and played to the end is special," Allman said.
Megan Paul, who struggled against Slater all day, came up with runners on first and second. Slater appeared confident. She got Paul with two strikeouts and a pop out to second earlier in the game. It took her five pitches to record her 10th strikeout and give the Panthers an opening round win.
"I just kept going over what pitches she had chased before," Slater said. "I knew what I could get for strikes against her."
Slater knew, but so did her pitching coach and catcher. All three synced up for the final sequence to help Slater seal the win.
"She's very intelligent on the mound," Hennip said. "She analyzes hitters well. She's very good as far as intellectually understanding the game."
Slater was aided by six runs over the first two innings. Millersburg opened the game unfocused and Northeast Bradford was quick to take advantage.
The Panthers posted seven hits through the first two innings. That included back-to-back triples from Taylor Boardman and Lindsay Moore to score two runs.
Boardman was especially good from the plate as she finished 2-for-3 with a triple, run, and two RBIs. Boardman was one of three Northeast Bradford hitters to finish with two or more hits.
"It's feels fantastic, because you know you're getting a good lead," Boardman said. "All the girls seem to get hyped up and they're more pumped to do well in the game."
A single from McKenzie Haight and a double from Slater helped give the Panthers a 6-0 lead after two innings. They were able to add another in the fourth when Boardman drove in Megan Brown after a single.
"That was the key to the game," Hennip said of the early runs. "We just came out on fire. We knew Millersburg was a very good hitting team. We knew they would come back, but it's nice to get that lead and build momentum up early."
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