Back in the hunt

By Lisa Byers

July 19, 2008 July 18, 2008 11:35 pm

— CORRY — Mid-East/Cochranton coaches Mark Parker and Mike Dickson were hoping if something good could come out of Thursday’s loss to Corry it would be a wake-up call. Parker and Dickson got their wish.
MEC rebounded from Thursday’s disappointing loss with a 10-2 win over Punxsutawney Friday during the second round of round-robin play at the Section 1 Junior League softball tournament.
“We started acting like a team (yesterday),” MEC rightfielder Shelby Proctor said. “That’s what we’ve been striving to do the whole entire time. We needed to pick each other up and that’s what we did.”
Of course, it took MEC a little while to get there.
Just like Thursday, MEC found itself in an early hole with Punxsutawney taking a 1-0 lead after an inning of play. Hannah Giavedoni led off the game with a single, stole second, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on a single by Shawnna Crago.
Punxy added a second run in the fourth when Kristen Fedder led off the inning with a double and scored on a bloop single by Ashley Bacha.
“We dug ourselves a hole,” Dickson said. “That first inning was like a nightmare from (Thursday). But then we got up and it just got contagious.”
Did it ever.
With four innings already under her belt and a 2-0 lead, Punxsutawney decided to pull Crago off the mound to keep her eligible for today’s game versus Corry and replace her with Bacha. MEC welcomed Bacha with three straight hits, including a single by Proctor that skipped past Punxy’s leftfielder allowing Emma Parker and Kellilyn Dickson to score and tie the game at 2-2.
In an effort to stop the bleeding, Punxy decided to go back to Crago with no outs in the inning. But MEC just kept pouring it on.
Jill Nicols followed with a bunt back to the pitcher which Crago picked up and fired to home. But Proctor stayed put at third base and Nicols reached first safely. Punxy decided to intentionally walk Lindsay Hasbrouck to set up a force at any base. Pinch-hitter Hannah Suder spoiled the opportunity, roping a two-run single to left.
Sarah Jacobs added an RBI fielder’s choice and Gretchen Herzberger a two-run single, putting MEC up 7-2 after five innings of play.
Hasbrouck added an RBI single in the sixth and Parker slapped a two-run single to right-center in the seventh to cap the scoring.
“We were running the bases and doing what we do,” Dickson said. “That’s what we didn’t do (Thursday).”
Yesterday’s win was particularly big in that it came against the only team MEC failed to beat at the Section tournament last season. MEC fell to Punxsutawney 1-0 last year and wound up in a three-way tie at the end of round-robin play.
MEC lost the tiebreaker to Corry by a single run and failed to advance to the state tournament.
“It feels so great,” Proctor said. “It just makes your stomach cringe. To beat them and beat (Crago) … that was my goal to get a hit off of her.”
Proctor actually got two hits off Crago to go along with her single off Bacha. Parker finished the game 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Dickson was also 2-for-4.
Parker pitched a complete game for MEC. She allowed two runs — both earned — off six hits with a walk and six strikeouts in the win.
Bacha took the loss for Punxsutawney. Crago allowed seven runs off nine hits with a walk and four strikeouts in seven innings of work.
MEC continues round-robin play today. It will play Franklin at 2 p.m. Corry and Punxsutawney will follow at 4 p.m.
The top two teams following play today will advance to Sunday’s championship game to be played at 2 p.m.