Minersville rallies to walk the game off against Pottsville

Photo by Kelly Wiley

MINERSVILLE – There is a saying that people say in sports that I am not too fond of, “that’s why you play the game.” That saying can and should be applied to Minersville’s victory over Pottsville in non-league softball action Saturday at Ken Schneck Field by a score of 6-5.

After a ceremony honoring the late coach and founder of Minersville Little League softball, Billy Charles, the Crimson Tide had their bats on fire from the start. Jes Siminitus led off with a triple which ended up putting them on the scoreboard when Cadence Borger hit an RBI single to left field. When they (Pottsville) took the field, it was 1-2-3, right off the field and back on the offensive attack.

An error in the outfield gave Pottsville a 2-0 lead in the top of the second. After a single and another error, Siminitus hit a sacrifice fly to Rilynn Brennan in center field to bring in Karlee Kalovack to increase their lead by three runs. After getting one out on defense, Bella Rizzardi was hit in the helmet with a pitch, but that did not start anything as the next two batters were out.

Heading to the third inning, Borger took a free trip to first base after being walked. Peyton Eckert hit her (Borger) in thanks to her double to make the score 4-0 in favor of the Crimson Tide. The next batter, Olivia Wessner, hit a groundout but that scored Addison Skripko, who was the courtesy runner for Eckert. That made another score change happen, which was the last run the Crimson Tide would score in this ballgame.

From the bottom of the third to the top of the sixth inning, both teams had runners on base but they could not convert those baserunners into runs. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Sara McGrath tripled down the right field line to start the inning. Following McGrath’s hit, Eila O’Brien brought her (McGrath) in on an RBI single to Siminitus in right field, making the score 5-1. After that, Rizzardi followed up with a double to left field but the Big Blue Machine were not able to get a second run that inning.

Reese Ketner led things off in the 7th inning for Pottsville with a single and Eckert took a walk. After those things happened, Wessner and Izzy Kunstek hit into fielder’s choices and Kalovack struck out to keep the score at 5-1 going into the bottom of the seventh inning.

To start, Calleigh Tripp singled on a hard groundball up the middle and into center field. Addison Moyer walked and her courtesy runner, Paige Laudeman scored from a single to left field by Grace Sterner to cut the Crimson Tide lead to 5-2.

Brennan used her speed and singled on a bunt to the pitcher, Eckert which scored Laudeman off of an error by Ketner at first base to make the score 5-3. McGrath grounded out to shortstop Jo Barnhart to score Sterner to cut their deficit to one run. O’Brien reached on an error by Kalovack at third base and Brennan scored to tie the game at five with one out.

Then, Rizzardi singled into left field to advance Kylie Her, O’Brien’s courtesy runner, to second base. With a 2-2 count, Bella Cruz singles to Siminitus in center field to seal the five run comeback victory for the Big Blue Machine, 6-5.

Cruz said after the game that hitting the walkoff single felt great and meant a lot to her. “I’ve definitely been in a slump, so to hit that it meant a lot to me” she also added. Their coach, Kate Rittenbaugh, told her team to get their energy up and that she (Rittenbaugh) believes in her team.

For the Big Blue Machine of Minersville, this win puts them at 7-4 on the season as they get ready to face the Marian Catholic Fillies (5-4, 3-3) in a Schuylkill League Division 2 contest on Tuesday afternoon back at Ken Schneck Field. As for Pottsville, this loss sets them back to 4-5 on the season as their next contest is another non-league game on Monday, this time at Wyomissing.

BOX SCORE

MINERSVILLE (7-4) – 0 0 0 0 0 1 5

Hitting
Grace Sterner (2B) (1-4, 1 run, 1 RBI, 1 K)
Rilynn Brennan (CF) (2-4, 1 run, 2 K’s)
Sara McGrath (C) (1-4, 1 run, 1 RBI, 1 K)
Eila O’Brien (DP) (1-4, 2 RBI)
Bella Rizzardi (SS) (2-3)
Bella Cruz (LF) (1-4, 1 RBI)
Cali Laudeman (0-3, 2 K’s)
Calleigh Tripp (RF) (2-3, 1 run)
Paige Laudeman (3B) (0-2, 1 run, 2 K’s)
Addison Moyer (DH Laudeman) (0-0. 1 walk)

Doubles – Tripp, Rizzardi
Triples – McGrath
Hit By Pitch – Rizzardi
Stolen Bases – Tripp, Rizzardi

Pitching
C. Laudeman (7.0 IP, 9 hits, 3 earned runs, 3 walks, 3 K’s)

Fielding
Errors – P. Laudeman, Brennan

POTTSVILLE (4-5) 1 2 2 0 0 0 0

Hitting
Jes Siminitus (CF) (1-3, 1 run, 1 RBI)
Megan Yost (2B) (1-3, 1 walk, 1 K)
Cadence Borger (LF) (1-3, 1 run, 1 RBI, 1 walk, 1 K)
Reese Ketner (1B) (1-4)
Peyton Eckert (P) (1-3, 1 RBI, 1 walk)
Olivia Wessner (C) (1-4, 1 RBI)
Izzy Kunstek (RF) (1-4, 1 RBI)
Karlee Kalovack (3B) (2-4, 1 run, 1 K)
Jo Barnhart (SS) (0-3)

Doubles – Yost, Eckert
Triples – Siminitus
Sacrifice Fly – Siminitus
Stolen Bases – Borger 2, Ava Civarella, Barnhart

Pitching
Eckert (6.1 IP, 10 hits, 5 earned runs, 1 walk, 8 K’s)

Fielding
Errors – Kunstek, Kalovack, Ketner