BROCKWAY — For about two innings, the Coudersport softball team looked like they had everything under control. Then it all got away from them.
The Lady Falcons saw their season come to an end on Monday in a 14-6 defeat to District 5 McConnellsburg in the PIAA Class A First Round.
Coudersport (14-6) took an early 6-1 lead after two innings, but the Lady Spartans (12-11) would score 13 unanswered runs over the next five innings to pull away and advance to the next round.
McConnellsburg racked up 23 base hits on the day, with starting pitcher Destiny Hall carrying the biggest bat, going 5-for-5 with two doubles and five RBI. On the mound, Hall finished with one strikeout, one walk, and 11 hits allowed.
It was an uncomfortably familiar end to the season for Coudersport and head coach Dan Counts: for the second year in a row, the Lady Falcons finished second in District 9 (having lost to Elk County Catholic in last week’s title game) and then fell in the opening round of state action.
“We just didn’t show up to play today,” Counts said. “We showed up for one inning, maybe two. We had some (uncharacteristic) mental errors which kill anybody. Mental errors kill you more than physical errors do. Just a lack of being in the right place when you’re supposed to be.”
Things were tight in the early going. Both teams settled for one first-inning run when they could’ve had more. McConnellsburg stranded runners on second and third, while Coudy left runners on first and second after an RBI single by Joplin Osgood.
Osgood did her part for Coudersport, as the senior shortstop went on to notch a bases-clearing base hit as part of a five-run second inning for the Falcons. Osgood finished the day 3-for-4 with four RBI.
Unfortunately, that would be the last bit of offense that Coudy would be able to muster for the remainder of the game. The same could not be said for McConnellsburg.
The Spartans scored two runs in the third to cut the deficit to 6-3. The floodgates truly opened in the fourth and fifth innings, with McConnellsburg scoring four runs in both frames to take the lead and never look back.
In the fourth, Kailey Swope tied the game at 6-6 with a two-run triple. The Spartans then took the lead on an RBI single by Kylie Garland.
McConnellsburg then began the fifth with a walk followed by five straight base hits, with the big blow coming on a bases-clearing double by Hall.
Despite being the more experienced squad, Counts felt his team didn’t do enough to put away the young Spartans when they had a chance.
“We didn’t show up to play and they did — they battled,” he said. “They’re a very young team; they’ve got six or seven starting sophomores. Early on we had them choking a little bit and panicking because they weren’t used to it. But once they battled back, you give anybody an opportunity and keep them in the game, then all of a sudden lack of experience becomes experience pretty quick.”
Coudersport would only manage to one runner in scoring position after the second inning.
Shaelyn Black went 2-for-3 with an RBI double, while Chelsey Streich also went 2-for-3.
Starter Madison Smith finished with one strikeout and two walks.
Other hitters who had a big day for the Spartans were Matty Ross (5-for-6) and Sami Hensley (4-for-5, 2 RBI).
While disheartened with the result, Counts expressed his pride with all of his players, including the senior group of Osgood, Smith, Emma Powell, and EmmaRae Easton.
“This is a great group of girls to be around and be associated with,” Counts said.
