Penn-Trafford had lost twice at Latrobe in the last three years, so the Warriors proceeded with caution when they took Graham-Sabota Field for Wednesday’s Section 1-5A softball game.
“You go into every game not wanting to take anyone lightly,” Warriors coach Denny Little said. “It’s never a good feeling when we come here, for whatever reason. Everything is always close all the time.”
Not this time.
After a slow start, Penn-Trafford linked hands in a one-sided third inning and ripped past the Wildcats, 12-1, for a five-inning, run-ruled victory.
Penn-Trafford (5-2, 3-1) has outscored teams 46-5 during its four-game winning streak.
Latrobe (3-3, 1-2) led 1-0 in the first inning before the onslaught of offense came in the third — seven hits, a sacrifice fly, a wild pitch and an error led to nine runs — as Penn-Trafford sent 13 batters to the plate.
“Once the first girl gets on base, it’s a domino effect and we don’t stop,” said Warriors senior Gabi Rubbe, who doubled, tripled, scored twice and drove in two runs to continue a hot start to the season. “I have tried to stay back in the box, and it has given me more confidence.”
Senior Torrie DeStefano also had two hits, including a triple, and two runs scored. Classmate Ella Mains was 3 for 3 with two runs for the defending PIAA champion Warriors.
Latrobe turned away Penn-Trafford in the opening inning and scored the first run after sophomore Natalia Sckekeres led off with a triple and scored on freshman Morgan Maiers’ two-out double.
But DeStefano started the second with a single down the first-base line, and Rubbe knocked her in with a triple to the fence to tie it.
Senior Liz Welsh’s RBI single made it 2-1.
Latrobe couldn’t do anything with a hit batter and a single in the bottom of the second as two runners were caught stealing.
“Penn-Trafford is a really good team; you’re not stopping them,” Latrobe coach Bob Kovalcin said. “(Junior Allyson) Paulone is in her third year pitching. Our pitchers are still learning.”
Senior Mackenzie Cox ripped an RBI double to left, sophomore Ava Heller used a squeeze bunt to push home a run, DeStefano smacked a run-scoring triple and Rubbe made it 6-1 with a single.
That chased Wildcats sophomore Clare Thomas, a first-year starting pitcher, who was replaced by junior Maddie Balko.
But the Warriors kept swinging. Freshman speedster Aria Smith had an RBI single, junior Annabell Carvajal added a sac fly and senior Julia Salvador an RBI single to extend the lead to 9-1.
An error and a double steal produced two more runs for an 11-1 advantage.
Smith, who went 2 for 3, has 10 stolen bases in six games.
In the fifth, after a single by Mains and walks to Smith and Carvajal, the 12th run scored via a fielder’s choice.
“We always use the same offensive approach,” Little said. “We need base runners. The lineup is coming along. We had a Grand Canyon to fill (with the graduation of several seniors), but we have girls filling in and working together.”
Paulone, a Mercyhurst commit and the lead in Penn-Trafford’s school play, “Mamma Mia,” gave up five hits and did not have a strikeout or a walk.
“She sets you up with the outside pitch, but she can also jam you,” Kovalcin said. “We have to be better with the first pitch. Defensively we have to clean it up. We have a lot of people learning positions.”
Maiers was 2 for 2 for the Wildcats.
The game was moved from Penn-Trafford because of a soggy outfield after overnight rain.