Elizabeth Forward and Hampton have the second and third leading offenses in Class 4A this season, so both sides expected fireworks in their WPIAL semifinal at Gateway on Thursday afternoon.
Ironically, it was the defense of the top-seeded Warriors that came through time and time again to stymie the Hampton offense just enough to hold on for a 7-5 win.
The No. 4 Talbots (15-6) stranded nine runners over the course of the game, including five during the final two innings, as they were desperately trying to scratch a few runs across.
But Elizabeth Forward’s (18-2) defense got the job done with Julia Resnik at the center of it. Berlyn Holibaugh pitched most of the game well, but when she tired with the bases loaded and just one out in the top of the fifth, longtime coach Harry Rutherford opted for one of his stars in Resnik to get the job done.
The RMU commit entered the circle for the first time against a Class 4A opponent this season since coming back from a torn ACL, and she responded with a strikeout and a fly out to keep the score at 7-5. Later in the seventh, she got two quick outs before giving up two singles, but again she battled for a groundout that sent the Warriors to the championship game against Blackhawk.
“I was pretty nervous, but I’ll do anything I can for the team,” Resnik said. “I told my coach two innings before, ‘If you need me to go in and pitch, I’m feeling good.’ So I was ready to go. … I’ve always been mentally tough, and I’m a competitor, so whatever it takes to win, I’m going to do that. Especially for us seniors, our goal was to make it to the WPIAL championship, and we’re gonna do everything we can to win that one too.”
When Rutherford decided to relieve Holibaugh, who gave up nine hits and five earned runs in 5⅓ innings, he had his choice of Resnik or impressive freshman Jayci Patterson.
Patterson’s time will certainly come, but Thursday was about the veteran taking the mound.
“Julia coming in, that was big,” Rutherford said. “Berlyn did a great job for us, but she started getting a little tired and we had our choice of Julia or (Patterson). We went with Julia because she’s a little more seasoned and experienced in these positions, and she came through for us.”
There wasn’t much frustration on the other side from Hampton coach Katie Hedderman after outhitting the Warriors 10-7. Her squad will face off against North Catholic in the third-place game to determine their seeding in the PIAA tournament.
“We outhit them and we had similar errors, it’s just that they capitalized on our errors and we didn’t capitalize on their errors,” Hedderman said. “You can’t really hang your heads when you beat yourselves out of the game. So it sucks to lose, especially being so close to winning, but all I could do was pick them up. Our eyes are on the next step.”
Sophie Pasinsky led the way offensively for the victors with two hits and two RBIs. Resnik matched her with two RBIs while Addy Nigut, Hannah Evans and Aubri Cimba each notched an RBI. Resnik earned the win in the circle by giving up two hits and no runs in 1⅔ innings, striking out one batter in the process.
For Hampton, starting pitcher Josie Fritsch led all batters with three hits while Alena Zottola and Teresa Fritsch each added two hits. Josie (two) and Teresa Fritsch each drove at least one run in, as did Cara Ibinson and Addi Hanna.
The Talbots have used two pitchers this season in Josie Fritsch and Marissa Snyder, who pitched the last four innings of the game. Fritsch was tagged with the loss after surrendering seven hits and seven earned runs with six walks in two frames. On the other hand, Snyder shut the door for the rest of the game, giving up just two hits and no runs with two strikeouts and two walks.
“We’ve been using both of them all year, and it’s when do you make the change,” Hedderman said of Snyder. “Maybe it was too late. That’s a coaching decision that you kind of have to live with. But Marissa is such a competitor. She pitched her team to WPIALs twice, so she’s heartbroken. She could go 3 for 3, and she doesn’t care. We lost, that’s all. That’s who she is.”
Both offenses came out flying after an RBI groundout from Nigut made it 1-0 heading into the second.
Hampton responded immediately with three runs as Zottola singled and Teresa Fritsch walked to begin the frame. Hanna then roped an RBI double to set up a two-run single from Josie Fritsch, putting the Talbots in front 3-1.
But the Warriors had more offense in return, jumping back in front with five more runs.
Claire Balint and Holibaugh were on with one out when Resnik hit a triple to right that tied the game at 3-3. Nigut reached first before Evans grounded into a fielder’s choice that allowed Resnik to come home and put EF back in front at 4-3.
Cimba then drew a walk to set up a two-run single from Pasinsky to suddenly put the Warriors ahead 6-3.
Elizabeth Forward put more pressure on in the third when Sam Malek and Holibaugh opened the frame with walks, ending the day for Josie Fritsch. Snyder entered in her place and walked Resnik to load the bases, but she fought back to get two outs before she walked Cimba to scratch another run across. That concluded the EF scoring at 7-3.
The rest of the way was all about the Hampton offense against the Elizabeth Forward defense, and it seemed certain that the Talbots would win out at times.
Ibinson singled in the top of the fourth to score Josie Fritsch, bringing the score to 7-4. Zottola led things off with a single and scored on a hit from Teresa Fritsch in the top of the fifth, but the Warriors put together an important relay after an error in the outfield had Fritsch taking off for third. That gave Hampton its first out of the inning, and Holibaugh forced two more to make it 7-5 in the fifth.
In the sixth, Holibaugh opened things up with an out but gave up two walks and a single to Snyder from there. That’s when Resnik entered the contest seeking to keep her squad on top, and she did just that. Eden Lawrence struck out and Zottola popped out to strand three Talbots on the basepaths.
With three outs left in the seventh, Resnik forced groundouts that were fielded perfectly by Nigut at third and Malek at second. But the Talbots never folded, fighting back with singles from Josie Fritsch and Victoria Holtz. With runners on first and second, the go-ahead run was now at the plate, but pinch-hitter Jenna Backus hit another ground ball to Malek, who tossed over to Morgan Telegdy to win the game for the Warriors.