Lewisburg's season ends in state silver

Jun. 17—STATE COLLEGE — As soon as Alexis Walter's homer clanked off the scoreboard at Beard Stadium, Lewisburg started to feel good about itself.

The blast stopped a streak of nine straight retired by Avonworth pitcher Alivia Lantzy, and gave the Green Dragons a two-run advantage in Thursday's PIAA Class 3A championship game.

"I was feeling pretty confident at that point. (Pitcher) Kimmy (Shannon) was cruising," Lewisburg coach Ken Wagner said. "But the way the bottom part of the lineup had hit Kimmy, it kind of worried me. They put the ball in play, and a lot of time that doesn't happen."

The homer turned out to be the only mistake Lantzy made in the circle, and the Antelopes' ability to put the bat on the ball against Shannon paid off in a four-run fifth inning as Avenworth rallied to a 7-2 victory and the Class 3A state championship.

"I'm just really proud of everybody. At the beginning of the season, we thought we had the potential to go this far," said Erin Field, one of three seniors along with Walter and Rylee Dyroff who played their final game for the Green Dragons. "It's crazy just have the opportunity to play here (at Penn State); it was amazing. This team is really special.

"Yeah, it does suck that we loss, but we got the opportunity."

The Green Dragons (19-4) had an 11-game winning streak snapped by the loss, and were challenged for the first time at the plate since the district semifinals against Loyalsock. Central Columbia star Mea Consentino limited the Green Dragons to one-run in a season opening loss and to two runs in a nine-inning Lewisburg victory.

The Antelopes sophomore righty wasn't quite to the level of Consentino, but she certainly was the best pitcher Lewisburg faced in its state playoff run.

"Her rise ball was really good," Walter said. "You could see it coming, but it would move just enough that it wouldn't hit your bat."

Lantzy struck out nine for Avenworth (21-5), and keyed the Antelopes first ever state title.

"We knew we'd have to battle the whole game. I just wanted to move the ball around, and not give them anything good to hit," Lantzy said.

Avenworth coach Jenna Muncie added: "I'm not sure we made an adjustment, we like to work the ball in and out. We did notice it made them uncomfortable when we worked the ball inside."

Field said: "She's the best pitcher we've seen in states. The pitching we saw in previous games was not as good as (Lantzy), and we had to adjust to that the first time through the lineup."

Sydney Bolinsky had a two-strike RBI single in the first inning with two outs, and Lantzy retired the next nine hitters in a row. Walter got three straight balls to open her at-bat in the top of the fourth. Lantzy worked back to a 3-2 count before Walter got all off a rise ball and hit it off the Beard Field scoreboard.

"Especially since its my senior year, it's a great thing to remember that I hit a homer off the scoreboard at Penn State's softball field," Walter said. "I'm always looking high and inside. She threw me that pitch, and I got all of it."

Lantzy added: "I just really tried not to give them something good to hit, but one time they did, obviously."

Offensively for the Antelopes, Thursday's title victory looked similar their win over Bald Eagle Area in the semifinals where it took them three innings to score. Avonworth didn't do much off Shannon the first time through the lineup.

"I think we it takes a bit to get comfortable at the plate sometimes, and to have the right approach," Muncie said. "I knew we had to kind of pivot out of what our original approach (at the plate). I knew Kimmy was a very good pitcher. I was able to watch a little bit of film on her. She throw a real good curveball in on the hands, and I could see that was affecting us early on.

"We made the adjustment in the fifth inning, and moved away from the plate a bit. Believe or not, that was the inning we came alive."

Avenworth tied the game at 2-2 in the fourth inning. Leah Kuban hit a long, high double off the left-field fence for the Antelopes' first hit of the game. She took second on Ryley Gray's groundout, and scored on Cat Barrie's single. Barrie was called for interference on Cassie Heinhauer's grounder to second.

Heinhauer took second on a wild pitch. Myla Hzen then pinch ran for Heinhauer to give Avenworth a better chance to score on a base hit. Emma Obesteiner then fouled off two, two-strike pitches before lining a base hit up the middle to tie the game.

Then in the fifth inning, Sydney Savatt singled and Lantzy walked. A wild pitch moved the runners up to second and third, before an error allowed the go-ahead run to score.

Meghan Fissore walked to load the bases, and Walter entered the game. Gray lined a 3-1 pitch past the left fielder for a bases-clearing double, and a 6-2 lead for the Antelopes. Walter got three straight fly outs to end the inning.

Lewisburg had one last chance to score in the top of the sixth. Carley Wagner singled, and Field walked. Lantzy got a strikeout and a pop out to the circle, before walking Walter to load the bases. She went to 3-1 on Gracie Murphy, who grounded the fifth pitch to second base to end the threat.

"We had a couple of opportunities where we had people in scoring position, and couldn't get the big hit," Ken Wagner said. "(Lantzy) did a great job. She kept jamming us, and getting us to hit weak ground balls or little weak pop ups. She kept us off-balance, especially with the hitting team that I have."

Ryan Brouse and pinch hitter Makaila Huff hit the ball hard, but lined into outs to center field and second base, respectively, but Lantzy retired the side in order in the top of the seventh to give Avenworth the state championship.

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PIAA Playoffs

CLASS 3A CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

at Beard Field, Penn State University

AVONWORTH 7, LEWISBURG 2

Lewisburg;100;100;0 — 2-3-1

Avonworth;000;241;x — 7-7-0

Kimmy Shannon, Alexis Walter (5) and Sydney Bolinsky. Alivia Lantzy and Rylee Gray.

WP: Lantzy; LP: Shannon.

Lewisburg: Carley Wagner, 1-for-2, run; Bolinsky, 1-for-3, RBI; Walter, 1-for-2, homer (4th, solo), run, RBI.

Avonworth: Sydney Savatt, 1-for-3, run; CC Jimenez, 2 runs; Meghan Fissore, 1-for-3, run, RBI; Leah Kuban, 1-for-2, double, 2 runs; Gray, 1-for-4, double, 3 RBIs; Cat Barrie, 1-for-3, RBI; Emma Obesteiner, 1-for-3, RBI.