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Hollidaysburg softball coach finds silver lining in title tilt setback

Hollidaysburg third baseman Maya Gearhart watches Central Mountain's Aubrey Eiler come in under her tag. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

CRESSON — Hollidaysburg coach Mike Harris and his Lady Tigers softball team were plenty happy to be making an appearance in the District 6 Class 5A championship game Tuesday at the Mount Aloysius College softball field.

Central Mountain and its coach Taylor Thompson had even bigger fish to fry, and secured the program’s fourth straight district championship with a 12-1, five-inning mercy rule victory that was finalized on a two-run homer by Cora Myers.

Senior catcher Katelyn Bowman drove in four runs for Central Mountain with a two-run homer to left field in the first inning and a two-run triple just inside the right field line in the fourth inning, when Central Mountain sent 11 batters to the plate and scored five runs on three hits while also benefiting from four walks and an error.

Hollidaysburg finished the season with a 3-18 record and provided top-seeded Central Mountain’s opposition in the district championship game after Mifflin County had decided not to enter the tournament.

For Harris and his players, the experience was a positive one despite Tuesday’s loss.

Hollidaysburg second baseman Sophia Morris reaches for an errant throw as Central Mountain's Taylor Doyle steals. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

“Any time that you can get an opportunity to play in a championship game, that’s fantastic,” Harris said. “We had our opportunities today, but we left nine runners on base, and when you get to this level and you play a team like Central Mountain, you’ve got to take advantage of your chances.”

Central Mountain improved to 14-1 on the season and will advance to a PIAA state tournament play-in game next Tuesday against either a District 8 or District 9 opponent at a site to be determined.

This is Thompson’s first year as the Lady Wildcats’ head coach, and she is hoping to continue the program’s excellent precedent that had included three successive district titles in the previous three seasons before she accepted the job this season.

“We never want to count anybody out, but we came in here with high expectations,” Thompson said. “Coming into this season, I felt some pressure as a first-year head coach, but being around such a good group of players calmed me down.

“This is a great group of girls, and we’re trying to continue to build a (successful) culture here.”

Central Mountain was never threatened after taking a 3-0 first-inning lead on a run-scoring single by Cirstyn Watson and Bowman’s two-run homer.

Watson had three hits and scored three runs for Central Mountain, while freshman shortstop Genna Peacock led Hollidaysburg’s batting attack with three hits.

Hollidaysburg graduates just three seniors – Sophia Morris, Lexi Peacock, and Alli Stevens – so the Lady Tigers will have an excellent returning nucleus next spring.

“We lose three very good seniors, but we’ll have a lot of good young players coming back, and some other good young players coming in,” Harris said.

HOLLIDAYSBURG (1): Hicks cf 301, Vincent p 300, Morris 2b 100, L. Peacock lf 302, G. Peacock ss 313, Snyder c 000, Hall dh 201, Chandler 1b 300, Gearhart 3b 100, Stevens rf 200. Totals – 21-1-7.

CENTRAL MOUNTAIN (12): Eiler 2b 422, Watson ss 333, Bowman c 432, Myers 1b 412, Shultz lf 302, Andrews 3b 300, T. Doyle cf 110, Weaver p 210, A. Doyle rf 010. Totals – 24-12-11.

SCORE BY INNINGS

Hollidaysburg 000 10x x–1-7-3

Central Mountain 310 53x x 12-11-0

3B–Bowman. HR–Bowman, Myers. RBI–Bowman 4, Myers 2, Watson, Eiler. SB–T. Doyle 2, Myers 2, Weaver, Eiler, Myers, Shultz, Bowman. SAC–A. Doyle. LOB–Hollidaysburg 9, Central Mountain 4.

PITCHING

Hollidaysburg: Vincent (L) 4 2/3IP, 11H, 12R, 11ER, 6BB, 0SO.

Central Mountain: Weaver (W) 5IP, 7H, 1R, 1ER, 4BB, 7 SO.

Umpires: Keith Fry (plate); Rick Walker (first base); Steve McCully (second base); Tracy Cornelius (third base).

Records: Hollidaysburg (3-18); Central Mountain (14-1).

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