May 29, 2013 4 min read

CALIFORNIA – Alissa Torboli wasn’t about to panic.

The Burgettstown softball team’s left fielder knew the Blue Devils, despite facing a four-run deficit in the sixth inning of Wednesday’s WPIAL Class A consolation game, were primed for a comeback.

A dramatic one, too.

Torboli’s two-run single a few inches inside the third-base line ignited the Blue Devils’ six-run rally, three Frazier errors kept it going and Burgettstown advanced to the PIAA Class A playoffs with a 9-4 win at California University’s Lilley Field.

“We’ve been talking a lot about keeping our heads up and not getting down on ourselves,” Torboli said. “We just kept picking each other up. We’re a strong team, and I knew we would come back.”

Burgettstown will play the District 6 champion in the first round of the state playoffs. The game will be Monday and likely in State College, though the time and location are not official.

Torboli, who also scored three times, was one of three Burgettstown players with multiple hits; right fielder Shannon Briggs and shortstop Lizzie Strain had two apiece.

That Burgettstown (17-5) was comfortable waiting for its offense to get going should come as no surprise given the Blue Devils had to wait 18 days for the WPIAL playoffs to start after receiving the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye.

After scoring one run in two games – not to mention enduring the worst game Burgettstown played all season in a 9-0 loss to Carmichaels in the WPIAL Class A semifinals – the Blue Devils could’ve gotten frustrated.

Turned out to be the exact opposite.

“We just got fired up,” third baseman Sami Scopel said. “We didn’t want to lose.”

Designated player Moe Ellek and first baseman Chey Winters opened the decisive sixth by reaching on errors, second baseman Brenna Butts moved them into scoring position, and Torboli tucked her shot inside third.

After a Briggs sacrifice, Torboli scored on Frazier’s third error of the inning to take a 5-4 lead.

Scopel drove a two-run single to left for two more runs and a 7-4 lead before Winters walked with the bases loaded for Burgettstown’s sixth run of the inning. Torboli scored for the third time in the top of the seventh, courtesy of two more errors and a wild pitch.

Frazier took a 2-0 lead early on solo home runs from pitcher Andrea Lash and designated player Paige Hotz. The Commodores got two more in the fourth, one on an RBI single from Hotz, another on a botched bunt coverage.

Burgettstown scored the final nine runs of the game, the first two of that stretch coming when Torboli led off with a double to the wall in left and scored on a single by Strain. Briggs beat out an infield single and scored on a wild pitch.

Frazier finished with seven errors, two walks, two wild pitches, and Lash, the Commodores’ starting pitcher, hit a batter.

“You have seven errors you aren’t going to beat too many people,” Frazier coach Paul Harvey said.

Especially not a group as resilient as Burgettstown, which won the Section 1-A title and reached the WPIAL semifinals for the first time since 2006.

“We told the girls to just keep swinging the bats,” Burgettstown coach Mark Deer said. “As long as they keep putting the ball in play, anything can happen.”

Bre Lonick was the winning pitcher, allowing four runs on seven hits with three strikeouts. … Burgettstown’s first three hitters were a combined 5-for-12 with two RBI and three runs. … Catcher Caley Ritts showed some agility behind the plate by fielding two missed bunt attempts for popouts.