May 7, 2016 5 min read

CANONSBURG – It was no secret Baldwin was regarded as the top team in Section 4-AAAA entering the season.

The Highlanders had a strong senior class returning, including the top pitcher in the section.

That why Canon-McMillan’s win over Baldwin last month was so significant.

Canon-McMillan got an outstanding pitching performance from sophomore Abi Michelucci that helped the Big Macs overcome three errors. The win instantly shifted the balance of power and made the the Big Macs the favorite to earn at least a share of the section title for the fifth consecutive year.

Saturday, it was Baldwin’s pitcher and top offensive threat that put the Big Macs’ celebration on hold and put the Highlanders in position to earn a share of the title for the second straight year.

Senior Ana Hale struck out eight and allowed only five hits, and the Highlanders’ offense spotted her four runs in the first inning in an 11-2 win over Canon-McMillan at North Strabane Intermediate School Field Saturday afternoon.

The Big Macs (9-2, 14-3) can earn at least a share of the section title with a win Tuesday over Peters Township, If they lose, they’ll need Baldwin (9-2, 10-3) to fall to Bethel Park Tuesday. Both teams can still win an outright title with a win and a loss by the other.

Hale retired 11 consecutive batters from the end of the third inning to the seventh and allowed only one hit over the final four innings.

“I know coming in that it’s never easy to beat a team twice,” Canon-McMillan head coach Michele Moeller said. “Going into the season, Baldwin was definitely favored. Baldwin’s a good team. I knew that going into the season. They have hitters through the lineup and Ana Hale is a really good pitcher.”

The Highlanders’ top returning hitter – senior first baseman Jaimie Schleicher – did the most damage. It was her two-run double in the first inning that gave Baldwin the early lead and she added a two-run homer in the fifth to stretch the lead to eight.

Schleicher went 4-for-5 with three runs and four RBI, but she wasn’t the only one who excelled against Michelucci and senior Kaylee Gohring, who pitched 4 2/3 innings and allowed six earned runs in relief. All but one starter had at least one hit for Baldwin and six different players had a multi-hit game.

The Highlanders’ three senior starters – Schleicher, Hale and Ashley Brady – combined to drive in six runs to keep Baldwin’s title hopes alive.

“Those three seniors made the difference, especially Jaimie Schleicher – I think she’s the best player in the league,” Baldwin first-year head coach Vince Sortino said. “She’s batting over .750 and hasn’t struck out all year long. That’s an amazing stat. When you get that type of leadership from seniors, you couldn’t ask from anything more.”

Adeline Tagg added a two-run double in the first inning to give Baldwin a 4-0 lead, but Canon-McMillan didn’t take long to answer.

Senior shortstop Linda Rush, who went 2-for-3, hit a two-out single, and junior second baseman Brittney Crawford followed with a two-run homer to center field to cut the deficit to two.

Baldwin added a run in the second on an RBI single by Samantha Wampler, and though Canon-McMillan had a runner in scoring position during the second and third innings, it could not break through against Hale, who used her changeup to keep the Big Macs off balance.

The Highlanders added two runs in the fifth, three in the sixth and one in the seventh as Michelucci, who allowed five earned runs, re-entered the game with two outs in the sixth after Gohring relieved her in the second inning.

The Big Macs couldn’t hit Hale after scoring five runs against her last month, but it was their defense, particularly backing up balls hit into the outfield, that disappointed Moeller.

“We didn’t do what we needed to do. We had some backup issues that I did not anticipate,” Moeller said. “That’s on me. I can’t believe how many backups we missed. I think at least three or four runs took us out of the game when we could have battled.”

Now, the Big Macs must battle to earn the section title and a favorable spot in the WPIAL playoffs, which begin next Monday, but it isn’t an unfamiliar position.

After losing to Mt. Lebanon on the road earlier this season, Canon-McMillan bounced back with five consecutive section wins.

“We’ll bounce back again. We have to win Tuesday to get a share of the section,” Moeller said. “It is what it is.”