Freshman delivers as South Fayette upsets Knoch
WEXFORD – Approaching the umpire to make a substitution prior to the sixth inning, South Fayette High School freshman Ashley Micholas didn’t know the type of impact she might have after the Lions fell behind two runs the inning before.
After leading off with a single to start a two-run, sixth-inning rally that would force extra innings, Micholas decided she would be the one to end the game, too.
After two groundouts for the Lions in the top of the ninth inning, the situation was bleak until a heads-up play from Sara Jubas allowed her to end up on second base after an absent-minded Knoch team failed to cover the bag on the harmless single.
Micholas didn’t waste any time as she poked a single to right field to score Jubas, and scored an insurance run on a Delaney Ging single, giving South Fayette a 6-4 upset victory in a WPIAL Class AAAA first-round playoff game at North Allegheny High School Monday afternoon.
South Fayette (12-7) advances to the quarterfinals where it will face Ambridge, which defeated Highlands, 13-3.
“We have put her in situations like that before and she has come up big,” South Fayette coach Olet Stasko said about Micholas. “We know that we can rely on her and she keeps her nerves under control. That’s impressive to see from a freshman.”
The Lions had an answer every time the potent, experienced Knoch lineup thought it had put them in the rearview mirror.
Knoch (16-3) scored two runs on a Natalie Brown single in the fourth inning for a 2-0 lead, which drew an immediate response from South Fayette. The Lions tied the score in the fifth inning with an RBI double from Jenne Harasin and a run-scoring single from Mia Ely.
Stumping Knoch in the final four innings was a decision made by Stasko to change pitchers, relying on the deliberate delivery of Madison Potteiger.
Despite allowing hitters to reach base, Potteiger danced out of danger and didn’t allow a run.
“They were just timing our starter,” Stasko said. “I wanted to give (Knoch) a different speed and a lot of breaking balls. We thought it could throw them into a loop.”
Knoch left seven on base in the final four innings.
“We’ve gotten big hits with girls on base all year long,” Knoch coach Tim Knappenberger said. “It didn’t happen today and that’s just sports. We didn’t execute when we needed to today. That’s the bottom line.”
The Knights threatened in the bottom of the ninth but couldn’t advance a runner past second base.
Knoch starting pitcher Celia Knappenberger struck out 10 and only allowed one walk in a complete game. Sydney Natili went 3-for-5 for the Knights.
South Fayette’s Lauren Bernett led the Lions with two RBI, both off a one-out triple that tied the score in the top of the sixth inning.
“We have clutch hitters,” Stasko said. “People surprised us today with hits that usually are singles that were turned into extra bases.”