May 28, 2024 By Jim Downey 3 min read

JEFFERSON – Carys McConnell slid head first across the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning Tuesday for the winning run in Carmichaels’ 7-6 victory against West Greene in the WPIAL Class A third-place game.

Carmichaels enters the PIAA softball playoffs as the third team out of District 7 and will play District 10 champion Cambridge Springs on Monday. West Greene plays as the fourth team from the WPIAL and travels to the District 6 champ.

“It’s tough when you play someone three times. They’re a very scrappy, well-coached team. Every game we’ve played has been competitive,” said Carmichaels coach Dave Briggs, adding, “When you play someone three times, it’s not easy.”

West Greene coach Billy Simms noted the game only decided which way the teams were traveling, but he’s always in it to win it.

“You always try to win every game. At least, we do,” said Simms. “Today’s game was a placement game. You had the comfortability of knowing you were already in, whether you were going to Erie or going to the Johnston area,”

McConnell started the game-winning rally when she reached third after her sharply-hit line drive was misplayed. Ali Jacobs was intentionally walked for the second time and McConnell scored on Megan Voithofer’s ground ball.

The game was tied at 1-1 entering the top of the fourth inning when play was stopped for 30 minutes because of thunder. A heavy rain then followed, but the infield at Jefferson-Morgan was covered with a tarp and when the rains finally subsided and the ground crew raked in bags of Diamond Dry, the game resumed 75 minutes later at 5:30 p.m.

West Greene came out firing after the weather delay and, with the aid of two errors, regained the lead at 4-1 with three runs.

Carmichaels responded with two unearned runs in the bottom of the inning. The second scored on Bailey Barnyak’s run-scoring double.

West Greene came right back with two more unearned runs in the top of the fifth inning.

Sammi Zimmerman walked with two outs and came around to score when Kendra Tharp’s fly ball was played into a three-base error. Tharp scored when the relay to third base skipped out of play.

Carmichaels batted around in the bottom of the inning to pull into a 6-6 tie.

Duski Staggers executed a safety squeeze to plate one run. The second scored on an error and the third came home on Barnyak’s second double of the game.

Barnyak settled down after the fifth inning and retired the last nine batters of the game. Barnyak struck out 10 and walked two.

“I think she was really strong there in the last couple innings,” said Briggs.

West Greene’s Payton Gilbert allowed only one runner in the sixth and seventh innings.