By Jose Negron
Elizabeth Forward was left with a sour taste in its mouth after a one-run loss to Belle Vernon Area in last year’s WPIAL Class 4A championship game. The Warriors came one strike away from winning gold, but left with silver and a second-place trophy instead.
Fast forward a little over a year and Elizabeth Forward is finally enjoying the sweet taste of victory.
The second-seeded Warriors captured their first WPIAL title in program history with a 3-0 victory over top-seeded Mt. Pleasant at Greater Latrobe High School Friday.
The Vikings (17-1) entered the game as the lone remaining unbeaten team in the WPIAL.
“This is very sweet,” Elizabeth Forward head coach Harry Rutherford said. “I have been at EF a long time and we’ve been waiting for this. The girls did a great job for us and I couldn’t want anything more for these kids.”
EF’s starting lineup featured two freshmen, four sophomores, a junior and a pair of seniors.
For senior center fielder Taylor Ludwick, winning with this year’s group was a special experience, one she won’t soon forget.
“This is just the cherry on top. We’ve been working so hard after what happened last year and if there was any team to win, I knew it was going to be this team because of the drive we have and the amount of effort we’ve given through the whole season,” Ludwick said. “This just proved to everybody that we could do this and we have the ability and the talent.”
The Warriors (17-3) were held in check by Mt. Pleasant pitcher Carolyn Alincic through the first three innings. The Morehead State recruit, who surrendered four hits and struck out 12, had a no-hitter heading into the fourth before Jordan Pinneri led off the frame with a bunt single.
Pinneri stole second base and moved to third on a passed ball before Bri Sersevic lined an RBI single to right field to give EF a 1-0 advantage.
“You know they have their great pitcher on the mound, so you’re always looking to get that first run,” Rutherford said.