By JEREMY SELLEW
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Despite leading 4-1 heading into the seventh inning Wednesday, Elizabeth Forward will not have the opportunity to defend its WPIAL championship.
Highlands scored three runs in the top of the seventh and added two more in the top of the eighth to upset the Warriors and advance to next week’s championship game.
A dropped third strike, two singles and uncharacteristic errors spelled doom for EF.
“Our defense hasn’t been very good in the two scrimmages and it cost us today,” EF head coach Harry Rutherford said. “You can’t make five or six errors in the last two innings and expect to win.”
Up until the seventh, EF pitcher Kailey Larcinese was on cruise control.
She allowed a solo homer in the top of the first inning to Kassidy Cambal, then only allowed one hit through the next five innings.
“I don’t know if she got tired. She’s been battling a back injury and has been getting treatments, so I don’t know if that played a role in it or not. She hasn’t been as sharp with her command as we’re used to seeing.”
Trailing 1-0, the Warriors (16-3) took the lead with three runs in the bottom of the second.
Carlee Soukup walked and scored on Anna Resnik’s two-out double. Bri Sersevic knocked in Resnik with an RBI single then came into score when Grace Smith lofted a fly ball to left and Rams’ left fielder Riley Pointkowski muffed it for an error.
EF looked set when it added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI single by Shelby Telegdy.
“We were feeling good. We got that big insurance run,” Rutherford said. “From there, I don’t know if it was nerves or what. We just couldn’t make plays on the routines.”
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