By JOSE NEGRON
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With a trip to the PIAA Class 4A semifinals on the line, a pair of the WPIAL’s best will go head to head later today.
Elizabeth Forward, the third place team from the WPIAL, will face the Class 4A champions from Beaver in a noon quarterfinal matchup at Norwin High School.
The Warriors (18-3) are coming off a 15-0 first round rout over Franklin, while the Bobcats (18-0) are fresh off an 11-0 throttling of Eastern York.
EF head coach Harry Rutherford said he’s seen Beaver enough times to know what their strengths are.
It all starts in the pitching circle with junior Payton List, who is 13-0 with a 0.43 ERA in 16 starts this season.
In 97 innings, List has collected 191 strikeouts and walked just 35 batters. She has allowed 12 runs (six earned) on 31 hits while surrendering one home run.
“They have one of the best pitchers in the WPIAL,” Rutherford said of List. “She’s got a lot of speed and movement on the ball, so our bats have to be quick to get to her. I think we can make the adjustment on the speed.”
List is also a consistent offensive threat for a Bobcats unit that has compiled a .355 team average with 14 total home runs.
She is second on the team with a .421 batting average and has a team-high five home runs. She has 21 RBIs and 22 runs scored.
List is one of seven Beaver hitters batting over .350 this season. Senior Mackenzie Boyd (.444, 23 RBIs, 25 runs scored) and sophomore Kayla Cornell (.411, 3 HR, 24 RBIs) are among the Bobcats’ other leading hitters. Seniors Anna Blum and and Emilee Hohenshel are both batting over .390, while senior Bailey Nicol and junior Hanna Crowe are hitting .356 and .354.
Though Beaver’s offense will certainly present challenges for Elizabeth Forward pitcher Kailey Larcinese and the defensive group behind her, Rutherford said he wouldn’t be surprised to see a low-scoring, pitchers’ duel.
Larcinese, a Towson University recruit, is one of the top throwers in the WPIAL, striking out 186 batters and walking 19 in 115 2/3 innings. She has allowed just 11 earned runs.
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