Eagles top Bulldogs to advance

By JEREMY SELLEW

jsellew@yourmvi.com

With six starters never playing in a playoff game, Serra Catholic head coach Denny Willaman isn’t surprised how Tuesday’s WPIAL first-round game against Beth-Center turned out. 

While the No. 4 Eagles picked up an 11-3 win over the No. 13 Bulldogs, it wasn’t pretty.

“This is about the way I expected this game to be. Ugly,” Willaman said. “But our girls battled and we have some leaders out there that have experience. It just took us a little long to get going, especially with the bats. But that’s mostly my fault.”

The Eagles (12-4) thrived on small ball all season long and were potent with their bunting game. It was successful in the first inning, Willaman said, but they went away from it.

Serra Catholic fell behind early as the Bulldogs (6-9) took a 1-0 lead on Chloe Byrne’s RBI single that scored Kendell Welsh in the top of the first.

Byrne’s early struggles, undoubtedly thanks to some nerves, helped the Eagles answer back with six runs in the bottom of the frame.

They loaded the bases with nobody out as Ava Wisniewski was hit by a pitch and Maria Goldstein and Kelly Morrissey each walked.

Madisyn Zigarovich popped a soft fly ball just over second base that ended up as a sacrifice fly to tie it up. Cassidy Trahan followed and laid down a bunt that led to Byrne overthrowing first base, letting Goldstein score the second run.

Johanna Domek reached on an error allowing Morrissey to score and Keyara Watkins got the first Serra hit on an infield single to score Trahan and make it 4-1.

Alona Mortan added an RBI single to right and Cate Clarke laid down a sacrifice bunt to score Watkins for the Eagles’ final run of the inning.

The score remained 6-1 until the top of the fifth. The Bulldogs’ Kaitlynn Signorini singled and moved to third on Allison Lynch’s double. Byrne followed with a two-run single to left to cut her team’s deficit to 6-3.

The runs were charged to Morrissey, who came in to relieve Zigarovich.

“You just have to put it behind you when you get in those situations and make a mistake,” Morrissey said. “Whether it’s an error in the field or a bad pitch, you have to get over it and move to the next play.”

The Eagles answered back in the bottom of the sixth and put the game away, giving Morrissey a big cushion to play with in the circle.

Clarke smacked a two-run single to right to make it 8-3. Goldstein reached on an error before Morrissey reached on an error by BC shortstop Kendell Welsh. Clarke scored to make it 9-3.

Goldstein scored on a groundout and Trahan singled to center to drive in the final run.

“I don’t think we really squared up her pitches. I think her spin really gave us some trouble,” Willaman said. “But when we needed to add on, we settled in and took what they gave us. Good teams have to take advantage when teams give you extra outs.”

Zigarovich picked up the win after throwing the first four innings. She allowed only one run and three hits.

“Madi has been sick and hasn’t pitched in a while, so the plan coming in was for Kelly to come in halfway through,” Willaman added. “That’s something we’ll probably do here in the playoffs. I think the change of pace was tough for them to adjust on.”

The Eagles advance to Thursday’s quarterfinal when they’ll face No. 5-seed Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. The Chargers (13-4) survived No. 12 Steel Valley, 8-5, Tuesday.