Familiarity leads to perfect plan for victory

Jun. 15—PINE GROVE — There were several sights unfamiliar to 2021 after Line Mountain's 1-0 victory over Williams Valley in the PIAA Class 2A semifinals at Susan Stump Stadium at Pine Grove High School.

First, the Eagles and the Vikings lined up to shake hands after the game, something that hasn't been done because of the pandemic this season.

Second, Line Mountain pitcher Kya Matter and Williams Valley pitcher Emma Crisswell embraced for a while after the game as Matter consoled her, and Line Mountain catcher Aspen Walker made her way through the Williams Valley team, as well, consoling the Viking after their loss.

"Aspen and I have been playing with the Williams Valley girls since we were all 4 years old," Matter said. "To see them here (in the state semis) is just amazing."

The closeness was apparent after the game, but that knowledge also helped Matter and Walker formulate a plan for the Vikings hitters.

"I knew what to throw to some girls, what not to throw to some girls," Matter said. "It helped a little bit."

Walker and Matter kept up a conversation throughout the game on how to attack the Vikings hitters, who entered the contest hitting .363 as a team with 76 extra-base hits this year.

"We talked about it the whole game. Kya and I know this team so well from playing with them so long," Walker said. "We were bouncing ideas (on how to attack them) off our coaches the whole game."

Matter had a strong fastball Monday. At one point, Walker pulled her hand out of glove after a pitch, and shook out a stinger.

"(My hand) hurts a little," Walker said with a laugh. "She got me good on one pitch. (Monday) is probably the hardest I've seen her throw.

"I think we both really wanted this one, and it showed."

Matter tied her career-high with 19 strikeouts, but it was the first time she struck that many out in a seven-inning game. Her previous 19-strikeout performances came on May 6, 2019 when she stuck out 19 in 10 innings against Halifax, and earlier this season on April 28 in an eight-inning win over Juniata.

Unofficially, Matter has 304 strikeouts in 116 innings this season, and has struck 559 batters in three seasons — missing her junior season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

It wasn't all speed on Monday, though, for Matter. Her knowledge of the Vikings told her Williams Valley would come up with a game plan against her sooner or later.

"I knew that they would eventually be able to track that pitch," said Matter, who used her fastball and riseball early against the Vikings early. "I knew I'd had have to mix some of my slower stuff to keep them off balance."

The Vikings' adjustments at the plate came in the fourth inning. Catcher Alex Bogle had Williams Valley's hardest-hit ball of the game, a leadoff single. The next two hitters — Tori Rabuck and Lanie Shoop — both fouled off rise pitches twice. Matter used a change-up in both at-bats to end the fourth inning with a pair of strikeouts.

From that point on, Matter began to work her change-up in two-strike counts, especially after hitters fouled off a two-strike pitch or two.