Lynn, Central scorch Richland in District 6 Class 3A softball quarterfinal
May 24—MARTINSBURG, Pa. — Going into Monday's District 6 Class 3A quarterfinal matchup with Richland, Central had the date "May 10" stuck in the back of its mind.
On that day two weeks ago, the Scarlet Dragons were defeated by the Rams courtesy of a walk-off error, and now that it's the postseason, Central used the loss as an extra push to get a victory.
The Scarlet Dragons pounded out 12 hits, led by a strong performance from junior Lacey Lynn, as Central claimed an 11-4 victory over the Rams to advance to Thursday's semifinals against No. 4 Bald Eagle Area.
"It was definitely a little bit of motivation," Central coach Johnathan Burket said. "We talked before the game, and we said, 'This is not only a playoff game, this is a little bit of a revenge game.' (Richland) is a good team, I won't take anything away from them, but we really wanted this. Our bats definitely had to get hot today, and we did that to come out on top."
After being set down in order in the bottom of the first, Central was able to tally runs in the next five consecutive innings.
Lynn led the Scarlet Dragons (19-2) offensively by finishing a triple short of the cycle, going 3-for-3 with a home run, double and four RBIs. Lynn also reached base all four times and scored three runs.
"(Lacey) is an overall great player, both on and off the field," Burket said. "She's great with pitching and hitting, but she's also a leader with the younger girls. She played a big part in the win today."
Madison Kennedy, Taylor Stock and Bralyn Ellis all tallied two hits apiece for Central, with Ellis recording two RBIs and Kennedy scoring three times. Madison Daugherty hit a solo home run.
"They're relentless hitters," Richland coach Dicky Burke said of Central. "If we can't match that while also playing mistake-free softball, then we're going to have trouble, and that's what happened. We made a few mistakes, some at the plate, and we couldn't match their hitting."
Richland got on the board in the first inning after Aubrianna Henry scored on a wild pitch. The Rams, though, had the bases loaded later in the frame, but three strikeouts ended the threat.
The Rams struggled with runners on base as three of their four runs came on Scarlet Dragons miscues — two wild pitches and an error. Laikyn Roman recorded the lone RBI on a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning for Richland, which stranded nine runners.
"I think we had some momentum going in the first inning, but we just couldn't put a barrel on the ball," Burke said. "We had to find some way to put the ball in play. We did a lot of good things today, but didn't get the timely hit."
Lynn earned the win in the circle for Central after tossing a complete game, allowing four runs (three earned) on eight hits while walking two and striking out nine.
Lynn gave Central the lead in the bottom of the third with an RBI double as the Scarlet Dragons eventually led 5-1 through four innings. Richland got two runs back in the fifth to trim the deficit. Lynn's home run pushed Central's advantage back to 7-3 before the Scarlet Dragons scored four more times in the bottom of the sixth.
Anna Burke, a Southern Illinois-Edwardsville recruit, topped the Rams with three hits and a run scored. Ava Wenderoth tallied two hits and scored two runs. Kendal Wadsworth took the complete-game loss in the circle.
Coach Burke commended the Rams' effort for the season after finishing 10-6 despite having just three outdoor practices prior to their first game.
"We had a rough beginning to the year with the weather and lack of games," Coach Burke said. "At one point, I believe we had 38 practices inside. It took us a while to get going, but once we did, the team as a whole got so much better, and the wins kept coming. I'm very proud of the effort this year."
