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July 3, 2012

DISTRICT 1 SOFTBALL: FCVA rolls into D-1 title tilt with win over Cochranton

By Lisa Byers Meadville Tribune

July 3, 2012 7:00 a.m. SAEGERTOWN — Scoring runs is impossible without baserunners.

That is something the Saegertown coaching staff stressed hard to its players during the high school season, challenging them to concentrate more about getting on base than anything else.

The Lady Panthers wound up with a team on-base percentage of .518, which translated into the program’s first District 10 championship and state playoff victory.

Now that lesson is being passed down.

FCVA had a team on-base percentage of .585 with the help of 11 base hits, 11 walks and two hit batsmen during a 13-3 win over Cochranton on Monday in the District 1 9-and-10 Year Olds softball winners’ bracket final at Bertram Park.

With the win, FCVA earns a spot in the District 1 title game slated for Thursday back at Bertram Field. FCVA will face the winner of tonight’s losers’ bracket final between Cochranton and McLane.

“I’m happy because the pitchers did well (last night),” FCVA catcher Carlie Schlosser said, “and we played like a team.”

“Yeah. There is no ‘I’ in team,” FCVA pitcher Katelyn Young said.

FCVA’s dominating performance was sparked by the batter, whose main job is to get on base. That was Schlosser, the blue and gold’s leadoff hitter. Schlosser reached base safely in all five plate appearances.

She finished the night 3-for-3 with two singles, a double, two walks, four runs scored and two RBIs. Schlosser’s biggest hit came in the third inning — a double to the gap in right-center field that plated a pair of runs to cap a six-run inning and gave FCVA a 9-0 lead through two-and-a-half frames.

FCVA had four players with multiple hits. Courtney Hess was 2-for-2 with three walks. The Saegertown-based squad had three players with at least two RBIs.

“It was a total team effort,” FCVA coach Mike Young said. “I’m proud of everybody ... defensively, offensively, pitching. It was a great team win.”

Speaking of pitching. FCVA’s superb offensive outing was backed by a pretty spectacular performance on the mound. Young started the game and went four complete, allowing just four hits. She gave up three runs, only one of which was earned, walked one and struck out 11.

Hess took over in the fifth inning and allowed one hit, while striking out three. Of FCVA’s 14 strikeouts, eight were on called third strikes. Three of those big strikeouts came in the third inning when Cochranton tried to mount a comeback.

Lauren Phillips led off the inning with a double — the first hit of the game off Young. She scored on a bunt base hit by Kendall Miller, who came around to score after the throw to first base sailed into the outfield.

Then with two outs, Alissa Dickson singled and stole second and third. Young retired the next batter with a K to limit the damage.

“(Cochranton is) a good team and we may see them again,” coach Young said. “We’re looking forward to it when it gets here, whoever we play. I’m sure it will be a good game.”

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