Published: May 20, 2009 01:12 am      

Trojans triumph in softball

Extra-inning victory earns spot in District 6 title game

JOHNSTOWN — Home-field advantage almost didn’t pay off for the Johnstown girls softball team Tuesday in the Trojans District 6 Class AAA semifinal encounter against Lewistown.

Almost.

Johnstown survived an uncharacteristic three errors to earn a narrow 2-1 victory over the upstart Panthers in the eight-inning game.

“It was huge for us seniors that it was our last game on our home field,” Johnstown senior shortstop Stephanie Szczur said. “It was very sentimental at the beginning of the game. In warmups, we were dropping balls just because we were hurrying, we were nervous and that’s what happens, you

make mistakes.

“We’re not always going to have perfect games. Nobody’s perfect and we work with what we have. We came together as a team and started hitting and went on to win the game.”

The Trojans (16-0) advance to Thursday’s championship opposite Bellefonte, a 6-3 winner Tuesday over Indian Valley.

The game will be played at Hollidaysburg at 5 p.m.

Szczur led off the eighth with a walk. Back-to-back bunt base hits by winning pitcher Megan McMillen and Courtney Blank advanced Szczur to third and set the stage for Lindsay Lovrich. With no outs, Lovrich hit a long fly ball to right fielder Cheyenne Stonerook.

Stonerook made the throw home but Szczur scored before the ball got there, ending the game.

“I wasn’t hitting good myself (Tuesday),” Szczur said. “Getting that walk and two bunts in a row, it just lifted everybody’s spirits, and that’s what it took for us to pull out the win.”

Johnstown got on the board in the fourth as Blank singled and went to second on a wild pitch. Katie Golby singled home Blank just ahead of the tag by Lewistown catcher Emily Tomasello to give the Trojans a 1-0 lead, which held up until the seventh.

The Panthers, who finished

7-12, took advantage of a pair of Johnstown errors in the seventh to record an unearned run.

Maddie Amspacker reached first on miscue by Szczur.

Amspacker came the whole way around the bases, scoring on a ball that was just out of the glove of center fielder Golby.

“That was very nerve-wracking game,” Johnstown coach Randy Romesburg said. “I scouted them the other day, and knew they were a good team. I don’t think our girls overlooked Lewistown.

“There’s a lot going on with a lot of seniors, and I want their focus to be on softball, but I don’t know if it is all the time. But we live for another day.”

McMillen had another solid outing, scattering five hits and finishing with 10 strikeouts and no walks. Lewistown sophomore pitcher Brooke Morningstar had five strikeouts with one walk and allowed nine hits.

“This was a big win for us,” McMillen said. “We never give up. When little things happen, you have to regroup from them and come out strong and make up for it.”

Blank was 3-for-4 and scored a run while Kassie Sabo went

2-for-3 for Johnstown. Jess Henry and Stonerook were both 2-for-4 for the Panthers.

“I’m totally please with each and every one of my kids,” Lewistown coach Kim Eckley said. “I told them after the game, we can’t hang our

heads. We gave everything that we had. We hit the ball hard, unfortunately it went to people.

“At the beginning of the game, their pitcher was keeping us off balance, and as the game went on, we started catching up to her and hitting the ball hard, and they made some great defensive plays. It was a good all-around game.

“We are young and have most of the team back and are looking forward to next season.”