COAL TOWNSHIP - Shamokin Area junior pitcher Steph Pancher probably couldn't have picked a worse week to catch a finger on her pitching hand in a car door.
Facing a five-game week, all of which the Indian coaches considered winnable games, having Pancher in the circle might have made a four or even five-win week possible, and almost guaranteed the Indians a district playoff berth. Now, things are going to be tougher, as Shamokin's 12-9 Heartland Athletic Conference loss to Montoursville showed on Monday.
Freshman Helena Supsic replaced Pancher, and while she
kept the Indians in the game, she didn't have enough stuff on the ball to keep the Warriors off the bases. Montoursville had 10 hits, including four doubles, and their pitcher, senior Abbie Clark, did just enough to outpitch Supsic as Shamokin dropped to 5-5. The Indians play Shikellamy, a team they have already beaten, today, travel to Montoursville on Thursday, and have a doubleheader with Mount Carmel on Saturday at home.
"We didn't do enough to help our freshman pitcher," lamented Shamokin head coach Christi Cryder. "We made a lot of little mistakes and our bats didn't come alive until it was too late. This would have been a good one to win."
Pancher, who moved to first base, did her part, going 3-for-4 at the plate with a pair of doubles and four RBI. But Clark, after giving up three runs on two hits in the first inning, then retired 11 straight batters as Montoursville built a 7-3 lead through four innings.
During that stretch, the Indians made it easy for Clark, swinging at first pitches, missing signs and hitting the ball weakly when they did hit it. Clark wasn't overpowering but was in control, striking out seven and walking only three batters.
Supsic only walked five batters, but she struck out only one and the Warriors were able to hit some hard balls against her. They appeared to blow the game open with a five-run sixth inning. Tiana Steinbacher led the inning off with a double, and Payton Lynch had a two-run single and Kimberly Perrotta a two-run double in the inning.
Shamokin's bats finally woke up in the bottom of the inning, though. The Indians matched the five-spot, with Natalie Wolfe and Pancher both hitting two-run singles.
Supsic had her first 1-2-3 inning in the seventh, and Shamokin put runners at second and third in the bottom of the inning. but Clark struck out Supsic and got Brie Bonshock to pop out to first base to end the game.
Cryder hopes Pancher will be able to pitch before the week is over.
"She probably could have pitched today, but we didn't want to push it," she said. "We're just going to take it day by day."
Game Summary
MONTOURSVILLE (AB-R-H-BI) - Lynch 2-4-2-2, Perotta 4-2-2-2, Clark 4-0-2-3, Gorsline 0-1-0-0, Baker 3-0-1-1, Burger 4-0-1-1, Steinbacher 4-0-1-0, Konkle 0-1-0-0, Yocum 2-3-0-0, Weltmer 4-0-1-0, Cioffi 1-1-0-0. Totals 28-12-10-9.
SHAMOKIN (AB-R-H-BI) - Hornberger 4-3-2-0, Wolfe 3-2-1-2, S. Pancher 4-1-3-4, Bainbridge 4-0-0-0, Templar 4-0-0-0, Forbes 0-0-0-0, Augustitus 4-0-1-0, Demsko 0-1-0-0, O. Bonshock 4-0-1-0, Supsic 4-1-1-1, B. Bonshock 3-1-0-0. Totals 34-9-9-7.
Montoursville 113 205 0 - 12 10 3
Shamokin 300 015 0 - 9 9 3
2B - Weltmer, Clark. Steinbacher, Perrotta; Pancher 2.
IP H R ER BB K
Montoursville
Clark (W) 7 9 9 8 3 7
Shamokin
Supsic (L) 7 10 12 9 5 1