ORLANDO, Florida - With the Monroe High School softball team locked in a tie game Thursday, the floodgates opened in the fourth inning for Pine Richland (Pa.) High School.
Pine Richland erupted for eight runs and rolled to a 12-1 six-inning win over the Cheesemakers at the ESPN Sports Complex.
"The roof just caved in on us," Monroe coach Dale Buvid said. "It was just a bad, bad inning."
Pine Richland High School is located in a suburb of Pittsburgh and has an enrollment of about 1,600.
"We ran into a very talented team," Buvid said. "They were just a better team than us. I'm just a little disappointed we didn't play better. It should have been a lot more competitive, but we played all 14 players in both games and the scrimmage. If you would have told me before we left that we would split against two quality teams, I would be happy. We will be better prepared for conference playing opening up on Thursday."
Pine Richland had three infield hits and scored on a squeeze bunt as they racked up eight hits in the pivotal fourth inning.
"I thought they had a couple of well-struck balls and a triple that cleared the bases," Buvid said. "Three of their eight hits didn't leave the infield, and they took advantage of their team speed. There were a lot of times where we didn't help ourselves defensively."
Early on, the game had the makings of a showdown. Pine Richland scored one unearned run off Monroe senior pitcher Natalie Dillon in the first.
Monroe (1-1) came back to tie the game in the third. Dillon was hit by a pitch and senior Brooke Adams singled. Dillon later scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 1.
Dillon then retired seven straight batters. Dillon pitched five innings and struck out two and walked one.
"She didn't get her second, third and fourth pitches over (the plate) with the same consistency like she did the other day," Buvid said. "She's not overpowering fast. She has to spot her fastball and get her second, third and fourth pitches over for strikes."
The Cheesemakers had a golden scoring opportunity in the second. Monroe senior Kylea Ambrose singled, and senior Cassidy Pivonka reached on an error. Sophomore Alysha Witt had a bunt single to load the bases with one out. Junior Lexi Hilliard hit a fly ball to right field. Ambrose tagged up on the play and was thrown out at the plate for an inning-ending double play that thwarted the Cheesemakers' threat.
"The fly ball to right field was kind of in between and it was a tough call to send her or don't send her," Buvid said. "They made a great defensive play."
Pine Richland erupted for eight runs and rolled to a 12-1 six-inning win over the Cheesemakers at the ESPN Sports Complex.
"The roof just caved in on us," Monroe coach Dale Buvid said. "It was just a bad, bad inning."
Pine Richland High School is located in a suburb of Pittsburgh and has an enrollment of about 1,600.
"We ran into a very talented team," Buvid said. "They were just a better team than us. I'm just a little disappointed we didn't play better. It should have been a lot more competitive, but we played all 14 players in both games and the scrimmage. If you would have told me before we left that we would split against two quality teams, I would be happy. We will be better prepared for conference playing opening up on Thursday."
Pine Richland had three infield hits and scored on a squeeze bunt as they racked up eight hits in the pivotal fourth inning.
"I thought they had a couple of well-struck balls and a triple that cleared the bases," Buvid said. "Three of their eight hits didn't leave the infield, and they took advantage of their team speed. There were a lot of times where we didn't help ourselves defensively."
Early on, the game had the makings of a showdown. Pine Richland scored one unearned run off Monroe senior pitcher Natalie Dillon in the first.
Monroe (1-1) came back to tie the game in the third. Dillon was hit by a pitch and senior Brooke Adams singled. Dillon later scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 1.
Dillon then retired seven straight batters. Dillon pitched five innings and struck out two and walked one.
"She didn't get her second, third and fourth pitches over (the plate) with the same consistency like she did the other day," Buvid said. "She's not overpowering fast. She has to spot her fastball and get her second, third and fourth pitches over for strikes."
The Cheesemakers had a golden scoring opportunity in the second. Monroe senior Kylea Ambrose singled, and senior Cassidy Pivonka reached on an error. Sophomore Alysha Witt had a bunt single to load the bases with one out. Junior Lexi Hilliard hit a fly ball to right field. Ambrose tagged up on the play and was thrown out at the plate for an inning-ending double play that thwarted the Cheesemakers' threat.
"The fly ball to right field was kind of in between and it was a tough call to send her or don't send her," Buvid said. "They made a great defensive play."
