PIAA SOFTBALL: Defensive gems, Runco deliver Mid Valley's first state championship
Jun. 17—UNIVERSITY PARK — When the state quarterfinal and semifinal games were hanging in the balance, Mid Valley pitcher Maranda Runco took matters into her own hands and hoisted the team on her back.
But in Saturday's PIAA Class 3A championship game, Runco found herself in need of a big play from someone else.
Senior third baseman Madison Kizer delivered, turning a rally-crushing double play in the top of the sixth inning, and the Spartanettes made their first-inning, unearned run stand up to win the school's first state title, 1-0, over Juniata at Penn State's Beard Field.
"We work really hard on our game defensively, and we perfect it every day at practice," Kizer said. "For us to come out in a state title game and show that to everybody, and everybody noticing it, it is a really big deal for us."
In the quarterfinal, Runco struck out a pair with the bases loaded and Mid Valley (23-2) rallied to beat Forest Hills. Against Palisades in the next round, Runco got a whiff and a soft comebacker to quell another bases-loaded threat.
This time, a leadoff single by Alexia Frontz and a walk to Savannah Marshall, who moments earlier missed a double by a whisker, put the tying and go-ahead runs aboard in the sixth for the Indians (25-4).
"They were hitting the ball," said Runco, who gave up four singles and fanned nine. "They're a very good hitting team. Their pitcher's amazing. But I just knew that if they hit the ball, our infield and outfield can make the plays."
So did Kizer, who during a mound meeting moments earlier said she'd be looking to turn two if the ball came her way.
"When we were in the timeout circle, I said it," Kizer said. "I was thinking it right away. I honestly saw the batter, I saw she might not have been the fastest girl so I thought I had a chance."
Sophia Smith turned on a pitch and ripped a one-hopper at Kizer, who was playing three steps in front of the bag. She snagged it, backtracked and tapped third, pivoted and threw across the diamond to complete the defensive gem.
"We had first and second, nobody out and she hits it really hard but it has to go right to her," Juniata coach Erin Cressman said. "She made a really great play. Step on third and was aware enough to realize she still had time to go across to first. Super great play, and just really unfortunate on our end. Not much you can do about that."
Runco got a routine grounder for the final out of the inning, the last good threat for the Indians, who consistently put good swings on the ball only to see Mid Valley make play after play, from routine to spectacular.
"It's unbelievable, but if we don't believe in ourselves, why should anyone else believe in us?" asked Mid Valley head coach Mike Piercy. "The belief that we have in each other, from day one, that's our motto.
"We believed we could do it and they did it today."
Juniata lefty Liz Gaisior had 413 strikeouts this season, including 20 against Jamestown in the state semifinal. But the Indians botched two of three plays in the field in that game, and another flaw against Mid Valley proved fatal.
With two down in the first, Chiara Zavislak topped a ball that traced the chalk along the third-base line. She beat it out for an infield single, but the late throw was off target and scooted all the way to the right-field corner.
Zavislak never slowed down, easily racing home for the game's only run.
"I just kept going," Zavislak said. "I saw her lunging for it and then I saw that she didn't catch it. So I just kept going. Once I rounded second, I thought (Piercy) was going to have me stop there, but I saw him telling me to keep going. Even when I was almost at third to keep going.
"In these types of games, it's usually whoever has the most mistakes loses, and that's what happened today."
It was a bonus for Runco, who tossed her 15th shutout of the season.
"We knew it would be a very close game," Runco said. "With a pitcher like that, we knew it was going to be 1-0, 2-0, 2-1, or something like that. We knew we had to get runs across the board and one was enough.
"I didn't know the ball went all the way to the fence. I thought she'd get to second. When I saw it back here I was like, 'Oh my God, she might score.'"
Juniata had its opportunities to break through, especially after collecting a pair of hits in the first and a single and a walk in the second.
"It's frustrating but we had our chances," Cressman said. "They made the plays. A lot of credit to them. They played a really great game. They shut us out.
"I really thought we were going to get a run across somewhere in there, but if you don't score, you're not going to win. So a lot of credit to them for their plays."
Krista Cortazar turned in the first big play, robbing Smith of extra bases with a running, jumping catch at the right-field foul line to start the fourth.
"They're all pretty good hitters so I had to stay focused and obviously they're going to be late on Maranda's pitch, so they're going to be coming to right field," Cortazar said. "I was just ready for it and came in and took a good angle and I got it.
"I had to jump a little bit for it, but I got it. I saw it come off the bat and I knew it was more toward the line, so I took a better angle and I sprinted to where the ball was going to be at and I caught it."
It was Kizer's turn in the fifth, reaching over third to backhand the ball and show off her arm for the second out, robbing Gaisior of a double.
After Kizer worked her magic in the sixth, the bottom third of Juniata's lineup proved no match for Runco. She reached back to strike out the side in the seventh, a changeup ending a seven-pitch at bat to secure the title.
"This was our last year for the four seniors, we knew we had to do it," Runco said. "We knew we could do it and we did.
"We just made history."
Mid Valley 1, Juniata 0
Juniata 000 000 0 — 0
Mid Valley 100 000 x — 1
WP: Maranda Runco 7IP, 4H, 0R, 0ER, 2BB, 9SO
LP: Elizabeth Gaisior 6IP, 2H, 1R, 0ER, 1BB, 10SO
Records: JUN 25-4, MV 23-2
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