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Seals' playoffs hopes end at the hands of Williamsport

todd hummel, the daily item, sunbury, pa.
·4 min read

Apr. 30—SELINSGROVE — To have any hope at making a second straight District 4 Class 4A playoff appearance, Selinsgrove needed to catch fire after nine straight losses to start the season.

So a recent week in which they won four of five games was just what the doctor ordered.

However, with little room for error, Selinsgrove could ill afford what happened Tuesday afternoon in a Heartland Athletic Conference-Division I matchup with two-win Williamsport.

The Seals couldn't overcome five errors, and dropped an 8-4 decision to the Millionaires.

"I feel like we always have the one bad inning," Selinsgrove coach Jessica Chappell said. "There's been so many games where we've been ahead, but something happens. It snowballs and we have a bad inning we can't get out of."

Selinsgrove (4-11 overall, 1-6 HAC-I) led 1-0 for the early portion of the game after Erika Meiser singled with two outs in the second inning. Braylynn Derk followed with a single to right. The Millionaires tried for Meiser at third, but the throw got away, allowing Meiser to score for a 1-0 lead.

The score remained unchanged until the top of the fifth as Selinsgrove starter Kiersten Dupert wriggled out of a couple of jams and Williamsport left seven runners on base through four innings.

Williamsport (3-9, 1-6) took advantage of three Selinsgrove errors in the fifth to take the lead without the benefit of a hit. Dupert nearly escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fifth with two outs, but back-to-back errors gave Williamsport the 3-1 lead.

The Seals got back a run in the bottom of the inning. Grace Landis led off with a bunt single and took second on a passed ball. She moved to third on a groundout, then scored on Ali Beddall's RBI single to pull Selinsgrove within 3-2.

That's when the wheels fell off for the Seals.

The first five Williamsport hitters in the sixth reached base, and all came around to score.

Tianah Williams walked and stole second. Brenna Beck singled home Williams with Williamsport's second hit of the game. Emily McAnelly followed with a double to the fence for a 5-2 advantage. Ashlynn Robinson had an RBI single, and the final two runs scored on a wild pitch and an error for an 8-2 Millionaires advantage.

Selinsgrove didn't go quietly in the bottom of the seventh.

Cassidy Shay singled on the eighth pitch of her at-bat to open the inning. Beddall followed with a two-run shot — her fourth of the year — to pull Selinsgrove within 8-4. A line out, an error and Alyvia Herrold's third hit of the game put Selinsgrove runners on first and second. Robinson got a strikeout and a groundout to clinch the victory and snap Williamsport's four-game losing streak.

"That's one thing I've seen improvement on. Earlier in the season when we got down, we shut down," Chappell said. "I told them in the circle (after the game), 'Yeah, we lost, and we didn't avoid that one bad inning. The one thing I am proud of you for is that you never gave up.'"

With Selinsgrove now eliminated from the playoffs and five games remaining, what does Chappell hope to see from her team?

"I want to see them have fun and go all-out," Chappell said. "We have seven seniors, so it's the last time they all get to play together. So I hope they leave it all out on the field, and do the best they can."

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WILLIAMSPORT 8, SELINSGROVE 4

Williamsport;000;035;0 — 8-5-2

Selinsgrove;010;010;2 — 4-11-5

Ashlynn Robinson and Erin McAnelly. Kiersten Dupert, Aubrei Hoyles (6), Kate Varner (7) and Teagan Richter.

WP: Robinson. LP: Dupert.

Williamsport: Brenna Beck 1-for-4, run, RBI; McAnelly 2-for-4, double, 2 runs, 2 RBIs; Robinson 1-for-2, 2 runs, RBI.

Selinsgrove: Cassidy Shay 1-for-4, run; Ali Beddall 2-for-4, home run (7th, 1 on), run, 3 RBIs; Richter 2-for-4, double; Alyvia Herrold 3-for-4; Erika Meiser 1-for-3, run; Grace Landis 1-for-3, run.