Windber erases 4-run deficit to knock off Tussey Mountain in District 5-2A semifinals
WINDBER ― A never-say-die effort by Windber in Thursday’s District 5 Class 2A softball semifinal game saw the Ramblers rally for three runs with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to come away with a thrilling 7-6 victory over visiting Tussey Mountain.
With runners at the corners, Windber was down to its final out when freshman Kaylie Gaye beat out an infield single to drive in pinch runner Layla Gray to pull the Ramblers within one. Summer Campbell followed with her first hit of the game to score Angel James with the tying run. A walk to Aaliyah James then loaded the bases.
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Gaye subsequently raced home on a wild pitch for the game-winner to propel the second-seeded Ramblers (11-8) into the district title contest next Wednesday against top-seeded Everett.
“We had a couple close games this season where we were up and ended up losing in the seventh inning,” said Windber coach Kayla McMunn. “The tables turned in our favor this game.
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"Some of our power hitters were pulling their heads and swinging for the fence, but I told them all we needed were base hits in the grass to win the game, and that’s what happened."
In addition to scoring the winning run, Gaye was 3-for-4 at the plate and drove in three runs for the Ramblers.
“When we came into that last inning only down by two, I couldn’t have had any more confidence in my teammates,” said Gaye. “When I was on third base and saw that ball roll away, I knew that I would be able to score, and it’s an amazing feeling.”
Tussey Mountain (6-8) was in control early, as the Titans held Windber to just one hit through the first four innings and built a 5-1 advantage. However, despite outhitting the Ramblers 10-7 and drawing eight walks, Tussey Mountain failed to capitalize on opportunities to stretch that lead.
“That last out was a tough one to get,” said Titans coach Kevin Reed. “Give Windber all the credit, they fought back and never gave up. We left a lot of runners in scoring position, and you can’t do that against a good team.”
Breanna Goodman’s run-scoring single got the Titans on the board first, and in the second inning, Alayna Clark’s bases-loaded single added another run for Tussey Mountain before Goodman’s sacrifice fly made it 3-0.
Windber tallied an unearned run in the bottom of the third when Lindsey Custer drew a leadoff walk and later came home when Angel James reached on an error.
Tussey Mountain added single runs in the next two frames on Goodman’s second hit of the day that scored Cara Benton, and Benton’s subsequent sacrifice fly drove in Elaina Woomer.
Rally, Part One
Windber got back into the game with three runs in the bottom of the fifth. Skylee Miller’s two-out double was followed by a walk and a Nici Costlow RBI single. Gaye lined a base hit to center that brought home two more runs, cutting the Windber deficit to 5-4.
“We kept coming back and never stopped fighting,” Gaye said.
The Titans answered in the top of the sixth when Adyson Weyandt led off with a single, stole second, and scored on Aubree Weaver’s sacrifice fly. Back-to-back singles gave Tussey Mountain a chance to keep the inning going, but Miller worked out of the jam, and the Titans left two more runners stranded in the seventh to set the stage for the dramatic finish.
Championship-bound
Windber's lineup is loaded with underclassmen. The youthful Ramblers, who only have two seniors on the roster, have been a surprise this season and now have an opportunity to play for district gold.
“This is awesome, we didn’t expect to be in a championship game with such a young team,” said McMunn. “Everything else is a bonus after this. It’s just going to come down to whoever shows up to play that day.”
Gaye has been one of the young players carrying the Ramblers all season long.
“We play amazing as a team together,” said Gaye. “And now we’re going to have a shot to win a championship, it’s so awesome for our team and our community.”
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This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Windber tops Tussey Mountain in District 5-2A softball semifinals
