PIAA softball playoffs: Harbor Creek knocks out North Catholic in 4A first round
Clare Kotwica’s sacrifice fly got North Catholic on the board, but the Trojanettes could not scratch over another run and fell 2-1 in Monday’s PIAA Class 4A softball tournament to Harbor Creek.
North had two on with one out in the top of the seventh with the chance to tie the game or take its first lead, but Eva Rocha lined out and Kotwica flied out to end the game.
Kotwica drove in Kennedy Brown with the sac-fly in the top of the sixth, cutting the deficit against the District 10 champ in half. The Trojanettes, who entered the tournament as the WPIAL’s third seed, finish the season 15-7. Harbor Creek will face WPIAL champ Elizabeth Forward, a 12-2 winner in five innings over Bellefonte, in Thursday’s quarterfinals at a site and time to be determined.
Brown and Lauren Golebiewski each finished 2-for-3 at the plate with a double for NC. Brown was solid in the circle, striking out 10 in six innings while allowing four hits and just one earned run.
Huskies leadoff hitter Brooklynn Cipalla caused problems for North a couple times, going 2-for-2 with a double, walk, two runs and three stolen bases. She stole two bags in the first to put her in position to score on Kayla Gossage’s fly ball that was dropped for an error, then scored again in the fifth on Addison Lucas’ single.
