Dakota Hicks’ walk-off launches North Catholic softball into WPIAL quarterfinals: Roundup
North Catholic softball was in comeback mode nearly the entire game.
The Trojanettes completed the comeback twice, beating No. 10 West Mifflin 6-5 in a dramatic 10-inning effort Monday to advance to the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals Thursday.
Dakota Hicks played the hero in the first-round clash, roping a line drive double to left field with one out in the bottom of the 10th to walk it off, scoring Kennedy Brown and Mary Kotwica. Hicks also stole home in the sixth to tie the game 4-4 and force extra innings.
No. 7 North will play second seed Knoch next.
Bella Simak had given the Titans a 5-4 lead in the top of the 10th with an RBI single to center. But the Trojanettes responded with Brown singling to start the 10th and Kotwica already on second as the courtesy runner.
Hicks finished with two doubles and went 2-for-5 from the cleanup spot. Kotwica was 3-for-4 with two triples, a double, two runs and an RBI from the leadoff spot. She also threw the last 7.2 innings, allowing just one unearned run while striking out seven.
Oakland Catholic knocked out Freeport 14-8 in the first round of the WPIAL Class 2A playoffs.
Macey Edwards had four goals and an assist, and Sophia Glass recorded two goals and an assist for the No. 9 Yellowjackets. Abigail Legin stopped 10 shots.
Eighth-seeded Oakland Catholic will play No. 1 Mars in Wednesday’s quarterfinals.
Jessica Rodgers and Nicole Huff went yard as Karns City routed Punxsutawney 14-2 in five innings in a regular season game.
Huff finished 2-for-2 with three runs and two RBIs, and Rodgers went 2-for-2 with four RBIs. Addison Fox also went 2-for-3 with two runs and four RBIs, and in the circle went five innings with a strikeout.
Moniteau 15, Clarion-Limestone 1 — Lexi McGhee punched out 11 and allowed just two hits in a five-inning effort for the Warriors.
Alyssa Thompson (2-for-3) doubled twice, scored twice and drove in a run for an offense that saw 11 players hit safely.
Slippery Rock 14, Lakeview 1 — Lillian Campbell and Savannah Smith each homered in the Rockets’ five-inning mercy-rule win which featured a 12-run second inning.
Campbell finished 3-for-3 with two RBIs, and Smith went 2-for-3 with two runs and three RBIs. Joslyn Korcok fanned five in a complete-game effort.
Joey O’Donnell struck out 15 batters in six innings — meaning just three outs were recorded in the field — in Karns City’s 14-1 road win over Summit Academy.
O’Donnell (2-for-2) was one of three Gremlins to double and had three RBIs, two stolen bases and a run scored. Brock Dittman (2-for-4) also doubled, scored, drove in three and swiped two bases.
Moniteau 2, DuBois Central Catholic 0 — Carson Minnear went 3-for-3 with a run, RBI and double to lead the Warriors to a shutout win.
Dawson Cook, who drove in a run at the plate, was dominant with 12 strikeouts and just three hits allowed in a complete-game effort.
Slippery Rock 2, Hickory 0 — Jacob Kunsman doubled to drive in Connor Zorn, and Parker Dalcamo singled home Kunsman in the first inning to provide more than enough production against Hickory.
Isaac McCandless finished the job on the hill with nine strikeouts in a complete game.
Clarion-Limestone 2, Union/A-C Valley 1 — Kullen Buzza hit a walk-off single to left to score Paul Craig and give C-L the win in eight innings.
Ryan Armagost and Trent Fleming combined to throw 7.1 innings for the Falcon Knights and strike out nine, with Fleming taking the tough-luck loss. Connor Langdon scored UACV’s lone run in the sixth.
