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The Wellsboro Varsity Softball team’s season came to an end with a 3-2 loss to Holy Redeemer in the first round of PIAA playoffs on Wednesday, June 3 at Wilkes University.
Six days prior, Wellsboro won the program’s first ever District IV Class AA title on an incredible defensive play. In this game, the Hornets’ solid defense would sting them in the end, giving Redeemer the opening round victory and sending the Lady Hornets home.

Redeemer scored the game’s first run in the bottom of the second inning. Wellsboro held them to only one run after loading the bases. The Royals’ Randie Kuhar hit a ground ball to senior Jordan Butters at first and Butters came up firing to get the lead runner at home. Senior Paige Carr turned and fired back to second baseman, freshman Alyssa Yungwirth, covering at first for the second out. Yungwirth fired back home and Redeemer’s Mennig just got under Carr’s tag to prevent the Green Hornets’ triple play.

The Lady Hornets tied the game up in the top of the next inning. With one out, Yungwirth hit a ball that the second baseman misplayed, allowing her to reach base. Junior Sarah Ingerick followed with a single. A double steal put the runners on second and third, and a fielder’s choice scored Yungwirth to tie the game at 1-1.
From that point until the final inning, it was a defensive battle. Both teams had chances in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings, but solid pitching from both teams and strong defensive plays prevented further scores.
“They have been that way all year long,” head coach Greg Carr said of his defense. “The defense has been great, the pitchers have been solid. When you get to this level and you play a 3-2 game, isn’t that what it’s supposed to be like? It’s two teams battling out here, that’s what it’s all about.”

With the game still tied at 1-1, Yungwirth led off the top of the seventh inning with a single and Ingerick hit into a fielder’s choice, leaving Yungwirth out at second. Ingerick moved to second on a passed ball, then stole third as the catcher bobbled the ball. Junior Alexa Singer hit a ground ball to short and the shortstop checked Ingerick, then threw to first. As the shortstop threw to get Singer out, Ingerick took off for home and beat the throw, putting the Green Hornets up 2-1.

Redeemer began the bottom of the seventh with two singles, putting runners on first and second. After a sacrifice bunt by Olivia Mennig put runners at second and third with one out, the Royals got a two-strike fly ball to left field. The line drive fly got past the outfielder, allowing both runners to score as Holy Redeemer walked off with the victory.

“Those are the hardest ones to judge, those line drives that are coming right at you,” commented Carr. “You take one step in and the next thing you know it’s by you. Those are the toughest ones, I’ve done it myself before, line drive and boom next thing you know. It’s why we play the game. Somebody’s got to be the winner, today we weren’t.”

Carr was happy with the way the Green Hornets fought to put themselves in a position to win in the seventh inning.
“You’ve got to give yourself a chance to win,” he said. “We hung in there tight. Sometimes the softball gods are with you and sometimes they are not. Today they were not. Hats off to the other team, they are a good team.”
Ingerick and junior Darci Warriner each had two hits, and Butters and Yungwirth had hits. Yungwirth and Ingerick scored runs in the game and Singer had two RBI’s. On the mound, Singer allowed 10 hits and struck out seven.
While the season didn’t end the way the Lady Hornets had hoped, they have nothing to be ashamed of. The 2015 season brought twenty-one wins (and three losses), Wellsboro’s best in the last eight years, and gave Coach Carr his 100th career win, an NTL championship, and a District IV championship. After dropping an early game to Troy, the Lady Hornets went on a fifteen game winning streak and would not lose again until they squared off against eventual District IV Class AAA champion, Jersey Shore.

“It’s been a year they should all hang their heads high and be proud of what they’ve done,” Carr said. “I’m proud of what they’ve done, the school is proud of what they have done. I’m happy for the seniors. It’s been a great ride.”
While the Lady Hornets lose a good Senior Class, they have a strong group of returning players for next year.
“We’ve got a great core of kids so we’ll be back, we’ll be back,” Carr said. “I’m excited about next year and our pitching is still going to be the same and we are going to be solid.”

What the team accomplished this year is only going to help the Lady Hornets in the future.

“It’s always a benefit to the program if you make it this far,” Carr finished. “It helps your program from the early stages, the Little League, you have kids that want to come out and compete now that they have seen what these girls have done. It’s a win, win, win situation. I’m proud of what we accomplished this year and we’ve got some high expectations for next year, so we are just going to run with it.”

Wellsboro Home Page would like to congratulate the Lady Hornets on a great 2015 season.