Blue Mountain uses sixth inning outburst to defeat Montour 3-2 for the PIAA Class 4A softball state championship
STATE COLLEGE, Pennsylvania – The ball seemed to stay in the air for hours as Blue Mountain second baseman Avery Hudock stood under it waiting.
When the ball finally came out of the blue skies over Penn State’s Nittany Lion Park and fell into the awaiting glove of the freshman, the Eagles had finished off a come-from-behind 3-2 win over Montour to take home the PIAA Class 4A softball state championship.
“That ball stayed up there for what felt like forever,” Blue Mountain pitcher Marla Freiwald said. “To be honest, I think my heart stopped.”
The Eagles were held scoreless through the first five innings and trailed 2-0 with two outs and a runner on first in the bottom of the sixth.
But then Freiwald got her second hit of the game with a single and Paige Bergan followed with an RBI single to cut the lead to 2-1. Bergan had just one thought on her mind as she went to the batter’s box.
“Our coach has a motto – ‘don't be the last out,’ so that's what was really going through my head,” Bergan said. “I just wanted to make solid contact, hopefully hit a gap. That's really all you can ask for. And I went up there and I said, I'm going to see my pitch and I'm going to throw my hands at it and I'm going to make solid contact.”
Olivia Labe followed with a single to center that scored Madison Gerlott, who was running for Freiwald. On the throw home, the ball went un the third base line and past the catcher, allowing Victoria Konkus to score to make it 3-2. She had been running for Bergan.
Freiwald made that lead stand, allowing just a single in the seventh inning. She retired eight of the last nine batters she faced after Montour took a 2-0 lead in the fifth on an RBI double by pitcher Kaitlyn Molitoris and an RBI triple by catcher Danielle Terpack.
“I tried not to let (the two runs) faze me,” Freiwald said. “I know that I have to focus on the next batter and stay within myself.”
By doing just that, Freiwald went the distance and allowed just the two runs on six hits and one walk while striking out 10.
The pitcher ended her day by giving praise to everyone who has helped the Eagles on this ride that finished with them hoisting a state championship trophy.
“I'm feeling proud and proud of everybody that has been been involved in this entire journey,” Freiwald said. “Whether it's the players, coaches, or fans, they have been our main support system for as long as I can remember. And I can’t ask for a better support system."
