ST. MARYS, Pa. – Scoring 22 runs on 32 hits, DuBois Central Catholic, the fifth seed, advanced to the District 9 Class 1A title game with a 22-8 throttling of top-seeded Otto-Eldred at Benzinger Field in St. Marys.
(Photo: DCC’s Ashley Wruble. Photo by Jared Bakaysa of JB Graphics. See more of Bakaysa’s work here)
The Lady Cardinals, who would have been the top seed if not for having to forfeit nine games early in the season because of an ineligible player, still haven’t lost a game on the field this year going a perfect 22-0 in actual results.
Against Otto-Eldred, DCC found itself down 8-6 after three innings thanks to a six-run third by the Lady Terrors but exploded for seven runs in the fourth to retake control of the game and then added two in the sixth and seven more in the seventh.
Nine Lady Cardinals had multi-hit games including four players with at least four hits and two with at least five.
Ashley Wruble led the way going 5-for-5 with two doubles, a home run, a walk, four runs scored and five RBIs.
Winning pitcher Avery Sickeri helped her own cause by going 5-for-6 with two doubles, three runs scored and four RBIs.
Also for DCC, Maia Cogley was 4-for-6 with an RBI and two runs scored and Jordan Kosko was 4-for-5 with two RBIs and three runs scored.
Picking up three hits apiece for the Lady Cards were Shay Gulvas (a double, a walk, 4 runs scored, 2 RBIs), Mia Meholick (2 RBIs, 1 run scored), Carley Semanick (1 run scored, 1 RBI) and Alyssa Bittner (2 runs scored, 1 RBI). Chelsea Busatto was also 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs.
Harlee VanScoter hit a home run for Otto-Eldred and was 3-for-4 with a run scored and two RBIs.
Autumn Smith also doubled for the Lady Terrors while going 2-for-4 with two runs scored, while Reilly Raught was 2-for-4 with an RBI and Haylee Frederick was 1-for-4 with a run scored and two RBIs. Gabby Nickerson scored twice.
Sickeri got the win in relief of Wruble. The Lady Cardinals No. 3 pitcher, No. 2 Morgan Tyler was unavailable, went 4 ⅔ scoreless innings allowing three hits and a walk while striking out six.
Wruble was tagged with eight runs, seven earned, on seven hits and three walks while striking out six in 2 ⅓ innings of work.
Abby Wolfe took the loss giving up all 22 runs, 18 earned, on 32 hits and two walks while striking out two.
DCC will face Clarion in the title game at a time to be announced Wednesday, May 29, at Heindl Field in DuBois.
Otto-Eldred will take on A-C Valley in the consolation game also Wednesday, May 29, at Heindl Field. If the winner of the consolation game did not play the loser of the title game in the semifinals, then those teams will play in a “true second-place game” for the second PIAA playoff spot coming from District 9. That game would be at a time, date and place to be announced.
DCC is in the title game for the third time in four years having won titles in 2016 and 2017 beating Clarion in 2016 and Coudersport in 2017.
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