FAYETTEVILLE — Everything was looking good for the Chambersburg softball team.
After 6 innings of a District 3 Class 6A semifinal game Tuesday at Norlo Park, the Trojans held a 7-3 lead over their rival, Central Dauphin. Pitcher Saleen Null got the first out of the seventh on a comebacker, so just two more outs were needed, with Rams' No. 8 and 9 hitters — 0-for-4 at that point — due up.
Addison Gsell
Seven pitches later, it was suddenly 7-6 and CD went on to score twice more to fashion an improbable 8-7 victory.
"Devastating. That's the only word I can think of," Chambersburg coach Chris Skultety said. "I feel bad for my girls — they did not deserve that kind of ending."
The Trojans (18-4) will now host a game Thursday at 2 p.m. at Norlo Park against Warwick (18-5) for third place in the district. The Rams (15-3) will face Cumberland Valley (21-1), which edged Warwick 1-0, for the championship Thursday.
After the first out in the seventh, Null hit Rachel Burke with the second pitch. She hit Gabby Shirk with the first pitch of her at-bat, turning over the lineup. Kayla Fletcher lined a hit to left two pitches later that skidded past the leftfielder and went for a two-run triple. Macey Fisher hit the second pitch to her for a double to bring the score to 7-6.
Skultety brought back starter Kori Leedy, but momentum had already massively switched. Allie Wenrich singled and an intentional walk to Meghan Fisher loaded the bases. Stella Gasper tied the game with a fly ball to centerfield for a sacrifice fly, then Bre Lock blooped a single between three fielders behind first base to bring in the go-ahead run.
Incredibly, it took just 11 pitches to go from a 7-3 Chambersburg lead to an 8-7 CD lead.
"I can't fathom what just happened," Skultety said. "I can't believe we scored that many runs off (CD pitcher Stella Gasper) and still didn't win."
Central Dauphin got a run in the first on three hits, including a run batted in for Gasper. The Trojans tied it up in the first when Karley Skultety reached on a third-strike wild pitch, moved to third on Sam Paetow's hit and scored on a fly ball to the second baseman by Addison Gsell.
In the third, Lauren Allison singled, Bree Paetow hit into a fielder's choice, Sam Paetow was walked and Gsell drove them all in with a three-run bomb to left-center to put her team up 4-1.
The Rams got it back to 4-3 in the fourth on a two-run double by Abby Rheem.
In Chambersburg's fifth, Allison and Bree Paetow bunted for hits and Skultety moved them up with a sac bunt. Sam Paetow was walked intentionally again. Gsell hit a grounder to third and Macey Fisher threw home for a force out. But as catcher Meghan Fisher reached for the ball in her glove, it came free and Bree Paetow raced home.
In the sixth, after two outs, Brooke Leedy singled and an error was made on a grounder hit by Allison. Bree Paetow hit a line drive to left that was misplayed by the leftfielder into a triple that scored both runners and make it 7-3.
That should been enough to win most games. But CD and its potent offense would not be denied.
"We'll find out mentally how tough we are," Skultety said. "We need to bounce back from this because getting the No. 3 spot is a much better pairing (for the first round of states on Monday). And Warwick has a tough left-handed pitcher."
NOTES: CD made 3 outstanding plays in the outfield — Shirk held Sam Paetow to a single in in the first with a bare-handed catch to keep the ball from getting to the fence; Wenrich made a diving catch to rob Morgan Lehman in the fourth; and Shirk caught a deep fly by Null in the seventh and hung on after hitting the fence … "They did make a couple of big defensive plays," Skultety said … Fletcher was 3-for-4 … For Chambersburg, Bree Paetow and Allison each had two hits and Gsell drove in four runs.
