DOWNINGTOWN — A costly error, a costly baserunning mistake and a lack of clutch hitting was simply too much for Chambersburg to overcome Monday afternoon.

The result, a 4-3 defeat to District 1 champion Downingtown West in a first-round game of the PIAA Class 6A tournament, ended the Trojans' season with an 18-6 record, with losses in their final three games.

Samantha Paetow

"I don't feel like the better team won in any of those three games," Chambersburg coach Chris Skultety said. "All we needed were some clutch hits, especially from the middle of the order. We made a few mistakes, but if we get the big hits, we can cover up those mistakes."

Kori Leedy pitched a fine game for the Trojans, going 6 innings and allowing 6 hits, 4 runs (2 earned) and 1 run, and struck out 2.

But two unearned runs in the bottom of the first put the Trojans in a hole they never quite got out of. A single put Lillian O'Laughlin on base and when a single to left by Lizzie Kern got past the leftfielder, O'Laughlin scored and Kern got to third. A sacrifice fly to right by Ava Kaczmarski made it 2-1.

That erased the run Chambersburg scored in the top of the first against ace pitcher Addison Carter. Bree Paetow worked an eight-pitch walk and Karley Skultety was hit by a pitch. After two outs on fielder's choices, Addison Gsell moved off first base and drew a throw to second. The ball was there in time, but was dropped and Skultety scored from third base.

It remained 2-1 through three more innings until the Whippets moved their lead to 4-1 in the fifth.

Jordan Toth doubled and Casey McWilliams was issued a walk. O'Laughlin then drilled a double to center to bring in both runs.

Downingtown West had the leadoff batter on second base in the second inning on an error and the leadoff batter on third after a triple in the third, but Leedy escaped. In the third, rightfielder Malia Cramer caught a fly ball and her throw to catcher Sam Paetow, with a good tag, caught the runner for a double play.

"Leedy gutted it out," Skultety said. "She made some big pitches to get out of jams. She grew up a lot as a pitcher this year and I'm looking forward to her senior year if she can get a little more speed."

The Trojans had enough traffic on the bases, with 5 hits, 2 walks, a Whippet error and a hit batter. But they left runners on first and third in the first inning, on first and second with one out in the fifth and first and second with one out in the sixth.

In the fifth, with runners on first and second via hits by Saleen Null and Lauren Allison, Bree Paetow hit a grounder to third that was muffed. But courtesy runner Josey Snavely stopped her run to third, enabling third baseman Kaczmarski to pick up the ball and step on the base.

Instead of bases loaded and one out, the rally died.

Bree Paetow led off the third with a blistering, curving line drive to left that Taylor Hendricks somehow reached out and caught in her webbing and held onto when she fell.

"It seems like since that seventh inning against CD (the Rams scored 5 times to win 8-7 in the District 3 semifinals), we never seem to get any breaks," Skultety said. "Teams have been making great defensive plays against us and then they find holes with bloopers."

Chambersburg did put a scare into the Whippets in the top of the seventh. Trailing 4-1 with one out, Allison worked a 9-pitch walk and went to second on a wild pitch. Bree Paetow then doubled to left, which scored Allison. After another wild pitch, Karley Skultety hit a sacrifice fly to right to bring in Paetow and make it 4-3.

But Sam Paetow flied to medium center to end the game.

Sam Paetow, a key performer for four years who will play at Kutztown University next year, said, "I've had lots of good memories, lots of good games and some good hits. And there have plenty of good things off the field with these girls, too."

Coach Skultety said, "Shout out to our four seniors (Sam Paetow, Null, Brooke Leedy and Allison). I've coached that group for 10 years starting in tee ball, so I'll miss them."

NOTES: Allison is going to Penn State Mont Alto and Null to Holy Family next year … Carter had 236 strikeouts this year, but only 4 vs. the Trojans … Downingtown West (25-0) will play sister school Downingtown East (19-4) in the quarterfinals on Thursday; East beat Williamsport 4-1 on Monday.