Mifflin County softball take District 6/9 title in nailbiting fashion

By Kenny Varner
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Updated: May 27, 2015

UNIVERSITY PARK –With one swing of the bat of Hannah Ruby it had DuBois seeing red as she posted a game winning slam, giving Mifflin County the title in a 4-3 eight-inning thriller.

They were in it to win it!

The Mifflin County softball team has been making its presence known in the District 6 tournament since the merger of Lewistown high school and Indian Valley high schools, the “Purple and Black attack” were back in the title tilt once again going up against DuBois for bragging rights of the D6/9 higher archy.

Despite taking an early lead and then falling behind by just a run, Mifflin County refused to let its season come to an early end Wednesday at Penn State University’s Beard Field taking it to extra innings in the District 6/9 Class AAAA championship game, 3-3 with DuBois.

In their last at bats, Mifflin County managed to tie game at three thanks to some smart ball playing by Darcy Wilson and Sage Heckendorn.

Wilson led off with a single and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt that was mishandled by their opponents. Wilson tied things on a Fitzgerald sacrifce fly.

Mifflin County went to the mound against DuBois with Huskies’ ace Hannah Ruby while the visitors went with hurler Sam Fields.

Coming in as the higher seed, Mifflin County started as the home team.

DuBois hitter Cheyenne McKee picked up the game’s first hit but it went for not.

In the bottom of the first Mifflin County was able to get a runner in scoring position, thanks to the hard running of Allessa Morrison.

Morrison led off with a slow bunt and beat out the throw. She moved up to second when Jordan Shirey smacked a fielders choice.

But the Huskies left Morrison stranded as the two teams headed into the second inning.

Caitlyn Smith got her team off and running in a better way in the bottom of the second as she belted a shot that hit the top of the fence for a stand up triple.

With one out, Darcy Wilson brought in Smith as she sent a hanging high fly out to centerfield, making it 1-0 after a strong slide home by Smith.

Mifflin County’s offense was at it again in the bottom of the third.

Hannah Fitzgerald showed her patience at the plate, walking to start things off.

She moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by teammate Allessa Morrison.

A single into right field by Jordan Shirer put runners in scoring posistion.

Mara Rhodes grounded into a fielders’ choice situation by it wasn’t enough to catch Fitzgerald at home, upping the Mifflin County lead to 2-0.

That would be all Mifflin County could manage out of the stingy DuBois defense.

In the top of the fourth, DuBois rallied back thanks to two Huskies’ miscues.

Mifflin County faced runners on first and third with nobody out.

Sage Heckendorn did her duty to keep them off the score board, catching a fly ball in right field and then gunning a perfect strike home, not allowing the runner to tag up.

Ruby proceeded to strike out a batter to record the second out.

However, another Mifflin County miscue led to DuBois tying the contest at two as the game went into the bottom of the fourth.

Things continued to go south for Mifflin County in the fifth as DuBois took the lead despite Mifflin County catching a runner out at home.

Going into the bottom of the inning, the Huskies trailed for the first time 3-2.

Morrison helped give the Husky fans something to cheer about as she reached as far as third base before the fifth inning ended.