H.S. SOFTBALL: Battlin’ Miners walk it off against Pottsville in honor of Minersville softball pioneer

MINERSVILLE — Isabella Cruz rewarded Minersville with a 6-5 walk-off win at home against Pottsville on Saturday afternoon as the Battlin’ Miners celebrated the life of Billy Charles, the pioneer of the Minersville softball program.

The celebration recognized the Minersville softball program, starting with the little league program in 1974, before Charles served as the first coach of the high school program in 1976 and captured two state championship titles.

“Billy Charles was such a quiet, humble man but he expected excellence and this was a long time coming,” Cindy Connelly Kelly said, a member of the state championship teams. “He started the softball program at Minersville and now he’s going to have his own plaque.”

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Minersville state champion softball teams were recognized as part of the celebration for former coach Billy Charles. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

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Minersville state champion softball teams were recognized as part of the celebration for former coach Billy Charles. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Minersville (7-4) didn’t get the bats going until the sixth inning and were helped out by Cali Laudeman in the pitching circle who didn’t allow Pottsville (5-5) to score a run after the third inning.

Eila O’Brien started the rally in the bottom of the sixth inning with an RBI single into center field to score Sara McGrath for the 5-1 deficit. The Battlin’ Miners proceeded to score five runs in the next inning, beginning with a Grace Sterner RBI single into left field to begin the seventh inning rally.

“We were a little flat in the first six innings and then we brought the energy in the seventh,” Minersville coach Katelyn Rittenbaugh said. “Early in the game we weren’t getting good pitches to drive and later in the game we made the adjustment and looked for more pitches to drive.”

Rilynn Brennan, Isabella Rizzardi and Calliegh Tripp each had two hits to lead Minersville’s lineup while O’Brien drove in a team-high two runs. Sara McGrath had a triple while Rizzardi and Tripp each stretched out for doubles.

“We got really loud as a team, we stuck together and we were able to put up a good rally to come back,” O’Brien said. “We all did what we needed to do and got in position to score.”

Pottsville struck in the top of the first when Cadence Borger singled into left field to score Jes Siminitus for the 1-0 lead.

Peyton Eckert sat down Minersville 1-2-3 in the bottom of the first, including a pair of strikeouts, before the Crimson Tide came up with more offense in the second inning.

Olivia Wessner reached first base on a fly ball error to center field before Izzy Kunstek grounded out to second base to score Wessner for the 2-0 advantage.

Siminitus came through three batters later with an RBI flyout to center field to score Karlee Kalovcak for the 3-0 lead.

“We’ve been preaching blue collar mentality and that’s what Minersville is all about,” Rittenbaugh said. “Getting to represent our community was huge.”

The Crimson Tide made it a 5-0 lead in the top of the third, beginning with an Eckert RBI double to center field to score Borger before Wessner grounded out to shortstop to score Eckert for the five-run difference.

Minersville was sat down 1-2-3 by Eckert in the bottom of the fifth before coming through in the sixth on an O’Brien RBI single to center field for the 5-1 difference.

The Battlin’ Miners staged their rally in the bottom of the seventh, beginning with a Sterner RBI single into left to score Tripp for the 5-2 difference. Brennan then laid down a bunt and reached first on an error which brought home Addison Moyer for the 5-3 deficit.

McGrath came through for an RBI groundout to shortstop to score Sterner for the 5-4 deficit before O’Brien knotted the game at 5-5 on an RBI groundout to shortstop to score Brennan.

“We represent Minersville well and we work together well as a team,” O’Brien said. “That energy got us all up.”

Two batters later Cruz came in clutch with an RBI groundball single into center field to score O’Brien for the 6-5 win.

“Later in the game we started taking more pitches and looking for more pitches to drive,” Rittenbaugh said. “Staying calm has been huge for the whole team.”

Laudeman completed her win in the pitching circle going seven innings, allowing five runs on nine hits with three strikeouts. Eckert took the loss for Pottsville, going 6.1 innings while allowing six runs on 10 hits with eight strikeouts.

Kalovcak led Pottsville with two hits while Siminitus tripled and Megan Yost and Eckert each doubled to lead the Crimson Tide in extra-base hits.

Minersville hosts Marian Catholic on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. and Pottsville travels to Wyomissing Area on Monday at 4 p.m.

Pottsville 5 — Siminitus CF 3 1 1 1, Yost 2B 3 0 1 0, Borger LF 3 1 1 1, Ketner 1B 4 0 1 0, Eckert P 3 0 1 1, Wessner C 4 0 1 1, Kunstek RF 4 0 1 1, Kalovcak 3B 4 1 2 0, Barnhart SS 3 0 0 0. 31 5 9 5.

Minersville 6 — Sterner 2B 4 1 1 1, Brennan CF 4 1 2 0, McGrath C 4 1 1 1, O’Brien 4 0 1 2, Rizzardi SS 3 0 2 0, Cruz LF 4 0 1 1, Laudeman P 3 0 0 0, Tripp RF 3 1 2 0, Laudeman 3B 2 1 0 0. 31 6 10 5.

P (5-5);1;2;2;0;0;0;0;—5

MIN (7-4);0;0;0;0;0;1;5;—6

LOB — Pottsville 9, Minersville 6; 2B — Eckert, Yost, Rizzardi, Tripp; 3B — Siminitus, McGrath; SB — Ciavarella, Barnhart, Borger 2, Rizzardi, Tripp

Pottsville

IP H R ER BB K

Eckert 6.1 10 6 5 1 8

Minersville

Laudeman 7 9 5 3 3 3