Chambersburg softball set to battle Latrobe
A pair of teams who played on the opposite ends of a blowout district championship game clash on Monday in the first round of the PIAA Class 6A tournament to be held at Shippensburg University at 3:30.
Chambersburg, which proved it's a force to be reckoned with in a 13-2 trouncing of Penn Manor in the District 3 title game, will face Latrobe, the second-place team from District 7, which was handed a 13-2 loss in six innings to county rival Hempfield for the WPIAL title.
The Wildcats (13-8) went through three pitchers in the district final game in Kiley Myers, Meredith Carr and Ashley Pagliei. The trio allowed a combined 14 hits. Myers, the starter, was relieved after the fifth inning, then reentered an inning later.
According to the Latrobe scouting report, the Wildcats tend to rotate at least two pitchers per game to throw off opposing batters.
"We just have to play our game and come in with good approaches at the plate," Chambersburg coach Chris Skultety said. "The girls are really good about talking to each other after every at bat, and that's even more important now to identify things a little quicker."
On the opposite end, Chambersburg (18-5) put together a well-rounded performance against Penn Manor, racking up 18 hits and stringing together 13 runs all the while limiting Penn Manor to four hits and two RBIs.
Leah Hunt will get the nod in the circle for Chambersburg, although it was a tough decision for Skultety.
"When you have all of those quality pitchers, you just have to go with your gut feeling," Skultety said.
Chambersburg will need to keep its bats hot against Latrobe, though, who comes from one of the toughest districts in the state and will want to turn its latest loss around.
Dori Loukopoulos had five RBIs, including a two-run home run in Chambersburg’s title-clinching victory, while Taylor Myers, Laken Myers, Maggie Myers and Leah Hunt each had multiple hits.
"Yesterday we had a really good hitting practice," Skultety said. "We cranked the machine up again and we're just trying to stay sharp."
The Trojans are also looking forward to pseudo home-field advantage by playing at Shippensburg University - just 12 miles from their home in Norlo Park.
"We've been undefeated at home for the last two years because we feed off of the crowd," Skultety said. "And we anticipate a huge crowd, it's a white-out and the girls are really excited. But we have to leave everything outside the fence and play within ourselves. They've played a lot of big games and are well equipped to handle the situation."
Karley Kovatch was Latrobe’s biggest threat at the plate through the district tournament, racking up five RBIs and hitting 7-for-13 through the semifinals, but Sarah Blair had the Wildcats’ only two hits in the title game.
Trojans-Wildcats at a glance
Game data: Chambersburg Trojans vs. Latrobe Wildcats ... Monday, 3:30 p.m. at Shippensburg University ... PIAA Class 6A first-round game.
Media: Follow @LindseySquints on Twitter for live updates.
Teams: Chambersburg (18-5) is fresh off winning its second straight District 3 title in a dominating performance of Penn Manor, 13-2 ... Latrobe (13-8) fell to Hempfield in the WPIAL title game 13-2 in six innings.
P.O. pick: Chambersburg by 3