Littlestown's Michaela Yealy delivers game-winning base hit vs. York Suburban

Michaela Yealy was given a second chance on Wednesday afternoon, and she did not miss.

After going 0-for-2 with a pair of groundouts, and falling behind 0-2 in her third at-bat, she came through with the go-ahead two-run single in the fourth inning against York Suburban.

Her hit propelled Littlestown to the 5-4 victory.

"I was taking a first pitch as a sign (from head coach Henry Wardrop)," Yealy said. "I saw it go by, and I was like 'man, I really wanted that,' and I didn't know if I was gonna get another one."

The freshman left fielder did see that pitch again on 0-2.

"When it came to the same pitch, I just wanted to take it and send the runners running," Yealy said.

The season has been one of two halves for Yealy.

She started the year batting seventh, then recently moved up to second in the batting order.

Wednesday's game was the first time she batted leadoff for the Thunderbolts.

"I like hitting in the top two," Yealy said of her preference in the batting order. "My mindset has just been to get on base. When I'm at the bottom, I feel like my mindset has to be moving people around and getting on."

The sharp liner off her bat got past a diving shortstop and into center field, allowing Brianna and Danielle Payne to score.

The hit capped a five-run scoring outburst for the Thunderbolts, which came on the heels of a mistake-filled inning that led to three unearned runs for Suburban.

"This is a character builder," Wardrop said. "We had a rough inning where they made a couple faux pas, but they bounced right back from it. They're gonna need that. It's not going to get any easier."

Starting pitcher McKenzie Somers took the game into the fourth tied at 0-0.

Then, the wheels fell off.

Sara Golden led off with a single to right.

Somers struck out Aly Golden, but Sarah Hartinger followed with a well-placed humpback liner off the third baseman's glove for a single.

Aly Reinecker bunted to move the runners up, but the first baseman whiffed on the throw from third, allowing a run to score.

Littlestown' right fielder then threw the ball clear over the backstop, allowing another run to score, and moving Reinecker to third with the top of the order coming up.

Jess Clancy bunted back to McKenzie, who threw home, but as catcher Amanda Dyson reached out for the tag, Reinecker ran into the glove and the ball popped out.

McKenzie settled things down by getting the next two outs.

Then, Littlestown put the wheels in motion.

Dyson led off and smacked a grounder that shot up at the last second and hit the shortstop, Reinecker, in the face.

Then, Kaitlin Yealy hit a pop up and both the left and center fielders went after it.

The ball glanced off the center fielder's glove for an error, and put runners at second and third.

A wild pitch brought home Dyson, and then Somers whacked an RBI single past the drawn-in infield.

After a pop out, Brianna Payne made it first-and-third with a single, and then stole second.

After Suburban pitcher Olivia Eytcheson recorded the second out, she was in position to get out of the inning with the lead.

Standing in her way was Danielle Payne.

Payne attacked a slow, high-and-away first pitch and connected with the end of the bat, sending an arching liner just out of the reach of the second baseman to tie the score.

Wardrop still had to sweat out a final inning that included a 12 pitch at-bat by Sara Golden.

With the go-ahead run on first, Aly Golden grounded out.

"In about an hour, I'll smile," Wardrop said.

Littlestown 5, York Suburban 4

York Suburban0003001—461Littlestown000500x—5103

YS, Olivia Eytcheson and Emily Turybury. Lt, McKenzie Sowers and Amanda Dyson.

SO-BB — YS, Eytchheson 1-0. Lt, Somers 9-3; W — Somers; L — Eytcheson.