Central York's Kayla Resh walks off with Division I title over rival Dallastown
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Central York senior Kayla Resh stepped on first, jumped, did a half spin in the air towards the Panthers dugout and punched her batting-gloved fist into the air.
The Panthers had done it again.
Resh's bases-loaded, one-out bouncer up the middle plated Briannah Dobson from third base with the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning at Central York High School. The play gave the Panthers a 5-4 senior night win over YAIAA Division I rival Dallastown, along with the divisional title and a berth in the league tournament.
"I was just trying to relax," said Resh, who also struck out two and walked two in pitching a complete game. "I wanted to make sure I was calm and focused on the game. All we needed was a base hit to get through. I was so excited when I saw it get through."
Central also defeated the Wildcats, 1-0, at Dallastown on April 15. Resh plated freshman pinch-runner Erin Cabry from third base with a slow roller to short in the top of the seventh for the eventual game-winner in that one.
"The girls never gave up," said Wildcats coach Jeff Deardorff. "They fought the whole way through. It's unfortunate, but we are not going to be division champions. We still have a lot to play for. We have two more (regular-season) games and then we go to districts. We still have other goals and we'll concentrate on those now."
It marked the fourth-consecutive Division I title for Central York. The Panthers shared last season's Division I championship with Dallastown after winning it outright in both 2012 and 2013.
"It's indescribable," said third baseman Kelsey Wisner, another four-year varsity player along with Resh and shortstop Kyla Caruso. "You don't come in your freshman year thinking, 'I'm going to be a four-year varsity player and win four division titles. You don't think that. It's far more than I could think of for our team and the seniors. I'm blessed."
Wisner (127), Caruso (110) and Resh (104) are all part of Central York's 100-hit club.
"These are three kids who have been getting it done for quite a while now," said second-year Central York coach Shane Walker. "The rest of the seniors like Alyssa (Stonebreaker), Haley Klunk, Monica Albers and Carissa Weitkamp, they have bought into what we are doing and believe in team. I could not be prouder."
The Panthers have won or shared eight of the last 10 YAIAA Division I championships. Central York, with league tournament crowns in 2012 and 2013. The Panthers missed making last year's tourney on a tiebreaker and watched Dallastown win it.
Dobson's single opened the Central (18-2, 13-2 Division I) seventh. Kelsey Shifflett walked, and after a fly out, the No. 9 hitter Albers singled to shallow center field, setting the stage for Resh.
Dallastown (12-4, 11-3 Division I) had tied the game in the top of the seventh. Catcher Mel Grant reached second base on a dropped fly ball and scored on a single to left field by Kayla Flemmens.
The Wildcats took the early lead as Lyndee Anders opened the game with a base hit, moved to third on a single by sister hitter Haylee Anders, and scored on a throwing error.
"This was a big pressure game," Walker said. "Put yourself in the head of a 17-year-old girl. It's senior night. We've never swept Dallastown. If you win, you're division champions. If you lose, you're not. It's a lot of pressure. Physical errors are going to happen."
Lyndee Anders scored again in the fourth as she tripled home Madisyn Johnson and came in on another Haylee Anders single.
The Panthers rallied for three runs in the second inning to vault into the lead on run-scoring singles from Albers and Caruso, and added another in the third when Wisner belted a triple to the left-center field wall and scored on a Dobson hit.
"I went up there thinking I had to clear my mind and get ready to hit," Wisner said. "Coach has been talking to us about envisioning that moment when you hit the ball squarely and how great it felt. I was able to get a triple out of it and they got me in."
Both teams had other opportunities and stranded plenty of runners. Central York left 13 runners on base and also committed five errors, including three in the final two innings.
Dallastown had three errors and left 11 on base, including two each in the first three innings as well as the sixth inning.
The Wildcats' was critical for both teams. Dallastown had the bases loaded with no outs when it hit into a 5-2 force at home which was wheeled into a double play on a perfect throw to first by Central catcher Dobson. Resh then got a strikeout, her first of the game, to get out of the inning.
"That was fantastic," said Wisner, who started the double play. "It was a nice hop for me. I threw as hard as I could to Bri and then yelled, 'Get the double play!' She has a great arm and nailed that throw.".
Central York 5, Dallastown 4
Dallastown1002001—4103Central York0310001—5115
SO-BB — Dt, Harbold 3-3. CY, Resh 2-2; W — Resh; L — Harbold; 2B — Dt, Harbold. CY, Kyla Caruso; 3B — Dt, Lyndee Anders. CY, Kelsey Wisner