HALIFAX — All season, Williams Valley’s come up with big hits at key times.
• Tianna Yanoscak’s walk-off, two-run home run in the ninth inning to beat Tri-Valley.
• Rayanne Hawk’s two-run home run and solo blasts by Maura Kreiser and Caitlyn Pinchorski — all in the same inning — to win at Minersville.
• A 12-hit barrage to eliminate Minersville in the District 11 semifinals.
Against Millersburg on Thursday in a PIAA Class A quarterfinal, that clutch hit never came.
La Salle University-bound ace Marlo Roadcap worked out of several jams as the Indians held off Williams Valley 4-2 on a drizzly day at Halifax Area High School.
“We did some uncharacteristic things,’’ Williams Valley coach Lee Reiser said. “We just didn’t play good enough.’’
Meanwhile, Millersburg (24-2) continues into uncharted waters. The Indians won the District 3 title for the first time and have now knocked off former state champions Bristol and Williams Valley.
The Indians advance to Monday’s state semifinals where they will meet Conemaugh Valley, a 2-1 winner over Bloomsburg, at a site and time to be announced.
“We were proud of the girls. They do what it takes to win every single game,’’ Millersburg coach Kevin Roadcap said. “They dig deep and they do everything you ask of them.’’
Like Williams Valley (21-3) has
done so often, Millersburg bunched five singles and a walk to score all of its runs in the bottom of the third inning.
Singles by Cheyanne Lebo, J.C. Straub and Mikayla Armor loaded the bases with one out of a scoreless game. Brooke Shomper then hit a low bat-handle pop almost halfway up the first-base line.
Yanoscak, the pitcher, tried to make a lunging catch, but the ball ticked off her glove, rolled into foul ground and allowed Lebo to score.
Roadcap followed by roping a two-run single to right field to make it 3-0, and Taryn Herb walked to reload the bases.
Makenna Border then hit a fly ball to shallow center field. Shomper beat Hawk’s throw home, but Kreiser cut down courtesy runner Cheyanne Phillips at third base.
Still, the damage was done and Millersburg led 4-0.
Reiser came out of the dugout for a discussion with the home plate umpire, saying the runner clearly left before the catch was made.
He contended it was the home plate umpire’s job to watch that the runner tagged and wanted him to get help from the other umpires if he didn’t see it.
Reiser continued to talk as he walked away, and the home plate umpire ejected him from the game.
“I thought there were some questionable calls,’’ Reiser said. “And in a state game when you ask about a call — I didn’t curse him, I didn’t do anything — I can’t understand why.
“I told him, ‘I said I’ve been coaching 40 years and I’ve never (been ejected) from a game,’ ’’ he added. “ ‘I’m just asking. I’m not being disrespectful.’ (Next thing) you know, ‘You’re gone!’ ’’
Reiser explained his reasoning for the argument.
“(The runner) had at least two steps,’’ he said. “I’ve got an All-State center fielder there that catches the ball right behind the bag at second, and she doesn’t have a play at the plate? I said, ‘Come on, there’s something going on there.’
“I’ve been coaching 40 years and I’ve never been kicked out of a game. I said, ‘This is ridiculous.’ ’’
The first base umpire also inserted herself into the game by calling Roadcap for five illegal pitches.
None of that, though, prevented Williams Valley from delivering hits with runners in scoring position.
Roadcap and the Millersburg defense stopped that from happening.
After the confrontation between innings, Williams Valley scored twice in the top of the fourth to cut the deficit to 4-2.
Kate Whelski singled and scored on Pinchorski’s sacrifice fly that was dropped. She stole third and scored on an illegal pitch. Roadcap was called twice in the inning.
The Vikings applied more pressure in the fifth, getting runners to second and third with one out and the heart of the order up. Roadcap got a strikeout and a sharply hit groundout to the first baseman to end the threat.
“We just had so many opportunities where one big hit gets us back in the game,’’ Reiser said. “I thought we had enough chances to win it. It just didn’t happen.’’
Williams Valley left eight runners on base, had two runners thrown out stealing and misfired on a half-dozen bunt attempts.
Still, the Vikes had seven hits and four walks off Roadcap and struck out six times. Roadcap (22-1) entered the game with 270 strikeouts this season, an average of 12.3 per game and 1.84 per inning.
The loss ends the run of seniors Bindy Boyer, Kyrsten Miller, Haley Nestor, Hannah Nestor and Kreiser. They have two District 11 championships, two district runner-up finishes and won the 2013 PIAA Class A championship.
“It’s really hard,’’ Kreiser said. “The whole team means the world to me. For us to win districts, that was great, but the road has to end sometime.’’
The senior class finished with a career record of 87-12.
“They’ve meant so much to the program and they’re such good leaders,’’ Reiser said. “They’re all going to college. They’re all going to be successful in life. That’s all you can ever hope for.
“I just hope they can look back sometime, two or three days from now, and smile and say, ‘Hey, boy that was really fun.’ ’’
Game Summary
PIAA Class A Quarterfinal
At Halifax H.S.
WILLIAMS VALLEY (2) — Han. Nestor ss 4 0 0 0, Hawk cf 3 0 2 0, Yanoscak p 4 0 1 0, Whelski 2b 4 1 1 0, Kreiser c 2 0 0 0, Pinchorski 3b 2 1 2 1, Hal. Nestor 1b 2 0 1 0, Miller rf 1 0 0 0, Boyer lf 2 0 0 0, Whitcomb cr-ph 1 0 0 0. Totals 25 2 7 1.
MILLERSBURG (4) — Mi. Armor 3b 3 1 3 0, Shomper 2b 2 1 1 1, Roadcap p 3 0 1 2, Phillips cr 0 0 0 0, Herb c 2 0 1 0, Border rf 2 0 0 1, Ma. Armor ss 3 0 1 0, Lebo cf 3 1 1 0, Casner 1b 3 0 1 0, Straub dp 3 1 1 0, Lloyd lf 0 0 0 0. Totals 24 4 10 4.
Wms. Val. (21-3) 000 200 0 — 2
Millers. (24-2) 004 000 x — 4
E — Williams Valley 0, Millersburg 2. DP — Williams Valley 2. LOB — Williams Valley 8, Millersburg 5. SB — Pinchorski. CS — Pinchorski 2. S — Kreiser, Shomper. SF — Pinchorski, Border.
Wms. Valley IP H R ER BB K
Yanoscak L,15-3 6 10 4 4 1 2
Millersburg IP H R ER BB K
Rdcap W,22-1 7 7 2 0 4 6
Illegal pitches — Roadcap 5. T — 1:34.