Tigers Come from Behind to Walk Off Canon-McMillan
by: Bob Orkwis
A gloomy day in Wexford turned bright at the end for North Allegheny, as the Tigers used a four-run seventh inning to come from behind to beat Canon-McMillan, 7-6.
Things got off to a good start for the Tigers, as they took a two-run lead in the bottom of the second inning.
After one out, Brianna Mensch, the designated player, lined a solo homerun into the bleachers in left field. Twila Goulding followed with a double and scored when Taylor Condiotte’s ground ball was misplayed by the second baseman for an error.
The Big Macs cut the lead in half the next inning. Morgan Bumer led off with the first of her three doubles, she was sacrificed to third and scored on a ground out.
North Allegheny went in front 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning. Mensch, a sophomore, led off with a double and was sacrificed to third, where she scored on Hayden Robertson’s sacrifice fly.
Canon-McMillan knotted things up in the top of the fifth. After an out and a walk, Morgan Bumer doubled home a run and scored on a single by Aurora Shirdon to tie the game at 3-3.
The Big Macs struck for three runs in the top of the sixth to take a 6-3 lead.
Freshman Lyla Yakubik led off with a homerun that hit the foul pole down the right field line. After a groundout, Sophie Carl singled and Lyla Mowery doubled to put runners at second and third. Both scored when starting pitcher Brooke Bumer laced a single to centerfield.
Freshman Ellie Torchia entered the game in relief of starting pitcher Cailyn Wateska. After Morgan Bumer’s double put runners at second and third, the Tigers got a big defensive play from third baseman Erin Fadgen.
The senior snagged a line drive and tagged the runner on third out for an inning ending unassisted double play. That would prove big as it ended the Canon-McMillan threat.
Down 6-3, North Allegheny had the top of the order up in the bottom of the seventh.
Zoe Rychel singled for her second hit of the game, and Blake Hornyak followed with her second hit, a swinging bunt single to put runners at first and second.
Leah Carlson, who entered the game in the fifth inning, drove home Rychel with an RBI single, Carlson’s third run batted in over the last two games.
Fadgen made it 6-5, with an RBI double. Fadgen had four RBI’s in the win over Pine-Richland on Thursday.
The steady drizzle began to affect Brooke Bumer in the circle, as she uncorked a wild pitch that scored Carlson to tie the game at 6-6.
She then walked Sam Hubert and was relieved by Lyla Mowery. Mowery, who pitched to one batter in the sixth inning before returning to left field, got a strike out for the first out of the inning.
The junior Goulding came up and lined a single to left field to score pinch-runner Brianna Wilcox, and the Tigers walked off the Big Macs with a 7-6 victory.
Torchia, who pitched an inning and two thirds of scoreless relief, picked up the win.
North Allegheny, (3-5, 3-4) has now won two straight games in a Section 1-6A. Canon-McMillan, (5-3, 4-3) has now dropped three straight games after starting the season 5-0.
With a 2-for-3 day at the plate, and a sacrifice bunt, Twila Goulding picked up The Wright Automotive Player of the Game Honors, after delivering the game-winning hit in the bottom of the seventh inning.
North Allegheny will conclude its three-game homestand when they host Butler on Monday afternoon, before visiting section-leader Hempfield next Wednesday.
Softball Summary vs. vs. Canon-McMillan, 4-10-26
| Score By Innings | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canon-McMillan | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 10 | 2 |
| North Allegheny | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 0 |
LP - Brooke Bumer
