Freeport's Claire Crytzer tries to apply a tag to Avonworth's Domi Raught at third base in the WPIAL 3A consolation game Tuesday at Hampton Community Park. The Yellowjackets lost, 4-2, and saw their season come to an end.
JUSTIN GUIDO/ BUTLER EAGLE
HAMPTON — One big inning was going to decide the issue.
Avonworth got it.
Maya Kozup drilled a two-run double and Leah Logan followed with a run-scoring single in the fifth inning, producing a three-run frame that carried the Antelopes (14-7) to a 4-2 WPIAL Class 3A softball win over Freeport.
The game — played at Hampton Community Park — was the consolation game of the WPIAL playoff bracket and sends Avonworth to the PIAA Tournament. The Yellowjackets end the season at 13-2.
“I give both pitchers credit,” Freeport coach Sam Ross said. “This was a hot day and those girls did an excellent job for their teams.”
Freeport starter Tori Radvan worked the first five innings and hammered a double to deep center in the fifth, plating Ashleigh Schmidt with the go-ahead run. The Yellowjackets took a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the fifth.
That's when Kozup — Radwan's mound opponent — trumped her with the two-run double. She scored on Logan's single.
Kozup retired the Yellowjackets in order in the final two innings to lock up the win. Freeport was limited to four hits.
“I can't say enough about Maya,” Avonworth coach Jenna Muncie said. “She was focused on what she had to do today.
“Freeport can hit the ball. Maya had to get ahead of the hitters and for the most part, that's what she did.”
Kozuop also had a triple in the game. She is hitting over .600 on the season and her earned run average is below 3.00.
Avonworth had a chance to break a scoreless tie in the second, putting runners at second and third with none out. But Radvan speared a line drive hit back up the middle, Zoey Perry was hit by her own bunted ball in fair territory and Domi Raught popped up to shortstop as Radvan wriggled off the hook.
Ross replaced Radvan on the mound with Ashleigh Schmidt in the sixth.
“Tori pitched well, but they had seen a lot of her and were starting to hit the ball hard,” Ross said. “It was time for a change.”
Ally DeJidas had two triples and one RBI for Freeport. She was intentionally walked on her other trip to the plate.
“We heard she could hit and she certainly proved that,” Muncie said.
Freeport's Claire Crytzer had a potential RBI double down the left field line in the third inning taken away when the ball was called foul. During Avonworth's three-run fifth, Radvan fielded a come-backer to the mound and had a runner trapped between second and third.
Radvan's throw to third beat the runner, but the umpire ruled she slid under the tag.
“That was a judgment call there,” Ross said. “But that hit down the line definitely caught the chalk. They missed that one.”
Freeport says goodbye to seniors Crytzer, Schmidt, Jenna Hildebrand, Becca Fennell and Jenna Manke.
“We will miss them dearly,” Ross said. “They are four-year players and I hate to see them go. But we went undefeated and won the section ... That's a great accomplishment for this team.
“Tori is coming back, Ally DeJidas, we started a couple of freshmen ... We're still in good shape. The key is for our good young players to get better. Some players level off. We try to make them better.”
Freeport 001 010 0 — 2 4 0
Avonworth 000 130 x — 4 6 0
W: Maya Kozup 7IP (5K, 3BB). L: Tori Radvan 5IP (2K, 2BB).
Freeport (13-2): Ashleigh Schmudt 1B, Tori Radvan 2B RBI, Ally DeJidas 2-3B RBI
Avonworth (14-7): Domi Raught 1B, Maya Kozup 3B 2B 2-RBI, Leah Logan 1B RBI, Abby Stanley 1B, Lily Tedesco 2B RBI
