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Cranberry Avenges 2022 D9 Title Game Loss, Edges Curwensville for 2A Softball Crown Powered by N. Washington Rodeo

The 2023 D9 2A champion Cranberry Berries.

DUBOIS, Pa. – Just call Cassis Scarborough Ms. Clutch.

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Trailing 5-4, Scarborough’s 2-run single gave Cranberry a 6-5 lead in the fifth inning against Curwensville, and with the score the same in the top of the seventh, she delivered another run-scoring single which turned out to be the game-winner in the Berries’ 7-6 D9 2A softball title game win.

See Scarborough’s fifth-inning hit:

See Scarborough’s seventh-inning hit.

“We struggled a little bit with her (Curwensville pitcher Addison Siple) rise ball early on, but we were able to adjust,” Scarborough said.

The win tasted sweet for the Berries after falling in the final a year ago to Johnsonburg.

“They (Curwensville) scored right off the bat and then scored four runs in the fourth and it didn’t even phase them,” Cranberry coach Chrissy Shumaker said of her team. “They’re so gritty and tough – they just keep fighting.”

It was a back-and-forth affair, with Curwensville scoring in the top of the first, Cranberry taking a 3-1 lead in the third, Curwensville taking a 5-3 lead in the fourth and then Curwensville rallying again with four in the fourth, and Cranberry responded with Kendall Findley’s RBI single in the fifth, followed by Scarborough’s 2-run knock.

Curwensville didn’t go down without a fight, as Ava Olosky singled with two outs and scored on Ava Hainsey’s RBI double before Reyna Watson struck out Jenna McCartney to end it.

Watson went the distance, allowing six runs on 10 hits, striking out six and walking three. Shumaker was proud of the way Watson and catcher Denali Wenner battled through adversity.

“They’re solid kids,” Shumaker said. “There’s not two nicer people that you’re going to meet. They’re just great kids.”

Teagan Harzinski’s RBI single opened the scoring for Curwensville.

In the third, Keelie Schneider was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to open the scoring for Cranberry, which was followed by an error on a ground ball of the bat of Scarborough that allowed two runs to score.

In Curwensville’s 4-run fourth, Addison Siple had an RBI single, followed by a Harzinski 2-run double and a Shyanne Rudy RBI double.

Siple struck out 13 for Curwensville, going seven innings and allowing seven runs (five earned) on 10 hits and one walk.

Harzinski was 2-for-3 with three RBIs and Siple was 2-for-4.

      

Cranberry will face the third-place finisher from the WPIAL, either OLSH or Greensburg Central Catholic, on Monday, June 5 in the first round of the PIAA tournament.

Curwensville, meanwhile, will play a true second-place game with Moniteau to determine the second representative from District 9. That game is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Brockway.

Moniteau was a 7-4 winner over Johnsonburg in the consolation game.

“This was for our seniors,” Scarborough said. “We had a bad taste in our mouth after last year and really wanted this one.”

                       

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