MONROEVILLE — In the postseason, the margin for error is thin, especially in a tie game.
For No. 8 Beaver Area, errors became costly in its opening round game of the WPIAL 4A high school softball playoffs against No. 9 Derry, falling 8-3 on Monday, May 11 at Gateway High School.
After Derry (11-4) erased a two-run Bobcat lead in the top of the fifth inning, its next time up at the plate, after Beaver Area (9-8) recorded two quick outs, Derry put together a rally.
Following a Kameryn Dunlap single, a Paris Clayton walk and Marie Razpotnik single to flip the lineup over, Francesca DePalma lined a ball into left field that was dropped to score a pair.
One batter later, Lylah O’Donnell also reached on an error, with the third baseman bobbling the ball while trying to make a play.
“Anytime that you can get on and score runs off of errors is good for a team,” Beaver Area head coach Amy Haggart said. “I don’t think our kids hung their heads at all though. They fought to get out of that inning and tried to get back into the game.”
While errors cost Beaver in the field in the sixth inning, despite a strong showing with the bats, spreading out 10 hits, the team struggled with runners in scoring position.
Every inning, Beaver Area stranded at least one runner on base, several in scoring position, including runners at second and third in the bottom of the sixth inning, down two runs.
“At the end of the day, I think we just needed some better pitch selection. We just needed to look for some better pitches,” Haggart said. “It was not for a lack of effort, though. These kids fought the whole game.”
Pitcher Jaedyn Brown gave it everything she had in the circle and put the team in a position to win, allowing just two earned runs on six hits and striking out two.
The team also got multi-hit performances out of Cali Coups, Olivia Peabody and Bella Marino.
The loss marks the end of the road for four Beaver Area seniors, Coups, Abby Hojdila, Rhiannon Rabassi, and Jaedyn Brown, all who have played a pivotal role in the team’s success throughout their high school careers.
“This is a tough loss because this senior class of girls has been lettermen since they were freshmen,” Haggart said. “They are like my kids, it is sad to see them go, but I am proud because they have given me their all for four straight years and all four of them will be going on to play at the next level and I can’t be more proud.”
Beaver Area finishes the season one game over .500 and as the fourth-place team out of Section III.
Ethan Morrison is the sports reporter for the Beaver County Times. Contact him at emorrison@usatodayco.com and follow him at EthanMorrison26 on X.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: WPIAL 4A high school softball playoffs, Beaver Area falls to Derry
