MEADVILLE — For the past two seasons, Blackhawk has had its fair share of problems playing with a three-run lead, falling in the past two WPIAL 4A softball championships after holding that advantage.
But with a trip to the PIAA high school softball championship game hanging in the balance, Blackhawk left nothing to chance, as despite a late rally by Harbor Creek, Blackhawk held on to win 7-5 to advance to its first state championship game in program history.
“These girls are so resilient and I am so proud of the way that we played today,” Blackhawk head coach Jim Riggio said. “Getting those three runs early was huge. We’re going to compete for a state championship, which is pretty cool.
While the top of the order usually becomes the source of offense and the start of a rally, it was the bottom of the order for Blackhawk (15-5) that began an offensive barrage for the Cougars.
Following a pair of hitless frames to begin the ballgame, catcher Hannah Nolte broke the ice for the Cougars, ripping a double into the left-centerfield gap to begin the third inning.
Two batters later, Addy Ramer drove in the game’s first run with a bloop single into left field.
“No matter where someone is in the order, we can hit and make an impact,” Blackhawk shortstop Brynn Hysong said. “Those girls at the bottom of the order can still hit the ball really well and come through when we need them.”
Along with the first blow of offense for Blackhawk, the team also had strong contributions from right fielder Ava Elich and pitcher Kylie Prisuta, combining for six of the team’s seven runs.
Elich tacked on insurance in the third inning with a single up the middle to drive in a pair of runs, followed by another RBI single in the fifth.
Following the Elich single, Prisuta helped her own cause, connecting on a pitch and sending it over the left field wall for a three-run home run.
“I got a hold of one earlier that went foul, so I just waited back on that change-up and got a hold of it,” Prisuta said. “I was so happy when I saw that ball get over the wall.”
While Prisuta handled the bat, she also came up big in the circle when it mattered most, getting herself out of several of jams.
Despite giving up a pair of leadoff walks and another on a hit by pitch, Prisuta had the Harbor Creek (19-6) batters off balance, striking out nine, including six-straight batters after allowing a leadoff woman on base.
While Harbor Creek put together a late surge, scoring four runs to cut the deficit to within a pair, Prisuta fought back to get the final two batters of the game.
“There were some nerves in the seventh inning when they started to score some runs, but I have all the trust in my defense to make the plays and they did,” Prisuta said.
Blackhawk will aim to capture its elusive gold medal, aiming to claim its first PIAA state championship in program history when it faces off against District II champion Valley View on Friday, June 12 at 1:30 p.m. at Nittany Lion Softball Park.
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: Blackhawk survives Harbor Creek in PIAA 4A softball semifinals
