STAYING THE COURSE: Brockway Bides Times, Then Rovers Pounce With Five in Sixth to Topple Cranberry in D9 Class 2A Title Game

DuBOIS, Pa. (EYT) — Gracee Hess had settled down after a rocky first inning. The Cranberry bats had produced. And the Berries held a 7-5 lead late in the District 9 Class 2A title game against Brockway.

Then, things unraveled.

The Rovers scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning against a pair of Cranberry relievers and Navayda Smith got through her fourth inning of relief unscathed as Brockway downed the Berries, 10-7, to win the district crown.

Smith relieved Bailee Carberry, who went three innings, in the fourth, trailing 6-4. She gave up an unearned run that pushed the lead to 7-4, but got out of that inning and put up zeros the rest of the way.

That allowed the Brockway bats to deliver a decisive blow.

After trimming the deficit to two with a run in the bottom of the fifth, the Rovers got to Danica Wenner and Kennedy Stewart for five runs in the sixth inning — only two earned.

That was more than enough for Smith, who have up just the one unearned run on four hits. She struck out one and didn’t walk a batter.

Ella Reitz had a big day at the plate for Brockway, going 4-for-4 with a double and four RBIs.

Elysabeth Myers also shined, going 3-for-3 with a single, double, triple, four runs scored and a RBI for the Rovers, who collected 12 hits.

Hess went five innings for Cranberry. She gave up five runs on nine hits. She struck out three and walked just one.

Jadyn Shumaker was 3-for-4 with a single, double, triple and three RBIs for the Berries.

The season isn’t over for Cranberry.

The Berries will take on Keystone — which downed Moniteau, 7-3, on Monday — in a “true second-place” game at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday at Clarion-Limestone.

That winner will advance to the PIAA Class 2A playoffs, along with Brockway.

KEYSTONE 7, MONITEAU 3

Peyton McElravy homered, Isabella Brandon went 3-for-4 at the top of the lineup and also pitched a complete game, striking out six, to keep the Panthers’ season alive with a consolation win over the Warriors.

The victory sets up a “true second-place” game against Cranberry, which fell to Brockway in the district final.

Keystone jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning on the strength of a solo shot by McElravy, a run-scoring error, and a RBI single by Keira McGiffin.

Keystone clung to a 4-3 lead after five innings before erupting for three in the top of the sixth.

Brandon did the rest.

McGiffin was 2-for-4 for the Panthers.

Lilly Staab and Danilynn Wallace each had a pair of hits for Moniteau.

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