Council Rock North lost a heartbreaker to Hazleton in a PIAA Class 6A quarterfinal game Thursday. Photos courtesy of Donna Longacre. Check back for a gallery.
#2-1 HAZLETON 6, #1-5 COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 5
The emotional embraces, the tears that wouldn’t stop falling underscored the Indians’ heartbreak after battling back to take a lead in the top of the seventh only to watch the Cougars – with two outs – score a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame for the walk-off win.
“It’s hard to breathe,” said senior catcher Taylor Amazeen, making no attempt to hide her emotions. “I couldn’t talk out there. I didn’t know what to say because it doesn’t feel real.
“It was such a great experience, and it’s kind of sinking in that I’m never going to play again. I’m never going to get that high school season, I’m never going to get that college season.”
Amazeen turned to fellow senior Sabrina Crane.
“Sabrina is such a great player,” the Indians’ catcher said. “She gets to go on to college and continue her career another four years, and I decided not to. It’s pretty hard.”
Amazeen, Crane and their teammates on the 2017 Council Rock North softball team will be remembered for their will to win, their grit, their guts and their refuse-to-lose attitude – traits that were once again on display on a chilly spring night at Parkland High School when they rallied from a run down with one out and no one on in the seventh to take a 5-4 lead.
“Once again, these kids came back in the seventh,” coach John Engelhardt said. “I can’t count how many times they did that.”
In the dramatic seventh, Riley Sheehan gave the Indians a shot in the arm when she ripped a one-out triple to left field. She raced home with the tying run on Lauren Begg’s sacrifice fly to shallow left. Crane kept the inning alive with a double to left, and Taylor Briggs followed with a double to left center that scored Crane, giving the Indians a one-run lead heading into the bottom of the seventh.
“Actually, that last inning, it took Riley’s big hit to get me pumped up again,” Crane said. “It was starting to sink in – thinking how this might be my last game, and then Riley got that hit.
“It just got me pumped up again, and it just shows the heart and how much we believe in each other and how much we just don’t want to quit. I’ve never seen anything like it on any of my other teams, and it’s just a really special thing to be a part of, and I’m really going to miss it.”
It looked as though it might be another storybook finish for the Indians, who had rallied for come-from-behind wins in the seventh inning in two of their three preceding games.
This time, however, the Cougars had the final word, scoring a pair of two-out runs in the bottom of the inning when Marissa Trivelpiece’s fly ball to the outfield eluded the Indian outfielder in pursuit.
Not even a loss could take away from yet another remarkable comeback.
“I couldn’t be more proud of them,” Engelhardt said. “The one thing I asked of them and what I wanted from them was – I wanted them to leave it all on the field, whether we won or lost, because we can control the energy we bring on the field. I’m not worried about a play or two or an at-bat or whatever happens.
“These girls gave it their all and committed themselves since January to getting us to states. We got to states and achieved our goal. It definitely stings to get so close, but you can’t be results oriented. I couldn’t be more proud of the girls in that dugout. The toughest part is knowing we will not be together anymore. No one is upset about a play but that the season is over.”
Early on, the Cougars plated a run in the bottom of the first to go on top 1-0, but the Indians got that back in the third. With one out, Elena Calibeo reached first on an infield single and stole second. She scored on Sheehy’s single to left center.
In the top of the fourth, the Indians took their first lead. Briggs led off the frame with an infield single, and Juliana Shields followed with a single to left. Both runners moved up on Amazeen’s sacrifice bunt, and the bases were loaded when Jenna Khantzian was safe on an error. Madison Tomlinson’s single to center plated Briggs, and the Indians led 3-1 when Sheehy delivered a two-out RBI single.
The Cougars established that they weren’t going to go down quietly, answering with three runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 4-3 lead into the seventh inning when the Indians staged one final comeback. On this day, it wasn’t quite enough.
“I told them – this has been a special year,” Engelhardt said. “The first Council Rock North team to make it to states. We knocked off the district champion (Avon Grove).
“These girls came out as the fifth place team in District One and competed with another district champion, and they’re committed. I know late in a season teams are ready for it to be over. There’s not a single girl in that dugout that wanted this to end, which is why it hurts so much. These girls have a lot of fun together.
“There’s not one girl in that dugout that’s going to place blame on anyone. We lost as a team. We walked on the field as a family, we’re walking off as a family. We’re not placing blame or putting it on anybody. There are too many plays in a game to put it on one play.”
Were there plays the Indians would like to have back? Absolutely, but no one anywhere will ever question the heart of this year’s squad. They were the comeback kids, and they had themselves a postseason to remember.
“The bus ride home is going to be pretty sad, turning in my uniform is going to be really sad,” Crane said. “Four years went by so quick, and I couldn’t ask for a better way to end it this year.”
“I thought we had it,” Amazeen said. “They fought their butts off the entire game. I’m so proud of them.”
EXTRA INNINGS: When asked after the game if walking Trivelpiece, who delivered the game-winning hit, with a base open and two outs in the seventh was a consideration, Engelhardt admitted it was. “Jenna’s not the type of kid that wants to walk someone,” the Indians’ coach said. “Jenna is out there competing with a bad back, so I’m going to turn it to her. I think she’s the best pitcher in the state. If she wants to go out there and go after someone, I’m going to let her, and I would do it again. I’m going to have my kids’ back. If that’s what they want, we’re going to do it.” Khantzian once again kept the Indians in it to the end…The Indians pounded out 10 hits. They were led by the 3-for-4 effort of Sheehy out of the leadoff spot. Crane and Briggs were both 2-for-4…There were defensive gems on both sides with Hazleton shortstop Marissa Trivelpiece stealing the spotlight with a diving stop of Juliana Shields’ sharp grounder in the hole and then somehow firing the ball to first to rob the Indians’ shortstop of a base hit. A close second was Rock North second baseman Madison Tomlinson’s diving grab of Kyra Antolick’s screaming line drive up the middle. Or first baseman Lauren Begg snaring a line shot off the bat of Hope Kinney and doubling the runner off first for an inning-ending double play in the fifth.
Council Rock North 001 200 2 5
Hazleton 100 103 2 6
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