Hopewell HS Softball Season Ends with Heartbreaking Extra Innings Loss

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Sports can be fantastic but it can also be heartbreaking and unfortunately, that’s how things ended tonight for Hopewell.

In the 1st round of the WPIAL Softball playoffs, Hopewell suffered a painful 10-9 extra-innings loss to Southmoreland.

Aside from the final score, it was a fantastic game that had so many emotional roller-coasters as part of it.

Hopewell scored 4 runs in the top of 4th inning to take a 4-2 lead and led 4-3 going to the 6th inning. The Lady Vikings then took a 5-3 but to their credit, every time Hopewell got some momentum, Southmoreland responded. For example, After Hopewell scored 4 in the third inning to take a 4-1 lead, Southmoreland responded with 2 runs. Then in the 6th inning, Hopewell scored a run to go up 2 runs and Southmoreland answered with a run of their own.

So the game went to the last inning and Hopewell needed 3 outs to advance to the 2nd round but Southmoreland was clutch and scored a run to tie the game at 5-5.

To their credit, Hopewell could’ve folded but didn’t. In that bottom of the 7th inning, Southmoreland had the winning run at 3rd base with 1 out but Alana Covalt struck out the next two batters to force extra innings.

Things got exciting in extra innings. In the bottom of the 8th inning, Southmoreland’s leadoff hitter walked and eventually tried to steal second base. However, Hopewell catcher Victoria Mann gunned her out trying to steal, killing that threat.

In the top of the 9th inning, Dakota Roche walked and advanced to 3rd with 2 outs but was stranded.

More drama in the bottom of the 9th inning, Southmoreland got runners to 2nd and 3rd with only 1 out. The next batter flew out to short center field, Marina Pinchotti caught the ball and the Southmoreland runner at 3rd tried to tag up, however, gunned it to Mann at home, who applied the tag for the double play.

In the top of the 10th inning, Hopewell looked to break things open by scoring 4 runs. After scoring a run on a fielders choice, Hopewell got runners to 2nd and 3rd with 1 out. Southmoreland then decided to intentionally walk Kara Barkovich to load the bases. Tallulah Showrank then showed them that was a bad decision as she hit a bases clearing double to put Hopewell up 9-5.

Unfortunately, as they did all game, the Southmoreland team answered with a 5 run bottom of the 10th inning to win an outstanding playoff game.

Southmoreland now advances to take on No. 2 seed Mohawk.

For Hopewell, it’s the end of the season and the end of 4 seniors careers- Victoria Mann, Kara Barkovich, Isabella Katkich and Tallula Showrank. Each of those hitters finished tonight with 2 hits and Mann and Barkovich collected an RBI.