×

Toronto comes from behind to defeat River

Seth Staskey LADY IN RED — Serena Burkey and the Toronto Red Knights defeated River, 8-7, in nine innings Monday to advance to the OVAC Class 2A softball championship Saturday against Wheeling Central.

ELM GROVE — En route to earning the top seed in the OVAC Class 2A tournament, Toronto has been red hot and winning in all sorts of ways.

Head coach Steve Trifonoff and his Red Knights added another chapter to that narrative Monday night on Ben’s Field at the Chambers I-470 Complex.

Toronto got off the deck in the seventh when it found a way to score a run despite having two outs and no one on base to knot the game and force extras where it eventually secured a cherished 8-7 victory against fourth-seeded River (16-6) in nine innings.

“The girls just found a way and they’ve been doing for the last several weeks,” Trifonoff said. “It’s been a while for our program to get to this point and it’s exciting. I just told the girls before the game to play hard and they battled.”

Toronto (15-4) will go after its first OVAC softball title since 2001 on Saturday back at the I-470 Complex against Wheeling Central, which ousted Shadyside in the opener.

There was absolutely no time to begin thinking about the Maroon Knights until Gina Fogle crossed the plate in the ninth after Autumn Daniels ripped a single into left.

The score was tied at 6-6 after three and turned into a pitcher’s duel of sorts between Toronto freshman Jamie Anderson, who came out of the pen, and River’s Bailey Caldwell.

The Pilots took the lead with a run in the fifth when talented sophomore Riley Lollathin produced an RBI single to score Lexi Piatt. That lead stood up until the seventh.

Toronto got the lead-off hitter aboard with a single and moved her to second on a ground out. However, she broke for third and was thrown out stealing by River catcher Livi Rose for the second out of the inning.

Fogle, however, singled to extend the inning. Catcher Alyson Kuntz drove a ball over the center fielder’s head to the fence, which allowed Fogle to race all the way around and knot the game.

“We had two outs and just couldn’t get the third one,” River head coach David Wright said. “I am proud of my girls. They played very, very hard. I wish it would have come out differently, but give Toronto credit.”

The Pilots put two runners aboard in the eighth, but Anderson, who had a huge game at the plate with a double, home run, single and two RBIs, got a ground ball for the final out of the inning. Anderson then worked around a two-out double by Lollathin in the ninth. The Red Knights avoided allowing Lollathin’s double to drive in a run thanks to web gem by third baseman Serena Burkey, who robbed Piatt of extra bases when she snared a line-drive rocket.

In the home half of the ninth, Toronto was very patient against Caldwell. The Red Knights loaded the bases with three consecutive walks, which set the stage for Autumn Daniels.

“It makes it so tough on the pitcher when the bases are loaded because she has to throw strikes,” Trifonoff said. “She has to throw the ball over the plate because she couldn’t risk walking in the game-winning run. Autumn Daniels got a good pitch to hit and put a good swing on it.”

Daniels’ good swing was laced into left, which allowed Fogle to trot home.

Kuntz finished with two singles and three RBI for the Red Knights.

Toronto 8, River 7

River 114 010 000 — 7 13 2

Toronto 330 000 101 — 8 12 3

RIVER: B. Caldwell (LP, 3K, 7W) and Rose. Lollathin 2D, 2S, 3RBI; B. Caldwell S, RBI; Heater D, RBI; Rose 3S; C. Caldwell D, RBI; Cross S, RBI.

TORONTO: Meadows (1K, 2W), Anderson (2, WP, 2K, 2W) and Kuntz. Anderson HR, D, S, 2RBI; Fogle D, S; Kuntz 2S, 3RBI; Reed 2S; Daniels S, RBI; Meredith 2S; Leasure 2S.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

COMMENTS

Starting at $4.73/week.

Subscribe Today