Aubri Blair helps propel Williamsport softball to win against Central Mountain in eight innings

LOCAL SPORTS

CHRIS MASSE

Sports reporter

cmasse@sungazette.com

MILL HALL–Aubri Blair watched her foul ball sail just outside the first-base fence. One thought entered the senior shortstop’s mind as she walked back into the batter’s box.

“You really need to make the most of this next pitch,” Blair said.

She did. In the biggest way possible.

Blair slammed a go-ahead home run down the right field line before Kendall McAnelly stranded the winning runs in the bottom of the eighth inning as Williamsport rallied to win its season opener, 6-5 in a thriller at Central Mountain Tuesday. The Millionaires (1-0, 1-0 HAC-I) made their HAC-I debut a memorable one, overcoming a 4-0 fifth-inning deficit, scoring two runs to tie it in the seventh and escaping enough jams to make Houdini smile.

The season is so young, but this was a big-time win against a big-time opponent. Central Mountain captured the league title last season and reached the Class 5A state quarterfinals. Williamsport won the District 2-4 Class 6A championship and also reached the state’s Elite 8. In its first game, Williamsport found a way to grind out a fantastic win against an excellent team.

“This is what we do,” McAnelly said after allowing no earned runs in 4 1/3 innings of brilliant relief. “We live for this.”

McAnnelly stranded the winning runs after they reached first and second with one out in the seventh inning to force extras. Blair helped out in a huge way, making a spectacular running catch up against the shallow left-field fence for the second out.

Williamsport coach Chase Smith planned on bunting Blair if the lead-off batter reached base in the eighth, but when she did not, Blair had the green light. The three-year starter learned a lot after facing Central Mountain ace Adalynn McKeague four times and turned knowledge into power at the perfect time.

Facing a 2-2 count, Blair smashed her home run the opposite way, driving it over the right field fence and giving Williamsport its first lead, 6-5.

“I was coming off that catch over against the fence and I was very fired up. Chase was talking to me about possibly bunting, and I was like, ‘If you want me to bunt, for sure, I’ve got you, but I’m feeling pretty in the zone,” Blair said. “I’ve seen her a few times and I’ve kind of adjusted to what she’s throwing, hitting that outside corner really well. I saw that pitch coming and I took it that way.”

“She’s willing to do anything. That’s the type of kid Aubri is,” Smith said. “She was going to bunt if that kid got on, but I guess a game-winning home run works, too.”

Central Mountain (1-2, 0-1) collected 14 hits and Katelyn Bowman (3 for 5) hit a one-out single in the bottom of the eighth. She went to second on a ground out to third baseman Abby Robertson before Madison Hardy walked. With the winning runs on base, McAnelly remained as calm as she would facing the game’s first batter and induced a game-ending flyout to freshman center fielder Ashlyn Robinson.

McAnelly has produced in similar situations throughout her youth and scholastic softball careers. She would rather not get into those jams but consistently and masterfully works out of them. The gutsy senior did it in each of the innings she pitched against Central Mountain, stranding eight runners, including at least one each time.

“I don’t strike girls out, so just keeping it on the ground is key for me,” McAnelly said. “I have so much confidence in my teammates and the defense. Half the time I don’t even turn around. I just know they’re going to get the ball.”

McKeague delivered a similar tough-minded performance, striking out 10 in her eight innings. The junior right-hander took a one-hitter into the fifth inning and Central Mountain seemed like it was cruising to a win.

This, however, is often when Williamsport is its most dangerous and it proved so again. Abby Mahon and Blair drew walks before Robertson (2 for 3) hit a single to load the bases. Mahon scored on a two-out wild pitch before Taryn Reed scorched a clutch two-run single into center field, making it, 4-3.

Central Mountain scored an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth, but Williamsport again did not flinch down two runs with three outs to go in the seventh. Robertson, Ally Chilson and Reed opened the inning with singles before McAnelly hit a sacrifice fly to right field.

Williamsport pinch-runner Lili Cox did an excellent job and went to third on the throw home on McAnelly’s sacrifice fly. That proved crucial a batter later as Cox scored on Robinson’s grounder to second base and tied the game, 5-5.

“Even down 4-0, I had total confidence after we had gone through and seen her a couple times that we were going to start jumping on her and putting balls in play,” Blair said. “We were putting in balls in play, it was just a matter of when they were going to start dropping.”