Apr 9, 2013 By Eleanor Bailey 4 min read

Despite dropping a dramatic, 5-4, decision to Mt. Lebanon, Peters Township continued on its course for a softball showdown with Canon-McMillan.

In Section 4 play, the Lady Indians host Canon-Mac at 4 p.m. April 11 at Elm Grove Field. The Lady Macs (3-0, 3-1) are the defending WPIAL Quad-A champions.

PT is off to a 9-1 start, with its only blemish being the extra-inning loss to Lebo last week at Jefferson Field. Jess Gordon drilled an RBI double, scoring Lizzie Remark with the game-winning tally in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Winning pitcher Ally Bianchi smacked a two-out, two-run double to score Gordon and Kaitlin Klinchock with the tying runs in bottom of the seventh to push the game into extra frames.

Abby Cunningham staked PT to a 4-0 lead with a three-run homer in the second stanza. Torie Weida doubled and scored on Hanna Berardino’s base hit in the frame, too.

While Bianchi struck out seven and walked six in the victory, Carly Konopka was saddled with her first loss of the season. She struck out four and walked as many.

Konopka and the Lady Indians got back on track with a 10-8 win over Chartiers Valley.

Konopka smacked a two-run homer while Cunningham, Kelly Perich and Meghan Baystr all doubled. Lindsay McKnight tagged a triple. Konopka and Perich each drove in three runs.

Perich picked up the win on the mound. She fanned nine and walked five.

Viktoria Heiser excelled defensively. The right fielder registered five putouts. Heiser gunned down a runner attempting to score from third for the final out of the game.

After a successful spring training trip to Tennessee, where they won the Gordonsville Tournament, PT opened league play with victories over Baldwin, 11-7, and Bethel Park, 2-1.

Perich picked up the win versus BP. Perich struck out 10 against the Hawks. Offensively, she socked a home run. Heiser tripled and scored on a sacrifice for the other tally.

Konopka hurled a complete game against the Highlanders. In the triumph, PT pounded out 13 hits, including two triples by Perich. McKnight also tagged a three-bagger. Cunningham drilled two doubles. Berardino also had a double while McKnight collected two hits, including a single in a pivotal fourth frame. She, Konopka, Wieda and Bystr all drove in runs with their safeties.

Meanwhile, CM prepared for its showdown with PT with a 4-2 win over Bethel Park.

Linda Rush doubled and singled and drove in two runs for the Lady Macs. Maddie Engel and Abby McCartney also doubled in the win. Alayna Astuto recorded the win on the mound. She struck out nine.

For the Lady Hawks, Jennifer Rimmel tagged a two-run homer in the top of the seventh. Molly Welsh and Lexi Parinella each doubled in the loss.

For the Lady Macs, the win came on the heels of a disappointing defeat to Hempfield, 17-6. A 14-run, third-inning led to CM’s demise. Kasey Kolick smashed a grand slam while winning pitcher Taylor Bartlow crushed a three-run roundtripper. Kirsten Rush also homered for the Spartans, who lost to the Lady Macs in last year’s WPIAL championship game.

Before heading into section baseball action this week, Bethel Park flexed its muscles against Central Catholic. The game was a replay of last year’s WPIAL quarterfinal playoff. While BP lost that encounter, this time, the Hawks won.

In a 4-1 triumph, Tyler Grashoff went the distance on the mound. He scattered seven hits, struck out three and walked one.

Zac Forsyth and Ryan Kogler each tagged two hits, drove in and scored a run, for the Hawks, who are ranked No. 1 and off to a 6-0 start.

BP scored three runs in the second stanza. David Lemley led off with a single off the third-base bag, moved to second on a sacrifice by Dakota Forsyth and scored on Zac Forsyth’s hit. Kogler, who had singled, scored on Chad Brown’s suicide squeeze bunt.

With two out in the third, Ryan Dodson doubled to left. After walks to Lemley and Dakota Forsyth, Dodson scored on Kogler’s base hit.

South Fayette split decisions, falling to Moon, 5-0, and beating Fort Cherry, in other softball action.

Ashley Iagnemma fanned 13 in the loss. She struck out 10 and scattered one hit in the win over the Rangers. Offensively, Mikayla Fetchet singled, doubled and drove in three runs while Taylor Coyne singled doubled and drove in two runs.