Avonworth gets its revenge, beats Mt. Pleasant in 3A softball quarterfinals

By: Jason Black
Thursday, May 19, 2022 | 8:16 PM

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During the 2021 softball season, the Mt. Pleasant and Avonworth softball teams met twice in the playoffs, with the Vikings knocking off the Antelopes in both the Class 3A WPIAL semifinals and PIAA quarterfinals on their way to WPIAL and state championships.

But this year Avonworth, with the help of sophomore pitcher Alivia Lantzy, got a little bit of redemption.

Lantzy racked up 16 strikeouts, gave up just five hits and also belted a solo homer to lead the top-seeded Antelopes to a 5-2 victory over the eighth-seeded Vikings in a WPIAL Class 3A quarterfinal Thursday at Plum.

Coming into the game, Mt. Pleasant coach Chris Brunson knew his team would be in for a tough challenge against Lantzy and the Antelopes (15-5).

“We knew we were running into a really good pitcher,” Brunson said, explaining that Lantzy was impressive against the Vikings, even as a freshman last year. “She was one of the few pitchers that kind of held us down last year and now she is a year older and better. She utilized east-west (in the strike zone) and we didn’t make adjustments until late in the game and it was a little too late.”

Right from the start, it was clear that Lantzy was going to be a problem for the Vikings (10-10). After getting a groundout to start the game, Lantzy struck out the next eight hitters she faced.

Lantzy also delivered at the plate.

In the bottom of the first, she connected on the first pitch she saw from Mt. Pleasant pitcher Sophia Smithnosky. Lantzy’s drive sailed over the fence in right-center, giving the Antelopes a 1-0 lead.

“She was absolutely outstanding,” Avonworth coach Jenna Muncie said of Lantzy. “Sixteen strikeouts and a home run, you can’t ask for more than that.”

Following the home run, Avonworth tacked on another run in the first as Meg Fissore double and scored on an error to make it 2-0.

But in the fourth inning, the Vikings finally found a bit of offense. Katie Hutter led off with a double and Abby Swank followed with a bunt single to put two runners on. A sacrifice bunt by Smithnosky also went for an RBI as Hutter alertly scored on a play at first, cutting Avonworth’s lead to 2-1.

However, Lantzy picked up two key strikeouts to end the threat. Then in the bottom of the fourth, the Antelopes seized control with a three-run frame as Cat Barie, Cassie Heinauer and Emma Obersteiner recorded three straight singles, with Obersteiner picking up an RBI to make it 3-1. And with two outs, Syd Savatt delivered a clutch two-run single to extend the Avonworth lead to 5-1.

With a four-run lead on her side, Lantzy responded by tossing scoreless innings in the fifth and sixth. Mt. Pleasant’s Krista Brunson belted a solo homer to left field in the seventh, but Lantzy finished the game with yet another strikeout to send the Antelopes into the semifinals.

“This was probably one of our biggest hurdles because (Mt. Pleasant) has such a great legacy and they’ve been through it before,” Muncie said. “But our kids just had the attitude that they were going to buckle down and get after it.”

The loss ends the season and any chance of defending a WPIAL and/or state title for Mt. Pleasant. However, Chris Brunson noted that the experience may be a positive one for his team down the road.

“We probably only have four girls that really had varsity experience from last year’s team,” Chris Brunson said. “We went through some struggles early on defensively, but we got better. For most of the season, our bats carried us through, but Lantzy got the best of us today. We got Avonworth twice last year and hopefully this year, it’s their turn. They have a great opportunity.”

Tags: Avonworth, Mt. Pleasant