PIAA Softball Class A, Class AAAA and Class AAA Finals Recaps

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, June 15, 2012 | 2:07 PM

The PIAA softball championships are took place Friday at Nittany Lion Softball Park on the campus of Penn State University. Here are recaps from the Class A, Class AAAA and Class AAA state softball finals.

PIAA CLASS A CHAMPIONSHIP:
Fannett-Metal Tigers 1 – Southern Columbia Tigers 0

It was  a memorable and historic day for District 5 champion Fannett-Metal as they beat Southern Columbia to win the Battle of the Tigers and the 2012 PIAA Class A softball championship. The games only run was scored in the fifth inning as Fannett-Metal won the pitchers duel thanks to the dominating work of Blaire Lauthers. The junior pitcher held Southern Columbia to one hit in her complete game, giving up two walks while striking out eleven. Lauthers also drove home the game's only run when after back-to-back walks to Megan Doughtery and Candice Cornell, she singles to score Doughtery. The win not only gives Fannett-Metal the school first state softball championship, it also gives District 5 their first ever PIAA softball crown.

PIAA CLASS AAA CHAMPIONSHIP:
Big Spring Bulldogs 2 – Valley View Cougars 1

In a state finals thriller, District 3's Big Spring rallied for two runs in the top of the 7th inning, then held on in the bottom of the inning when with the bases loaded and two outs, the potential tying run was out at the plate on a wild pitch. Blayse Cholish's RBI single in the bottom of the 4th inning gave the Cougars a 1-0 lead and it looked like that run would stand up as Valley View hoped to complete an unbeaten season with state gold. However Taylor Mansfield singled in the 7th inning to start the Buldogs rally and scored on an RBI double by Brittany Wagner to tie the game at 1-1. Wagner would then score the go-ahead run on a Cougars error. Callie Pastor allowed one run on six hits through six innings to pick up the win for Big Spring while Mansfield pitched the 7th inning for the save. Gina Chiefallo allowed one earned run on five hits in seven innings and was the tough luck loser for Valley View.

PIAA CLASS AAAA CHAMPIONSHIP:
Central Bucks South Titans 1 – Bishop Shanahan Eagles 0 in 9 Innings

They may have come from different sides of the bracket to reach the Quad A championship game at Penn State, but the finalists came from the same district. The matchup of District 1 teams matched one of the top pitchers in the state, Bishop Shanahan's Kate Poppe against one of the highest scoring teams in the PIAA, Central Bucks South which average 8.6 runs per game. In the end, which pitching prevailed with the Eagles Poppe pitching 8 scoreless innings, it was the Titans taking home their first gold state softball title.