Shelby Telegdy’s big day boosts Elizabeth Forward past Chartiers Valley into state semifinals

By: Matthew Purucker
Thursday, June 6, 2024 | 8:53 PM

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It is always a special occasion when a player drives in six runs.

It is even more special when the occasion is the PIAA quarterfinals and the player also has a spectacular outing in the pitching circle.

It truly was Shelby Telegdy’s day.

At the plate, she went 4 for 5 with two doubles, a single and a no-doubt three-run home run in a five-run sixth inning for Elizabeth Forward, reaching base five times in an 11-1 victory over Chartiers Valley on Thursday at Gateway.

From the pitching circle, Telegdy stifled Colts batters, tallying six strikeouts to go with her seven-hit complete game. She gave up only one earned run and walked four.

However, it was not just Telegdy who had a stellar day. Every Warriors batter recorded a hit in the victory, ending with 17 as a team. That was no shock to Elizabeth Forward coach Harry Rutherford.

“We’ve had that type of thing going on all year. We have 12 kids that are hitting over .300 for the season,” Rutherford said. “Having every kid hit in the lineup is not a surprise for me. We are tough one through nine; no one is an easy out.”

Chartiers Valley (18-5) had a tough time starting a rally. The team’s baserunners were spread fairly evenly throughout the game, barring when the Colts scored their only run of the contest via Lily Duffill drawing a bases-loaded walk to bring home Caitlin O’Farrell in the bottom of the fifth.

However, the next batter struck out looking to end the inning, leaving three runners on base. Chartiers Valley left nine stranded in total.

“You have a team that’s seen you and we’ve seen them, and we didn’t want to give them any momentum at all. We wanted to jump on them right off the bat and say, ‘Hey, we beat you the last time and we’re going to do the same thing here,”’ Rutherford said, referencing Elizabeth Forward’s 7-2 victory over Chartiers Valley in the WPIAL semifinals.

They certainly did jump right off the bat, as the Warriors (22-1) scored runs in the game’s first three innings to take a 5-0 lead and never looked back.

Telegdy had a double in the top of the first and followed up with a three-run double in the second. Addyson Nigut had two RBIs, and seven of the nine Elizabeth Forward hitters crossed home plate.

Elizabeth Forward is set to play Archbishop Wood in the Class 4A semifinals Monday in the round where the Warriors lost last year.

“We’re more mentally focused this year than we’ve ever been,” Rutherford said. “(The players] were disappointed last year. … They came away disgusted with themselves, upset with themselves. They’re focused now. We’ve been doing a lot of classroom on mental preparation. So, believe in yourselves and just continue to do what you’ve been doing, and that’s the attitude they’ve been taking into every game.”

Tags: Chartiers Valley, Elizabeth Forward