Kara Neidigh

FAYETTEVILLE — Chambersburg went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the first inning, with all three batters striking out looking.

Yet that inning said a lot about how the Trojans went about earning an 8-1 win over Mifflin County on Tuesday at Norlo Park in a Mid Penn Commonwealth softball clash.

All three Chambersburg batters in that inning took Huskies pitcher Devanie Condrack to a full count, and had several foul balls. That was a trend the Trojans continued, working Condrack for six walks and two hit batters, and numerous full counts.

“The big thing was our patience at the plate,” Chambersburg coach Chris Skultety said, “even on those strikeouts in the first. It’s probably the first hot day she’s pitched and we made her throw a lot of pitches. We had a lot of quality at-bats.”

The Trojans did not hit Condrack hard, but made the most of what they got.

With Chambersburg pitcher Mackenzie Stake holding the Huskies (9-6, 7-5 MPC) at bay — she finished with a five-hitter and the only run that scored was unearned — the first team to score would have a big advantage.

It was the Trojans, who scored three times in the third inning. Kara Neidigh and Kirsten Johnson walked and with one out, Alyssa Brechbill’s soft liner into left center could not be caught and Neidigh scored.

Haiden Brookens was hit by a pitch to load the bases and two more runs scored on a single by Alyssa Wenger and a sacrifice fly by Brooklyn Miller.

“We had a few balls hit well, and I thought Brooklyn’s was gone for a grand slam,” Skultety said. “It must have gotten caught up in the winds.”

Another run scored in the fourth on a sac fly by Brechbill. In the fifth, Chambersburg (14-4, 10-2 MPC) loaded the bases for the third consecutive inning, and produced four runs on two Mifflin County errors and a two-run single by Myers.

Stake did the rest, striking out four and walking two. And she got plenty of help from her defense.

Neidigh raced in to make a shoestring catch in the third in left field, and caught two line drives in the fourth. Brechbill made a twisting, circus catch of a pop-up behind shortstop in the seventh.

Skultety said, “Our defense has been a staple. We did give up a run on an error, but we were trying to make a play on it. Kara made some nice plays in left — it was nice to see a senior have a day like that.”

If Chambersburg can get past Red Land on Wednesday on Senior Day, it would travel to Central Dauphin on Friday with the Commonwealth title on the line.

Chambersburg 8, Mifflin County 1
MIFFLIN COUNTY
Madison Myers, ss, 2-0-0-0; Caitlyn Kick, ph, 1-0-0-0; Jade Morningstar, lf, 3-1-1-0; Allyssa Schnell, 3b, 3-0-1-0; Olivia Ahern, 1b, 3-0-1-0; Chloe Fitzgerald, dp, 3-0-0-0; Devanie Condrack, p, 0-0-0-0; Madison Ream, p, 0-0-0-0; Josalynn Kibe, cf, 2-0-0-0; Cassidy Wilson, rf, 2-0-0-0; Morgan Weston, ph, 1-0-0-0; Alyssa Souders, c, 2-0-0-0; Victoria Nichols, c, 1-0-0-0; Gianna Hoppel, 2b, 3-0-2-0. Totals 26-1-5-0.
CHAMBERSBURG
Taylor Myers, cf, 4-0-2-2; Kirsten Johnson, 2b, 2-1-0-0; Alyssa Brechbill, ss, 3-1-1-2; Haiden Brookens, 3b, 2-0-0-0; Alyssa Wenger, rf, 3-1-2-1; Brooklyn Miller, dp, 0-0-0-1; Mackenzie Stake, p, 0-0-0-0; Erin Pattillo, ph, 1-1-0-0; Haley Privett, c, 3-0-0-0; Sara Washabaugh, 1b, 2-1-1-0; Rebecca Fischer, cr, 0-1-0-0; Hannah Egolf, 1b, 0-0-0-0; Kara Neidigh, lf, 2-1-0-0; Brynn Schoenberger, lf, 0-1-0-0. Totals 22-8-6-6.
Mifflin County          000   001   0   —   1-5-2
Chambersburg         003   140   x   —   8-6-1
LOB — MC 6; Chbg 7. 2B — Hoppel, Ahern. SF — Brechbill, Miller. SAC — Wenger, Neidigh. SB — T.Myers.
Mifflin County pitching: Condrack (L) 5 ip, 6 h, 8 r, 4 er, 6 bb, 6 k, 2 HBP, 1 wp; Ream 1 ip, 0 h, 0 r, 0 er, 0 bb, 0 k.
Chambersburg pitching: Stake (W, 10-4) 7 ip, 5 h, 1 r, 0 er, 2 bb, 4 k, 1 wp.