FAYETTEVILLE — In a game that went into the 12th inning scoreless, it’s probably not much of a surprise that bunting played a big role in the outcome.

Kylee Miller

Chambersburg’s Abagail Newman and Brooke Leedy put down two effective bunts in a row that scored Carly Benedict with the winning run in the bottom of the 12th inning, lifting the Trojans to a 1-0 Mid Penn Commonwealth win over Cumberland Valley on Thursday at Norlo Park.

“This was old-school softball today,” Trojan coach Chris Skultety said. “We had three 1-0 losses last year, so we finally won one of them.”

The rivals had played nine innings in the first game of the season, a game CV won, 6-5.

This time, it was a taut pitching duel between the Eagles’ Sydney May and Chambersburg’s Kylee Miller.

May was almost untouchable. The sophomore gave up a blast by Sam Paetow in the first inning that came within a couple of feet of making it over the fence in left field, and a line-drive double past third base by Bree Paetow in the sixth. And that’s it.

May’s line: 11.1 innings, 2 hits, 1 earned run, 0 walks and 16 strikeouts, on 130 pitches. She was continually ahead in the court, and fanned the Trojans (7-1, 6-1 MPC) on a variety of pitches, especially a riseball and a sweeping curve.

Leedy said, “She was faster than what we’ve seen, and had a riseball that looked so good coming in.”

Miller, while not quite as dominating, was just as effective. Her line: 12 innings, 5 hits, 0 runs, 2 walks (both intentional) and 8 strikeouts.

“Kylee was phenomenal,” Skultety said. “In the first game, I took her out (in extra innings) because it was early in the season and she was at 120 pitches. Today, in this weather, she was staying in there, even though she had 125 pitches.”

Brooke Leedy

Miller said, “That was the best game I’ve had this season. The fastball on the inside was my go-to pitch, and Sam (Paetow) frames the ball so well that you have to give her credit, too.”

Cumberland Valley (7-4) was 0-for-14 with runners in scoring in position.

May, the Eagles’ cleanup hitter, had three such chances and Miller got her out each time. She did walk her intentionally in the ninth and got out of it.

“She’s a pitcher, so I know she can read the ball coming off my hand,” Miller said. “It was just faith over fear — I knew I had it in me to get her out.”

Miller got out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth, then survived three straight innings with CV starting with a runner on second base to begin the inning.

In the bottom of the 12th, with Benedict starting at second, Newman laid down a good bunt to move her to third base.

Up stepped Leedy, the No. 9 hitter, who was taking the place of Lauren Allison, who suffered a season-ending injury on Tuesday. Everybody expected Leedy to bunt, but she swung away on the first pitch.

“That was just to throw them off,” Skultety said.

On the next pitch, Leedy bunted to first baseman Evie Coburn, who fielded it cleanly and threw to catcher Izzy Kertes. But Benedict’s slide got under the tag to bring the screaming Trojan bench onto the field.

Skultety said, “It was a good bunt and I wanted her to get it to the first-base side. That’s easier for a right-handed hitter.”

Leedy said, “He told me he wanted it to the first-base side. Honestly, I didn’t even see where the ball went, I was just, ‘Go Carly, go Carly!'”

Both teams played outstanding defense. CV did not make an error, while the Trojans had only one. Miller made one excellent play when she caught a popped-up bunt on the first bounce, turned and fired to second base for a force out. First baseman Karley Skultety had another when she snagged a hot throw on a short hop for an out.

Coach Skulktety said, “The defense was phenomenal. We practiced for two hours yesterday on defense. We normally will have an easy practice before a game, but the girls worked their butts off a responded in a big way.

“Maybe now, I should have a two-hour hitting practice.”

NOTE: Chambersburg’s game at Central Dauphin on Monday at 4:15 — the teams are tied for first place in the Commonwealth — will be broadcast (audio only) on MidPennBroadcasting.com.