FAYETTEVILLE — Cumberland Valley ace pitcher Lauren Richardson shut out Chambersburg in a 2-0 CV win earlier this season, but the Trojans had different plans for Thursday’s return engagement.

Richardson was strong on the mound again, but Chambersburg scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to snap a 1-1 tie and earn a 3-1 Mid Penn Commonwealth win over the Eagles.

Issie Slimmer

Trojan pitcher Issie Slimmer did the rest, allowing only one run, and her defense was exceptional behind her.

“The defense played phenomenal today,” Chambersburg coach Chris Skultety said. “We know we need to do that, and we know Issie trusts them.”

Both pitchers sat down the first 9 betters they faced. The Eagles broke the ice in the fourth when Richardson and Rylie Brill hit singles to put runners on second third with 1 out. But Slimmer wiggled off the hook when Gracie Lau hammered a liner to left that Erissa Varner snagged and then threw out courtesy runner Shalia Laudig with a dart to home.

In the bottom of the inning, Varner led off with a bunt single, stole second and third and scored on Kylee Perry’s line-drive double to left to put Chambersburg  (8-2, 6-1 MPC) ahead 1-0.

Cumberland Valley (7-3, 6-2 MPC) got that run right back in the top of the fifth with some small ball. Janelle Schneider singled and was bunted to second by Brooke Yasenchak. She moved up on a single to right by Maddy Oswald, and Schneider had to hold at third after a nice pickup by rightfielder Perry.

But CV’s Izzy Kertes executed a perfect squeeze bunt to plate Schneider. The Eagles left two on base when Slimmer caught Richardson looking at a third strike on a 3-2 count with two outs.

“I knew that was a big pitch right there,” Slimmer said. “I was definitely throwing to that outside corner.”

The Trojans broke through in the bottom of the sixth. Perry hit a one-out single to left and stole second base. With two strikes, and after several foul balls on inside pitches, Marley Onomastico delivered a solid base hit to right. Perry scored and Onomastico moved up when the ball got past the right-fielder.

Onomastico said, “I was swinging early (on those inside pitches), so when she threw one outside, I just took it out to right.”

Kendall Flory then followed with another single to right, just over the second baseman’s head, to score Onomastico.

Skultety said, “In the two games against Richardson, we made 42 outs on either strikeouts (20) or flyouts. Normally that’s not going to work in these playoff-type games. We just did enough at the end.”

The Eagles got leadoff batter Brooke Yasenchak on base in the top of the seventh. But when she inexplicately tried a delayed steal, catcher Flory hesitated and as soon as Yasenchak ran toward second, she gunned her down.

“That was a heads-up play by Kendall, waiting for that girl to commit before throwing,” Skultety said.

Slimmer then completed the inning for her third complete game of the season. She allowed 7 hits, walked none and struck out 3.

“My curveball helped keep them off the plate,” Slimmer said, “and then I tried to jam them inside. Later, I used the changeup to keep them off balance.”

Skultety said, “She wasn’t quite at her best the last two games, but today she was focused and on. She kept the ball down and when she threw that changeup, they chased it. I think she only missed on two pitches today and one was my fault.”

Onomastico said, “That loss (Monday) to Big Spring really opened our eyes. So this was a great win for us and it should give us momentum.”

NOTES: Trojan second baseman Josey Snavely made a fine defensive play in the third, diving full out to snag Maddy Oswald’s grounder and throwing her out from her knees … Third baseman Hensley Brookens made a fine short-hop catch in the first … The game had no walks, no hit batters and no wild pitches.