Herald photo/Jason Orfao - Amy Clark trots around the bases after hitting a grand slam with two outs in the top of the seventh to lift Titusville to a 6-3 win and a berth to the Class AA District 10 championship game.

Clark slams Titusville softball into District 10 title game

By Jason Orfao
sports@titusvilleherald.com
Friday, May 27, 2011 1:06 AM EDT

MEADVILLE — Down 3-2 in the top of the seventh, the Titusville Lady Rockets were one out away from calling it a season on Thursday at Allegheny College.

With one swing of the bat, everything changed.

Amy Clark blasted a 2-0 pitch over the left-center-field fence for a go-ahead grand slam, vaulting the Lady Rockets to their first District 10 championship appearance since 1996 with a 6-3 victory over Wilmington.

"I knew it was gone," said Clark of the heroic slam. "I could feel it."

The situation would have been nerve-racking for a seasoned veteran, but Clark — who's just a freshman — delivered undoubtedly, one of the most clutch hits in the history of the program.

Clark admitted she was nervous, but the freshman attempted to ignore the jitters and treat it like any other at-bat.

"I just wanted to stay calm and relax," she explained. "I was looking [for a pitch] I could drive. It felt great."

Titusville head coach Jim Becker couldn't help but be enamored with Clark's ability to push aside the enormity of the moment and pound a game-winning grand slam with two outs to dethrone the defending District 10 champions.

"It's very interesting to see a freshman handle that kind of pressure," he elaborated. "For her to maintain that kind of composure in that situation — that was special."

Clark was the Lady Rocket to deliver the heroics, but she never would have been put in the scenario if it weren't for some clutch hitting from the bottom of the order.

Kylie Rogers sparked the rally with a one-out hit between shortstop and third base, before Lindsey Sawatsky blooped a fly into no-man's land in shallow center field. The next batter, Marie Johnson, was hit by a pitch to load up the bases.McKenna Vandervort applied some pressure to the defense by putting down a bunt, but Wilmington handled it well and threw out Rogers at home.

"The bottom of the order rarely gets the credit," said Becker. "They have been focused on getting their timing down and have worked on the mechanics of their swings. They came through in the clutch. [Rogers and Sawatsky] getting on put us in position to win."

Clark exponentially improved that position and sent the Lady Rockets to the verge of the championship. The freshman was a key defensive player, as well. She recorded seven assists, along with two putouts, including one on a difficult catch in foul territory.

As a whole, the Titusville defense was shaky at times, allowing two unearned runs. However, the Lady Rockets also made some season-saving plays.

Wilmington was threatening to add insurance runs in the top of the sixth, but the defense held strong thanks to some versatile freshmen.

With a runner on second, Johnson, who typically plays second base, moved over to shortstop in the late stages of the game and came up with a diving stop to keep a ball in the infield and preserve a run.

After Clark made her highlight-worthy catch in foul ground, Vandervort showed she's capable of playing multiple positions, too. The freshman moved from center field to second base in the midst of the game and made a acrobatic stop and flipped the ball to Johnson covering at second.

"Every day, a different kid is stepping up and making big plays," said Becker. "Two nights ago [in the quarterfinals], it was Ashley and Katie Neely. Tonight, it was a group of them."

The bottom of the order shined in particular. Kate Garrett, Rogers and Sawatsky combined to go 4-for-8 with three runs scored from the 7-8-9 spots in the lineup.

Rogers, who is better known for her defensive prowess behind the plate, tallied two of those hits, with the latter leading to the triumphant comeback.

"Her biggest contribution is handling pitches behind the plate. She's the best defensive catcher I've seen all year," said Becker. "Now she's contributing offensively, as well. It's fun to watch [the girls] step into different roles."

With Rogers as the backstop, Ashley Smith pitched for Titusville and kept the Wilmington offense under control. The senior struck out five and didn't issue a walk for the second straight postseason game.

Sawatsky, the only other senior on the team, was 1-for-2 with a run scored and she also dropped down a sacrifice bunt, which helped a two-run surge in the top of the third.

"For four seasons, the seniors have always had this goal and expectation to get to the District 10 finals and we've finally been able to achieve it," said Becker.

The Lady Greyhounds are a perennial contender and Becker was proud to see his Lady Rockets oust the prestigious program.

"You've got to credit Wilmington," he said. "Their kids are very athletic and are always, always competitive."

Titusville (12-4) will meet Fairview (20-0) in the District 10 championship. The two squads met back on April 15 at Fairview, where the Lady Tigers came from behind in the bottom of the eighth to walk off with a dramatic 5-4 victory.

The title game is slated for Monday at Penn State Behrend. The first pitch is slated for 1 p.m.



Box Score

TITUSVILLE 6, WILMINGTON 3

TITUSVILLE (12-4) — AB-R-H-RBI: Marie Johnson 2b-ss 3-1-0-0, McKenna Vandervort cf-2b 4-1-0-0, Amy Clark 3b 4-1-1-4, Ashley Smith p 4-0-0-0, Laney Brown cr 0-0-0-0, Shana Grosch 1b 3-0-1-0, Kim Finley pr 0-0-0-0, Katie Neely ss 3-0-1-0, Megan Bowser cr-cf 0-0-0-0, Kate Garrett lf 3-1-1-0, Kylie Rogers c 3-1-2-0, Lindsey Sawatsky rf 2-1-1-0. Totals 29-6-7-4.

WILMINGTON (12-4) — AB-R-H-RBI: Emily Romeo p 4-2-3-0, MacKenzie Parish 2b 4-1-0-0, Haley Marett cf 4-0-1-0, Mackenzie Hiers ss 4-0-2-3, Courtney Cohen c 4-0-0-0, Julie Burns lf 3-0-2-0, Alexis Crawford pr 0-0-0-0, Allison Drake rf 3-0-1-0, Cassidy Marett 3b 3-0-0-0, Alana Elliott 1b 3-0-0-0. Totals 32-3-9-3.

Titusville        002   000   4_6-7-2

Wilmington        002   010   0_3-9-3

2B: W — Hiers. HR: T — Clark (7th, 3 on)(4).

IP-H-R-ER-BB-SO: T — Smith WP (12-4) 7-9-3-1-0-5. W — Romeo LP 7-7-6-4-0-0.

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