No. 12 Freeport softball upsets No. 5 Southmoreland in WPIAL Class 3A 1st round

By: Michael Love
Tuesday, May 14, 2024 | 6:33 PM

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Freeport made the WPIAL softball playoffs 12 straight seasons before missing out last spring.

The Yellowjackets so far are enjoying their return to the postseason.

The No. 12 seed got on the board first in Tuesday afternoon’s Class 3A first-round matchup with No. 5 Southmoreland at Gateway before withstanding a rally by the Scotties.

Freeport then added on in the fifth and sixth and held off Southmoreland for a 6-3 victory.

“Our goal from the beginning of the season was to get better and better,” Yellowjackets coach Ron DeJidas said.

“I know we went in a 12 seed, but I felt good about us because the second time through the section, other than our second game against Avonworth, we did get better. We could see those improvements. A number of our games in section had that playoff feel. The girls wanted a shot to again prove what kind of team they are, and I couldn’t be more proud of every one of them.”

Freeport improved to 11-6 and will move into the quarterfinals Thursday against No. 4 Mohawk/No. 13 Waynesburg Central at a site and time to be determined Wednesday.

“The girls kept battling today and kept picking each other up,” DeJidas said. “We’re a young team, and most of these girls hadn’t played a playoff game before. You could tell there were some nerves there, but they found their way through it.”

Southmoreland finished its season 14-3.

“I told the girls that sometimes you are going to go into something, and it’s just not going to go your way,” Southmoreland coach Todd Bunner said. “We were the higher seed, so we should’ve won this one, but when you get to the playoffs, all teams are good. It is just going to be tough to say goodbye to those eight seniors.”

Southmoreland, which finished with five hits, also drew six walks off Freeport senior pitcher Sydney Selker. The Scotties scored twice in the third and once in the sixth and had additional chances to put runs on the board, but Selker and the Yellowjackets were able to power out of those jams.

“I knew they were a good-hitting team, and I knew that if I relaxed and calmed down, I could get those outs when we needed them the most,” Selker said. “I had to trust myself and trust my spins, and I went after it. My defense behind me made plays, too.”

Southmoreland left the bases loaded in the third, fourth and sixth innings.

“That was frustrating for my team because normally we get a key hit or two in those situations,” said Bunner, who saw the No. 2 through No. 5 spots in the lineup go a combined 0 for 15 with eight strikeouts.

“Leaving the bases loaded three times, that’s hard to do that with a good team that we have. For whatever reason, we just couldn’t push enough runs across.”

The Scotties went down in order in the first, second, fifth and seven innings. Selker struck out Abigail Grabiak and Kaylee Doppelheur for the final two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Selker finished with 11 strikeouts overall.

Selker’s second strikeout of the game for the first out of the bottom of the third was the 500th of her four-year varsity career. The Freeport faithful erupted in applause as the public address announcer told the crowd of the milestone.

Freeport got on the board in the top of the first.

With one out, Selker doubled to the left-field wall.

After catcher Reese Selker grounded out for the second out, third baseman Addy Caruso deposited a pitch from Southmoreland senior starter Maddie Brown over the fence in right-center field to give the Yellowjackets a 2-0 advantage.

“That felt great, knowing that I was able to deliver for my team in a playoff game,” Caruso said. “I think it helped settle everyone down to have that early lead.”

Brown settled down after the home run and retired the next 12 Freeport batters — 11 by strikeout — before center fielder Megan Grolemund tripled with two outs in the fifth.

She then scored on a wild pitch to break a 2-2 tie.

Abby DeJidas and Sydney Selker connected on back-to-back singles to lead off the sixth. An error on a throw home on a Reese Selker bunt attempt scored both DeJidas and Sydney Selker to extend the Yellowjackets lead to 5-2.

Jayme Radvan then singled to score courtesy runner Keira Clepper for a 6-2 lead.

Freeport finished with six hits off of Brown, who struck out 15 in the loss.

“Maddie was what she normally is,” Bunner said

“She was firing the ball in there. Some of those runs Freeport scored were unearned. Sometimes that gets to her, but she still stands tall. She kept bringing it and kept us in the game.”

Southmoreland center fielder Zoey Welling collected two of her team’s five hits with a pair of singles from the No. 9 spot in the order.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Freeport, Southmoreland