Chartiers-Houston tops Bristol, completes Eastern run to state final (original) (raw)

LEWISTOWN – It was almost fitting that the final out was a soft liner to Chartiers-Houston junior pitcher Taryne Drilak.

In the Bucs’ state playoff run Drilak has been strong, but shutting down Bristol’s high-powered offense might have been her best work to date.

Drilak worked around traffic on the bases and got some help for her defense, but when it mattered most she buckled down and made pitches to keep Bristol at bay.

It helped Chartiers-Houston complete its impressive run through the Eastern side of the bracket with a 3-2 win in the PIAA Class 2A softball semifinals Monday at Mifflin County High School.

Bristol, the District 1 champion, had scored at least seven runs in every game it played and in double-digits in all but two entering Monday, but Drilak limited the Warriors to two runs on eight hits and all but a couple were soft contact singles.

“She pitched her heart out,” Bucs coach Tricia Alderson said. “You couldn’t ask anything more of her. She was outstanding. We knew coming in they were scoring like 17 runs a game and were a great team. To hold them to two runs is amazing. I’m really proud of her.”

Chartiers-Houston plays Laurel in the first ever all-WPIAL state softball championship game, 11 a.m. Friday at Penn State’s Nittany Lion Softball Park in State College.

Two weeks ago they met in the WPIAL consolation game, which Laurel won 6-5, and now they’ll play for a Class 2A state title.

The last time two teams from the same district met for a state championship was in 2021 with District 1’s North Penn and Haverford squared off for the Class 6A title.

Chartiers-Houston had made the state semifinals and lost the last two years, but the third time was the charm. The Bucs advanced to the state final for the first time since 2010.

In the seventh, Bristol’s Peyton McClain hit a one-out single up the middle to put the tying run on base, but Drilak got Brianna Slack to ground into a fielder’s choice before catching a soft lineout by Luciana Snyder to finish off the win.

Her teammates mobbed her in the circle and afterwards Alderson got a water bath from her players as part of a lively celebration.

The seventh inning wasn’t the first time Drilak stranded runners. After the Bucs took a 3-2 lead in the fourth inning, Bristol left a half dozen runners on base.

Drilak’s best escape was in the fifth when she stranded the bases loaded. The Bucs intentionally walked Snyder, the cleanup hitter, which brought up Grace Boyle, who was 2-for-2 on the day, but Drilak struck her out to finish the inning.

It was one of her two strikeouts in the game.

Drilak is typically stoic and calm on the field, but she leaped in the air and gave a fist pump before entering the dugout.

“I was fine with the bases being loaded,” Drilak said. “It takes the pressure off the defense and puts a little more pressure on me, but I’m OK with it. I just trusted myself and I knew that if I kept the ball up and away that she wasn’t going to touch it.”

Bristol, which won its quarterfinal game 26-6 against Schuylkill Haven, has feasted on big innings all year. But the Warriors couldn’t produce one Monday.

“I think other pitchers have Taryne beat in the velocity department, but Taryne has a ball that’s very lively with movement that kept our hitters off balance,” Bristol coach Dave Chichilitti said. “We had runners on pretty much every inning and you’re waiting for that big moment where you can put a crooked number up, but it didn’t happen today.”

Bristol (23-2) got two runs in the top of the third to take a 2-0 lead. McClain had a two-run single. The Warriors were denied a third run when Brooklyn Hess launched a perfect strike to home plate from centerfield to throw out McClain at the plate after Snyder singled. It turned out to be a huge moment in the game.

“I didn’t even look. I just threw it and hoped (Bucs catcher) Sydney (English) caught it,” Hess said. “It worked out.”

Chartiers-Houston (21-4) immediately responded after Bristol took the lead with three runs in the top of the fourth.

Lauren Rush led off with a single and after fouling off two sacrifice bunt attempts, Aubree Randolph laced a triple into right field to bring Rush in.

“I probably would’ve got scolded if I got out, so I’m glad I got a hit,” Randolph said with a laugh. “I just saw an inside pitch and I knew if I could get my hands out where they were supposed to be the ball was going to go far.”

Slack got two outs and looked like she’d strand Randolph at third, but Hess put a ball in play and miscommunication in the Bristol infield led to a dropped popup. Randolph scored to tie the game.

Hess started the at-bat hitting left-handed and switched halfway through to the right side. It’s something she’s done in the past and it worked out.

“The coaches told me to switch, and I just listened to them and hoped for the best,” Hess said. “I was a little shocked that they dropped it, but it worked and that’s all that matters.”

Hess stole second and scored what proved to be the winning run on a single to right field by Zaylee Fonner.

It capped an impressive response to the two runs by Bristol.

“We needed to come back with something there and we did,” Alderson said. “That was a huge moment for us.”

Chartiers-Houston defeated three district champions, Bellwood-Antis (District 6), Montrose (District 2) and Bristol (District 1).

Now they’ll try to win the program’s second state title and first in 16 years.