For the majority of the season, Southmoreland softball displayed a high-powered offense. In their first 18 contests, the No. 2 Scotties reached double figures in scoring ten times. Avonworth pitcher Alivia Lantzy held Southmoreland to its lowest output of the season in the WPIAL Class 3A Championship game on Thursday, however, as the top-seeded Antelopes claimed a 5-1 victory at Lilley Field at California University of Pennsylvania.

Lantzy, a junior who also helped guide Avonworth to district gold in 2022, allowed just three hits and issued two walks while striking out 14.

“She did well what she always does – she throws her strikes, she puts them where she wants them,” said Southmoreland head coach Todd Bunner. “She’s just a good pitcher.”

Despite her excellence in the circle, the outcome was not decided until the Antelopes scored three times in the bottom of the sixth. After Lantzy and Southmoreland hurler Maddie Brown each posted zeros through the first two innings, each team each scored a run in the third, and the Lopes gained the lead with another run in the fourth frame.

After being retired in order in the first two innings, including five via strikeout, the Scotties (16-3) opened the scoring in the top of the third. Brown reached on an infield single with one out, and her courtesy runner, Maddy Lucia, moved to second when Taylor Doppelheuer drew a two-out walk. Makayla Etling then followed with a single to right that scored Lucia and advanced Doppelheuer to third. Southmoreland standout Amarah McCutcheon was intentionally walked to load the bases, but Lantzy induced a groundout by Riley Puckey to limit the damage.

“We thought that we would have to score at least five runs or so to be in this ballgame,” Bunner revealed. “There were a couple of innings there where we had girls on base and didn’t get them across home plate; that hurt us a little bit.”

The Antelopes (21-1) answered in the bottom of the frame, beginning with a one-out triple by Mara Stetser. After Sydney Savatt was hit by pitch and Lantzy was walked to load the bases, Rylee Gray lofted a ball that fell into shallow center field. Although Lantzy was forced out at second on the play for a fielder’s choice, Stetser came home to deadlock the score. The inning concluded in near identical fashion to the Scotties at-bat, as Leah Kuban was intentionally walked to load the bases, but Brown retired Cassandra Heinauer on a flyout to strand the runners.

Avonworth took the lead in the fourth, though, as Emma Obersteiner reached on a one-out single, and after a pair of errors, scored on a single by Savatt.

That was all the run support that Lantzy needed, as she allowed just a single to Brown over the final four frames.

The Antelopes sealed the outcome with three runs in the sixth, again aided by two Southmoreland errors.

Avonworth won its third WPIAL crown, all of which have come since 2019, while the Scotties were denied their second WPIAL title after capturing gold in 2018.

In addition to her two hits at the plate, Brown went the distance in the circle, permitting eight hits, issuing four walks, and registering three strikeouts.

Kuban was the offensive catalyst for the Lopes, as she went 2-for-2 with a pair of intentional walks. Savatt and Obersteiner also notched two-hit efforts.

Both teams will shift their focus to the PIAA Class 3A postseason on Monday, as the Antelopes will face the District 10 runner up, while the Scotties will battle the District 5 champion Chestnut Ridge.

“They were a little bit disappointed coming off the field today, but just turn them back around and they will be resilient,” Bunner said of his squad heading into the state tournament. “They’ll have good attitudes and they’re going to push forward.”