Seconds later that moment came. Faith Persing corralled a pop fly, happy teammates dogpiled along the first base line and both a community’s and team’s dream became reality. All these years Montgomery athletic teams watched others hoist state championship trophies. Now it was their turn.

At that moment, Montgomery became Pennsylvania’s best Class A softball team. What a moment it was.

Persing threw a four-hitter, every starter reached base and the Red Raiders thumped DuBois Central Catholic, 5-1 to capture the program’s first team state championship in Montgomery history. Wherever they go, whatever they do, these 2022 Raiders always will be linked, always will be champions and always will be remembered.

“We finally made history at Montgomery,” third baseman Brynn McRae said after going 3 for 4. “We’re not runners-up anymore. We’re No. 1.”

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montgomery players celebrate after defeating DuBois Central Catholic on Thursday at Penn State in the PIAA Class A championship game. It’s Montgomery’s first softball championship in program history.

“We saw the fans stand up after we got the second out and I knew at that moment, ‘This is it,'” first baseman Taylor McRae said after going 2 for 4 with two RBIs and playing super defense. “You couldn’t write it any better than this.”

Montgomery (22-4) left no doubt that it was the state’s top team. Every player, even the reserves in the dugout who provided so much energy, made an impact and made this coveted championship possible. Eight players produced hits Thursday and Montgomery completed one of the more dominant runs in area history, outscoring seven playoff teams, 49-3.

Over the last three games, Montgomery beat the best Pennsylvania had to offer by a 27-2 margin. The Raiders beat last year’s state champion and three district champions while achieving both program and community immortality.

“I was at the bottom of the dog pile. I just kind of closed my eyes and thought, ‘Please, just nobody hurt me,'” Persing said as she laughed. “It felt great. I was just so happy to see all of our team together and happy and some crying and living in the moment.”

This moment has been more than a decade in the making. Montgomery features 10 seniors, including eight starters. Each year together, this team grew better. Now it is the best.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Two Montgomery players bite their gold medals in the dugout at Penn State after beating DuBois Central Catholic to win the program’s first state title in softball.

And what a way to go out.

“Usually I ask the girls, ‘What can we do better?” after the game. This time, I said, ‘I’m not waiting until we go out in the grass. I’m going to ask you right now what can we do better?’ ‘Nothing!’ (they yelled),” Montgomery coach Chris Glenn said. “That was a happy moment. I always told these girls if we hit like we play defense there’s not a team that’s going to touch us ever. They proved it today.”

Montgomery proved is not just a great collection of individuals but a fabulous team playing as one yet again. This was the third straight game in which at least eight players collected hits. Montgomery played stellar defense behind Persing and the Raiders delivered 10 or more hits for a third consecutive game.

This entire postseason run has been something which would make even the perennially grumpy Bill Belichick smile because every player did her job and did it exceedingly well. On the biggest stage, in front of a big crowd, the Raiders did it again and produced the Hollywood ending to their dream season.

“The last inning, I got chills because I looked around and it set in that this is going to be the last time I’ll be playing with these girls,” Brynn McRae said. “When we stop and eat food it will probably hit me and I’ll sit there and bawl my eyes out, but this is perfect.”

Any tears shed will be happy one’s. After experiencing heartbreak the past two seasons, Montgomery left the field with full hearts and gold medals around their necks.

Like it did in its last two wins, Montgomery started strong and scored two runs in the second inning, going ahead to stay, 2-0. Jenna Waring and Brynn McRae sandwiched hits between Kaylei Snyder’s well-placed bunt and ensuing error. Cortney Smith (2 for 4) then continued her spectacular postseason with an RBI single and Persing added another two batters later.

Montgomery hit Central Catholic (22-4) as well as any team it played this season, but for the next three innings those hits did not produce runs. And despite dominating the first 4 ½ innings, Montgomery was fighting to protect its lead in the fifth.

Savanah Morelli hit a lead-off double and scored on Jessy Frank’s RBI single, cutting it to 2-1. The Cardinals then had the go-ahead runners on second and third with one out. And here is where the game’s two pivotal turning points occurred.

Persing and her defense provided the first crucial momentum swing. Persing, again did some of her best work under pressure, inducing a pop-out to Taylor McRae in foul territory and then to shortstop Kaitlyn Raemsch in shallow left field, preserving the lead.

“I’m just trying to spin my pitches and get them to pop up. Coach Harry (Overdorf) said we’re going to get a pop out to get out of it which is exactly what happened,” Persing said. “It was just keeping my mindset going and not giving them anything good to hit.”

That sequence fed into the offense and sparked a game-breaking sixth-inning rally. Smith delivered again with a lead-off single before Shelby McRae reached on an error. Persing than rocketed an RBI single off pitcher Morgan Tyler’s leg and Montgomery led, 3-1.

It looked like Tyler might work out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam and keep it that way, but Taylor McRae then delivered one of the biggest hits in program history. Facing a two-out count, McRae scorched a ball up the middle for a two-run single and Montgomery went up, 5-1.

Climbing Mount Everest might have seemed easier at that point than coming back from four runs down against Persing and her defense.

“There was a definite change in energy there,” said McRae who then made a fantastic play, diving to reach first base for the first out in the bottom of the sixth. “I think we were all coming down a little bit knowing the score was as close as it was, but we didn’t lose faith in our team, that’s for sure.”

“I told the girls that we have to answer. They went out and answered and I thought that was the game right there,” Glenn said. “We went out and answered with a big statement that (said), ‘We’re not losing today we’re doing what we have to do,’ and I think that took some win out of their sails.”

From there, the excitement grew with every out. Persing retired the side in order in the sixth. Her six strikeouts equaled her season low, but that did not mean she was any less brilliant. With her defense playing so well, the Bloomsburg-bound pitcher knew she could throw to contact and threw 58 of her 83 pitches for strikes, while walking none.

Morelli capped her 3 for 3 day with a lead-off single in the seventh but Montgomery was not letting this moment be spoiled. Persing produced her sixth strikeout and Smith caught the second out in left field.

At that point it was not a matter of if Montgomery would win, but how it would win. The answer came just one pitch later as Lauren Davidson hit a pop up down the first-base line. Persing hauled it in and both a state championship and history was Montgomery’s at long last.

“We always play as a team. We all put the up the hits we need to score runs,” Taylor McRae said. “We’ve always been playing together, we’re all everyone’s best friends. This is incredible to do it our senior season together.”

In addition to all those adult fans who cheered Montgomery on were many of the community’s Little League players. These Raiders are their heroes and who they hope to some day emulate. With this inspiration now provided, the future looks bright.

But heck, winning a state championship is brutally hard. These 2022 Red Raiders are among the chosen few in any sport who can call themselves state champions.

The future can wait for now. This is a state title so many decades in the making. This is a team, a time and a moment to savor.

“I think we all remember 2010 (softball) and 2012 with the boys (reaching state finals) and even being district champs back-to-back was huge,” Persing said. “Now we’re state champions, so this will be remembered forever.”

Montgomery 020 003 0–5 14 1

C Catholic 000 010 0–1 4 2

Faith Persing and Shelby McRae. Melia Miscavich, Morgan Tyler (3) and Jessy Frank. W–Persing, (19-4). L–Miscavich.

Top Montgomery hitters: Jenna Waring 3-4; Brynn McRae 3-4; Taylor McRae 2-4, 2 RBIs; Persing 2-4, RBI; Cortney Smith 2-4, RBI; Shelby McRae 1-3, R; Sloan Wooten 1-4; Kaitlyn Raemsch 1-4; Kaylei Snyder BB, R. Top DCC hitters: Savanah Morelli 3-3, 2 2Bs, R.

Records: Montgomery 22-4. Central Catholic 22-4.