Alizabeth Schuler has been the South Williamsport ace these last four years, so some might know that. But any time Cardone takes the ball, her teammates and coaches believe in her. Most importantly, Cardone is becoming a believer and looking like a second ace.

And doing so helped South become a champion.

Cardone threw a masterful three-hitter and added a long home run Saturday at Millionaire Mountain, leading South to a 7-1 Williamsport Tournament championship win against Montoursville. Emily Holtzapple went 2 for 2 with two RBIs, Mikaiya Hills was 3 for 4 and South also defeated Mifflinburg, 8-1 in the morning’s semifinals while capturing its second tournament crown in three seasons.

“I was definitely coming into the game doubting myself a little and what I can do, but after today I feel great,” Cardone said. “My catcher Lily Reidy helped me be confident in myself when I was warming up because I didn’t feel the best. She helped me calm down and told me to take a deep breath and got me through it.”

Kendall Cardone of South Williamsport connects on her 6th inning home run against Montoursville. South Williamsport won the Williamsport Tournament championship, 7-1. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

“Kendall is such a great kid. She will do anything. She’s such a team player and it shows,” South coach Tom O’Malley said. “She’ll play anywhere and we’re just lucky to have her on the team. You saw what she can do with the bat and her arm. That was an impressive performance.”

Montoursville’s Kayleigh Sheleman produced a fabulous performance herself in Montoursville’s eye-opening 16-1, four-inning semifinal win against Williamsport. The junior third baseman slammed three home runs, including a walk-off two-run shot as Montoursville (6-4) reached the final for the first time this decade.

Sheleman hit her home runs to all three parts of the field and finished with six RBIs. Her walk-off home run capped a two-out, six-run flurry as Montoursville landed an early knockout blow while handing Williamsport its first loss.

“It was so awesome to be able to hit three home runs in one game, especially since I had never done something like that before,” Sheleman said.

Sheleman and Montoursville performing like they did against Williamsport, shined a light on how fabulous Cardone was in the championship. The right-hander took a one-hit shutout into the seventh inning before Julie Friel singled and Nevaeh Montoya hit a two-out RBI double. Cardone threw an economical 78 pitches and let a reliable defense make the plays behind her.

Pitcher Kendall Cardone of South Williamsport can’t reach a ball hit over her head that scored Julie Friel of Montoursville during the 7th inning by Nevaeh Montoya. South Williamsport won the Williamsport Tournament championship, 7-1. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Cardone basically offered a pitching lesson, working ahead, moving the ball around, changing pace and hitting her spots time after time. She did not record any strikeouts but repeatedly induced weak contact. When Montoursville did sting the ball, South defenders made the plays. First baseman Abby Lorson made a sensational diving catch, third baseman Alizabeth Schuler robbed Sheleman of a first-inning single and outiflelders Hills, Maddie Pinkerton and Sage Lorson all made quality running catches. Their stellar play helped Cardone continue locking in as the Mounties marched toward the championship in this annual eight-team tournament filled with strong competitors.

“She changed speeds, and the most important thing is she threw strikes,” O’Malley said. “She gets you out in front, or a little late. She rose to the occasion, that’s for sure.”

So did Holtzapple who continues providing some thunder down under in South’s lineup. The team’s No. 9 batter hit safely in all three tournament games and often scorched the ball, including in the final when she belted two hits. That included a key two-out, two-run, two-strike RBI single in the fourth inning which put South ahead, 4-0.

In her two tournament games on Field 1, Holtzapple went 3 for 4 with three RBIs and two runs. She also dropped a well-placed sacrifice bunt in the third inning against Montoursville, pushing Pinkerton into scoring position after she hit a lead-off single and allowing her to come home with the game’s first run on Hills’s two-out RBI single.

“It’s just showing the hard work that I put in during the preseason,” Holtzapple said. “I think it’s more rewarding when you get a hit like that. It feels good coming up kind of clutch. I feel more comfortable in it (her role) then I did it last year. I keep trying to show what I can do.”

Lily Reidy of South Williamsport tries to make the tag as Julie Friel of Montoursville scores in the 7th inning. South Williamsport won the Williamsport Tournament championship, 7-1. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Holtzapple and her team can do quite a lot, and the Mounties proved it, outscoring three good teams, 31-2. Highlighting how well South played in all phases, those three squads entered those games a combined 15-5.

Schuler threw her second tournament gem against Mifflinburg, scattering five hits after the Wildcats had scored 19 runs in their quarterfinal win against Loyalsock. She, Reidy and Abby Lorson all hit home runs as well. Schuler’s two-out, first-inning home run put South ahead to stay and it scored six times in the third and fourth innings to go ahead, 7-1.

“We were all down after last week,” Holtzapple said. “This was a good pick me up for all of us, coming back to win and showing what we can do.”

Every starter produced a hit Saturday and Cardone displayed her power in the sixth inning against Montoursville. Facing an 0-2 count, Cardone blasted the next pitch over both the center field fence and the Millionaire Top Hat logo for her home run which extended the lead to, 5-0.

“I was down in the count, so I was just trying to get the bat on the ball and put it in play with solid contact,” Cardone said. “I was hoping (it was gone). I was thinking it, but I didn’t want to not run it out just in case it didn’t make it.”

Emily Holtzapple of South Williamsport runs to first base after connecting on 2-RBI hit in the 4th inning against Montoursville. South Williamsport won the Williamsport Tournament championship, 7-1. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

She might not have realized it off the bat, but Cardone’s home run was a no-doubter. So were the first two that Sheleman launched in the semifinals against Williamsport. The junior third baseman crushed a 1-0 pitch well over the left field fence in the first inning, erasing a one-run deficit and putting Montoursville ahead to stay, 2-1.

Two innings later, Sheleman worked the middle of the field, walloping another long shot over the center field fence while giving Montoursville a 10-1 advantage. An inning later, Sheleman ended the game early. There was a little doubt whether this one would leave the field, but Sheleman drove it over the right field fence for the two-run, walk-off home run which capped both a statement win, and a memorable performance.

“I felt really good in the box, was seeing the ball well, and when I saw the third one go over the fence, I was super excited because I’ve never hit any kind of walk-off before,” Sheleman said. “It was also great to have been to hit one to every part of the field, left, center, and right.”

Friel threw an outstanding three-hitter in that semifinal win, also going 2 for 3. Raigan Fredericks and Lia Bozochovic added two hits each and Emily George doubled, while driving in three runs.

Loyalsock (4-3) also put together an impressive offensive outing, scoring 16 runs over its final three at-bats and turning a one-run fourth inning deficit into a 17-3, six-inning win against Union-Endicott in an afternoon consolation game. Freshman Easton Waller continued her terrific debut season, going 3 for 4 with a home run, two doubles and six RBIs. She also earned the win in relief, allowing just one hit and striking out six in 3 2/3 innings of work.

Alizabeth Schuler of South Williamsport can’t make the play at third base as Jill Stone of Montoursville slides safely into base during the 5th inning. South Williamsport won the Williamsport Tournament championship, 7-1. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Loyalsock scored eight two-out runs in the fourth and fifth innings, finishing with 16 hits from eight players. Every starter reached base as well. Sofia Mileto (2 for 4, double) and Kinsie Phillips both hit home runs, while Sophia Miller and Jillian Kennedy each went 3 for 4 and scored three runs, combining for three RBIs.

Championship

South Williamsport 7, Montoursville 1

South 001 301 2―7 10 1

Montoursville 000 000 1―1 3 2

Kendall Cardone and Lily Reidy. Julie Friel and Nevaeh Montoya. W―. L―.

Top South hitters: Mikaiya Hills 3-4, RBI; Emily Holtzapple 2-2, 2 RBIs, R; Cardone 1-3, HR, RBI; Sage Lorson 1-3; Reidy 1-3, RBI, R; Maddie Pinkerton 1-3, R; Gianna Goodman 1-4, R. Top Montoursville hitters: Montoya 1-3, 2B, RBI; Jill Stone 1-3; Friel 1-3.

Records: South 8-2. Montoursville 6-4.

Third-Place Game

Mifflinburg 13, Williamsport 1, 5 innings

Mifflinburg 321 70―13 11 1

Williamsport 010 00―1 7 2

Taylor Stewart and Brooke Gessner. Bailey Livermore, Ashlyn Robinson (4), Brianna Butler (5) and Emma Vollman, Tianah Williams. W祐tewart. L有ivermore.

Top Mifflinburg hitters: Stewart 2-3, 3B, 3 RBIs; Anna Pachucki 2-4, 3B, 2B, 2R; Amelia Fluman 2-4, RBI, R; Gessner 2-4, 3B, RBI, 2R; Aubrey Fluman 2-2, 2 RBIs, 2R; Rhyann Kurtz 1-3, 2B, 3 RBIs. Top Williamsport hitters: Robinson 2-2; Zaelana Minor 2-2, R; Isabella Reddy 1-2; Chelsey Harrison 1-2; Brenna Beck 1-3.

Records: Miflfinburg 6-2. Williamsport 3-2.

Semifinals

Montoursville 16, Williamsport 1, 4 innings

Williamsport 100 0―1 3 3

Montoursville 235 6―16 11 1

Bailey Livermore, Ashlyn Robinson (4) and Emily McAnelly. Julie Friel and Kayleigh Sheleman. W―Friel. L―Livermore.

Top Williamsport hitters:Zaelana Minor 2-2; Brenna Beck 1-2, R. Top Montoursville hitters: Kayleigh Sheleman 3-4, 3 HR, 6 RBIs, 3R; Friel 2-3, R; Raigan Fredericks 2-3, 2B, RBI, R; Emily George 1-1, 2B, 3 RBIs, 3R; Liz Bozochovic 2-3, 2 RBIs, 3R; Montoya 1-3, R; Jordan Chamberlain 3R.

South Williamsport 8, Mifflinburg 1

South 104 200 1―8 12 0

Mifflinburg 000 100 0―1 5 0

Alizabeth Schuler and Lily Reidy. Taylor Stewart and Brooke Gessner . W―Schuler. L―Stewart.

Seventh Place Game

Loyalsock 17, Union-Endicott 3, 6 innings

Loyalsock 100 358―17 16 2

U-E 002 001―3 3 2

W―Easton Waller. L―Botting.

Top Loyalsock hitters: Waller 3-4, HR, 2 2B, 6 RBIs; Sophia Miller 3-4, 2 RBIs, 3R; Jillian Kennedy 3-4, 2B, RBI, 3R; Sofia Mileto 2-4, HR, 2B, RBI, 2R; Addi Barowy 2-5, 2B, 2 RBIs; Kinsie Phillips 1-4, HR, RBI, 2R; Madilyn Mercaldo 1-1, R; Maddie Wertz 1-2, 2B, RBI, 2R.

Records: Loyalsock 4-3.

South Williamsport’s Kendall Cardone rounds the bases after her 6th inning home run against Montoursville. South Williamsport won the Williamsport Tournament championship, 7-1. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Alizabeth Schuler (12) and Emily Holtzapple (99) of South Williamsport celebrate after Holtzapple scored in the 7th inning against Montoursville. South Williamsport won the Williamsport Tournament championship, 7-1. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Kendall Cardone of South Williamsport pitches against Montoursville in the 6th inning. South Williamsport won the Williamsport Tournament championship, 7-1. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

South Williamsport won the Williamsport Tournament championship, 7-1. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Sage Lorson of South Williamsport runs to first as the ball bounces in front of Jordan Chamberlain of Montoursville in the second inning. South Williamsport won the Williamsport Tournament championship, 7-1. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Montoursville pitcher Julie Friel pitches against South Williamsport on Saturday. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette