PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA — With South Williamsport trailing 1-0 in the bottom of fifth inning of their PIAA Class AA quarterfinal matchup, Mikiaya Hills came up to the plate with two outs and fellow junior Maddie Pinkerton on second base after a leadoff double in a huge at bat for the Mounties.

But, as had been the case all game, a 2-0 pitch that was some six inches off the plate outside was called a strike, a call that the home plate umpire immediately turned towards South head coach Tom O’Malley and apologized for missing.

To Hills, it was no matter. These battle-tested Mounties have the heart of a champion.

Hills hit the next pitch into centerfield for an RBI single to tie the game. Then, one pitch later, Alizabeth Schuler hit a trademark moonshot that would’ve landed well up on the Lamade Stadium hill just down the road from South Williamsport High School. South used those three runs, a sixth-inning blast from Kendall Cardone and some fantastic defense to win a 4-2 thriller over West Shamokin and advance to their third straight state semifinal.

“I knew I had to (put the call behind me), because we were down, and I just had the confidence in myself and the motivation'” Hills said.

It was far from the prolific hitter’s hardest hit ball of the season, as it was just a flair into centerfield. You could feel the pressure come off of the Mounties as soon as Pinkerton crossed home plate. And when West Shamokin pitcher Leah Mondi made a mistake with a rare pitch over the plate, Schuler made her pay with a no-doubter that the outfield didn’t even bother turning around to look at.

“I knew that he did have a very wide strike zone, and I knew I had to be on all corners of the plate, but she just happened to throw it right down the middle, and I was able to hit it” Schuler said. “It felt really good being able to help the team. Pitching today wasn’t my strong suit, so as long as I could hit today, that really helps the team, and it really really helped me relax in the circle.”

Schuler allowed nine hits and struck out just two, but knew she could rely on a defense that was lights-out on Thursday. Second baseman Emma McLaughlin set the tone early with a phenomenal diving catch in the hole between first and second with two outs in the first to keep two runs off the board. McLaughlin had to range well to her left, and kept her focus after the ball was just out of the reach of first baseman Abby Lorson. McLaughlin kept her focus, and dove face-first airborne, scooping the ball just inches before it hit the ground in shallow right field.

“At first, I thought it was Abby’s ball, and then it was closer to me. So I was like, ‘I have to get it. This can’t be my last game with all my close friends, they can’t score.’ There was a lot going through my mind, but I just knew I had to get it, and we weren’t going to lose this game,” McLaughlin said.

South Williamsport almost broke through in the bottom of the second inning, loading the bases with one out. With two outs, leadoff hitter Gianna Goodman hit a sharp line drive that looked destined to score a pair. But West Shamokin third baseman Marlena Stewart snagged it to end the threat.

Stewart then drove in the first run of the game in the top of the third inning with a base hit up the middle. But, as they’ve had to do many times in their high school career, this Mounties group showed resolve.

“They’re willing to overcome some adversity. I always say there’s no substitute for experience, and that’s what these girls have,” O’Malley said.

That experience showed up in the aforementioned three-run rally in the fifth, and showed up again in the sixth inning of the bat of senior Kendall Cardone. Mondi left a two-strike pitch over the plate to Cardone, and she made her pay. Cardone drilled a line drive well over the left field fence to give South Williamsport a 4-1 lead.

“So my third strike, I was looking for an outside pitch, but when she threw it inside, I was like, ‘This is it. This is a perfect pitch for me to hit’ because I am more of an inside hitter, and earlier in the game, I hit an inside pitch off of her. I just swung the bat and it went out,” Cardone said.

That home run would prove mighty crucial. West Shamokin led off the top of the seventh inning with a home run off the bat of Briar McClafferty and, with runners on first and second with two outs, Stewart blooped a single into right field. Had the score been 3-2 instead of 4-2, the runner would’ve likely been sent home to tie the game. Instead she was smartly held up at third. With the bases loaded and two outs, Schuler, who was battling shoulder trouble, got Mondi to line out sharply to Sage Larson, the second fine defensive play the right fielder made in the game to save runs, to clinch their third consecutive state semifinals berth.

“Alizabeth, she’s a strike thrower, and we have to play good defense behind her. Fortunately, we did today. We made the plays,” O’Malley said.

South is now just one win away from a second-consecutive state finals appearance, and this core of girls — many of whom made the Little League Softball World Series in 2019 — are not ready for their time together to end quite yet.

“I know personally, I was thinking, ‘This can’t be our last game, this is not how like we leave our legacy,’ and I knew we’ve been down by a lot more before. I knew we could do it,” Schuler said.

Due to a gutty team effort, the Mounties will indeed get at least one more game together.

South Williamsport 4,

West Shamokin 2

West Shamokin 001 000 1 — 2 9 0

South Wmspt. 000 031 x — 4 9 0

Mondi, Elkin (6) and VanderVort. Schuler and Lily Reidy. W: Schuler. L: Mondi.

Top West Shamokin hitters: McClafferty 1-3 HR, RBI; Stewart 3-4, RBI. Top South Williamsport hitters: Schuler 2-3, HR, 2 RBIs; Cardone 2-3, HR, RBI; Pinkerton 2-3, 2B, run.