For three amazing, memorable PIAA Class 6A playoff games, it was Nazareth coming up with late heroics.
In wins over North Penn, Cumberland Valley and Hempfield Area, the Blue Eagles scored in the top of the seventh inning in dramatic fashion and advanced all the way to the state championship game.
But that’s where Nazareth’s incredible run finally ended, and in heartbreaking fashion.
With a 2-1 lead and two out in the bottom of the eighth inning, Brynn Barkley singled to right field to score two runs and Central Dauphin pulled a 3-2 walk-off victory at Penn State’s Nittany Lion Softball Park.
The abrupt end left Nazareth’s players, especially their eight seniors, in tears.
But they will long remember the last two weeks and four remarkable games that could have gone either way.
After losing in both the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference and District 11 championship games, Nazareth put itself in position to win the ultimate prize and bring the school and the СŷƵ its first-ever state softball title in 6A.
And, it would been the area’s first state championship in any classification since Parkland and Bethlehem Catholic won titles on the same day in 2015.
When Natalie Chloros delivered a run-scoring single with one out in the top of the eighth, it looked the area’s title drought was over.
But in the bottom of the eighth, an infield single to short by Stella Gasper got things started. A sacrifice bunt put courtesy runner Lexu Robenolt on second. Rachel Burke walked and Abby Rheem grounded to short to put Nazareth one out away from one of the biggest moments in the school’s athletic history.
But after an intentional walk to Autumn Andreoli, who had two previous hits, loaded the bases, Barkley, a junior, hit the first pitch to right field.
Nazareth’s Brianna Recchia tried to make a throw to the plate, but it was too late and the District 3 team from the Harrisburg area celebrated its first state title since 2019.
“Once again we scored late in the game, but we just couldn’t hold them,” Nazareth coach Stephen Genzale said. “But we have nothing to hang our heads about. We were so good at never giving up. If we had another inning, we would have scored again. I have no doubt. But it’s OK, you have to take this one. You have to be proud of this season.”
Genzale said Central Dauphin, the No. 3 seed out of District 3 with a 21-4 record, made great plays and played great defense.
No play was better or more significant than a diving catch by right fielder Gabby Shirk that robbed Alina Weaver of extra bases in the top of the eighth. It came with a runner on second and none out and could have led to a big inning.
Even though Chloros later delivered the go-ahead hit, Shirk’s catch “was the play of the game,” according to Genzale.
“I was stunned when she made that catch,” Weaver said. “I feel like I was robbed but she made an amazing play, so hats off to her.”
Chloros, who said she has struggled throughout the postseason, didn’t let the rally go to waste as she delivered her go-ahead hit.
“My team played amazing, and we battled the whole time,” Chloros said. “We played the maximum of games you can play in a season, and we never gave up. I am so glad we got here, and I wish this would have ended differently. But I am still so proud. We’re family. Every girl on that team loves each other.”
The game was as good as high school softball gets with neither team making an error and both sides handling the pressure of being on Pennsylvania softball’s biggest stage.
Nazareth junior Kylie Grover pitched well, but so did freshman Andreoli and Gasper, a Central Connecticut State commit, who had been the team’s starter in the pitching circle until the postseason. Andreoli’s change of speed had Nazareth hitters off stride.
The Blue Eagles, who finished 22-7, outhit the Rams 8-7 but left eight on base, including three in the top half of the fateful eighth.
“We just missed it,” Genzale said. “Kylie Grover was outstanding today as she has been throughout the playoffs. She shows a lot of heart and maturity on the mound, and her composure has been fantastic.”
Genzale has Grover and several talented underclassmen coming back so this won’t be the end of a terrific era for Nazareth softball that has featured league and district titles in 2023, a league gold in 2024, and three title-game appearances this spring.
“Our juniors are great players, and they wanted this badly for the seniors,” Genzale said. “They’re state runner-ups as juniors, and they have to be so proud of that. There is a lot to look forward to next year, getting here is hard. It’s really difficult. All of these games were so close. It just so happened that we were on the wrong side of this one.”
