BUFFALO, W.Va. -- Overcoming a deficit in the postseason is hard enough, but when a team is given extra runs and outs, that task becomes nearly insurmountable.
Such was the case for Huntington St. Joe in its Class A, Region IV softball semifinal matchup with Buffalo on Friday.
Three consecutive errors prolonged the sixth inning and helped the Bison turn a three-run lead into a 7-0 lead. Buffalo then held off the Irish to win, 7-3, and advance to the region final.
"It's routine plays," Huntington St. Joe coach Gene Pertee said. "It's been the story of our season."
After the teams went scoreless through the first four innings, the Bison got on the board on Kaitlyn Scott's home run to left field. The Bison added a pair of runs before breaking the game open in the sixth.
St. Joe pitcher Maddie Pertee got a pair of outs in the sixth, before Scott connected for a double to score Tracy Brady. Scott scored on an error to push the lead to 5-0. A St. Joe miscue at first base allowed Hannah Jordan to score and Hannah Lloyd followed with an RBI single to push the lead to 7-0.
St. Joe answered when Pertee crushed a three-run homer to right-center field to cut the deficit to four. However, Buffalo pitcher Nicole Dingess settled in and shut the Irish down to clinch the hard-fought win.
"(St. Joe) has three of the best players in the state," Buffalo coach Darrell Moore said. "They can hurt you. We've only lost to one Class A school this year and that was them 2-1 in the Best of the Best."
Every season-ending loss is rough on coaches and players, but Pertee was especially hit hard by this one. It was the last time he would see his daughter (Maddie) in an Irish uniform.
"I've coached her since she was 7 years old," Pertee said. "You get so caught up in it that you don't realize it and then you get in a win-or-die situation and you don't come through and it's over.
"She's been like a coach on the field. I can give her eye contact and she knows exactly what I mean."
Pertee had one of three hits for Huntington St. Joe, which ends the season at 11-9. Sara Sang and Stephanie Sang notched the other hits.
The Irish did a good job of avoiding the big hit by Bison slugger Jessica Blake, but Scott stepped up in the lower half of the order to propel Buffalo (25-10).
"We knew they weren't going to give her anything to hit," Moore said. "Each time a team has done that, we've had someone step up for us. They did that tonight."
Scott finished 2-for-4 with the home run and double and two RBI, Lloyd finished 2-for-4 with an RBI double and Kayla Tucker also had two hits.
BUFFALO 000 034 0 -- 7 6 2
HUNTINGTON ST. JOE 000 003 0 -- 3 3 3
Dingess and Williams. Sara Sang, Pertee (5) and Stephanie Sang.
Hitting: (B) Scott 2-3, 2B, HR, 2 RBI; Lloyd 2-4, 2B, RBI; Tucker 2-4. (HSJ) Pertee HR, 3 RBI.
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