Lady Mikes fall short
Preuhs outduels Barnyak in WPIAL softball title game, 3-0
CALIFORNIA — Mia Preuhs outdueled Bailey Barnkyak in Union’s 3-0 victory over Carmichaels in the WPIAL Class A softball championship game last Thursday afternoon at PennWest California’s Lilley Field.
The Lady Scottie senior threw a no-hitter with 16 strikeouts, four walks and hit one batter in helping her team to a third district title in four years. Union lost to Chartiers-Houston, 9-5, in last year’s championship game. The Lady Scotties defeated West Greene, 3-2, in Preuhs’ freshman season.
Thursday’s contest was a rematch of the 2023 final, which Union won, 10-8.
“I think my improvement from the last time we played them comes with age,” Preuhs said. “I practiced a lot of my spin pitches that I threw today, and that really helped me out with the strike calls and the swing and misses.
“I just feel like we grew as a team from last year. We felt how it was to lose, and we didn’t want to feel that again. Carmichaels is a really good team, so we may see them again in the state tournament.”
Preuhs has Fayette County connections. Her mom is Geibel Catholic graduate Marney (Steich) Preuhs and her aunt is Connellsville graduate Amy (Steich) Witt.
While Preuhs threw a no-hitter, Barnyak had a strong outing in allowing three earned runs on four hits over six innings. She had 12 strikeouts, walked two and hit two batters.
“She (Preuhs) killed it,” Barnyak said. “I went up to after the game and made sure to tell her that, and she did the same for me, and I greatly appreciate that from her.
“We may see them again in the state playoffs, and we proved last year that you can get to the state title game even if you don’t win the WPIAL title.
“When we have the right mindset going into a game, and we are calm in the batter’s box and calm in the field, everything ends up turning out our way, and that’s what we had last year during states.”
Both teams played in the first round of the PIAA Class A tournament on Monday, the Lady Mikes (16-1) against District 5 champion Berlin Brothersvalley and the Lady Scotties (19-2) against.
Carmichaels made a run to the state title game a year ago.
“It’s a tough haul,” Carmichaels coach Dave Briggs said. “I have had some very good teams not get up there (to the state title game). We have to regroup this weekend and get ready to go on Monday because, to me, the first one is always the toughest.”
The Lady Mikes’ best opportunity to score came in the top of the fifth inning when they loaded the bases with one out but were unable to come away with a run as the game remained scoreless.
After Preuhs recorded a strikeout, Carmichaels’ Ke’Lani Chun was hit-by-pitch, and Avery Voithofer and Payton Plavi walked on 3-2 counts before a strikeout got away from the catcher and Chun was tagged out at home by Preuhs.
There was some confusion as to whether contact was made on the strikeout, but Briggs believed the call of a passed ball was correct.
“It was loud and there was some confusion,” Briggs said. “It was one of those things where maybe we could have gotten the lead and things would have turned out differently. I thought it was a passed ball, and I was yelling for her (Chun) to go.”
Barnyak carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning, but after recording a strikeout for the first out, Maddie Settle singled to right field for the game’s first hit. Barnyak forced a flyout to Chun in left field and got out of the inning unscathed with a strikeout.
“I thought Bailey was great today, and she pitched well enough for us to win,” Briggs said. “We just couldn’t generate anything offensively. Obviously, Mia (Preuhs) pitched well. She had good command of her pitches, and got her changeup over, which makes her even more effective. It was just a pitchers’ duel, and one team needed a break somewhere.”
Preuhs sent down the Lady Mikes in order in the top of the sixth.
Union broke through in the bottom of the frame with three runs after two outs were recorded.
Olivia Benedict doubled to left-center field on the first pitch she saw and scored on an error when the throw to get Maggie Joseph out at first base was errant. Joseph, who was credited with an infield single, advanced to second on the error.
Joseph scored on Korynee Shannon’s two-run home run to center field for a 3-0 lead.
“With two good teams like that, you have to take advantage of any little thing, and it showed today,” Union coach Doug Fisher said.
Carmichaels didn’t go down without a fight, as Ali Jacobs led off the seventh with a fly ball to center field that was misplayed, and she raced into second base on the error. Malanna Hertig came on as a pinch runner for Jacobs and advanced to third before Barnyak walked to put runners at first and third with nobody out.
Preuhs struck out the next three batters to end the threat, inning and game.
“Mia (Preuhs) has been around for so long and the maturity has helped evolve into a better pitcher,” Fisher said. “I didn’t even realize she had a no-hitter. Mia has been a four-year starter for us, and it will be sad to see her go, but we hope it can be after a nice run in the state tournament.”