After getting out to a 4-0 lead in the District 6 Class 5A championship, things looked dicey in the top of the fourth, as Hollidaysburg loaded the bases with one out and the top of its order approaching. But despite two mound visits, Weaver remained confident. And with her teammates alongside her, she’d prove it against the next three batters.

The Tigers got on the board with an RBI single from Maggie Hicks, but it’d come between two outs, one being a half-closing strikeout from Weaver that allowed them to get out with just one run surrendered. With that out of the way, Central Mountain wouldn’t let its opponent come within reach again, scoring eight runs in the next two stanzas to close it out in five by a score of 12-1.

“My mindset was just to not overthink it. Remember it’s a game, have fun and just play ball with my friends,” said Weaver on the sequence. “I trust my defense behind me. We played as a team and I’m just glad we did what we did.”

In head coach Taylor Thompson’s first district championship at the helm, the nerves were there and briefly elevated. But her experienced cast placed all hands on deck, Weaver struck out seven and pitched four scoreless innings and Katelyn Bowman and Cora Myers combined for two homers and 6 RBIs to help her keep Central Mountain’s title streak alive.

TIM WEIGHT/Special to the Sun-Gazette

Having now won its fourth straight, Thompson is proud of her girls and looks forward to seeing what they do next. The road might be long or could end at any moment, but her confidence in her team stands at 100-percent, no matter the foe.

“I did feel some pressure. But just being around this group, they helped calm me down a little bit,” said Thompson. “This was important to us, especially with us trying to build this program up again and create this culture.”

Offensively, the Wildcats only showed signs of slowing down once when a double play helped keep it scoreless through the third. By game’s end, that’d prove to be a onetime occurrence, with the team scoring three or more runs in three.

In emerging as one of Central Mountain’s most reliable hitters through the latter portion of the season, Bowman put together another strong showing from the plate. On the day, she led the team in RBIs with four and was tremendously reliable as a slugger.

Her first at-bat saw her take a 1-0 inside pitch the distance, batting a two-shot homer over the left field wall to help the Wildcats get going in the fourth. Then, with the team’s momentum climbing back up after escaping its fourth-inning hole, her third hit would find the rightfield wall, resulting in a two-RBI triple that upped their lead to a comfortable 8-1.

TIM WEIGHT/Special to the Sun-Gazette Central Mountain senior Katelyn Bowman tags out a Hollidaysburg runner at home during the District 6 Class 5A title game against Hollidaysburg, Tuesday at Mount Aloysius.

“I really didn’t know how I was gonna hit today, so my mentality in the box was just to swing at whatever’s close,” said Bowman. “Then, I got the home run and that really gave me some confidence to just keep going in the box and doing it. Proud of my performance.”

That lead would grow to 9-1 by the end of the inning, a five-run effort that essentially put the game away. Through the stanza, Aubrey Eiler (2-for-3), Joslyn Shultz and Bowman logged hits, and four Wildcats fought for walks to keep the bases stocked. And with Hollidaysburg’s momentum shot in the fifth, Myers sealed the deal with a two-run shot to right, reminiscent of her game-winner from last year’s final.

It wasn’t a perfect win, but it was one that reflected the team’s strengths and reemphasized its ability to stand firm and clamp down when needed.

Now, Central Mountain will briefly celebrate the win before getting back to work as it prepares for a PIAA sub-regional matchup against the District 8/9 winner. There are still improvements to be made, but the team is confident it can carry this momentum forward.

“We slow down in the middle of the game, so we definitely have to work on that,” said Bowman. “But once one or two people get going, it starts to get us all going again. I think if we just improve there and not go on a downwards slope in the middle, we’ll go pretty far.”

TIM WEIGHT/Special to the Sun-Gazette Central Mountain celebrates at the plate at Katelyn Bowman approaches after hitting a home run during the District 6 Class 5A title game against Hollidaysburg, Tuesday at Mount Aloysius.

“We do have a long road and just today, you can tell. We always have things to improve on, and we have time to do that before the next game,” said Thompson. “So, that’s the plan.”

Central Mountain’s sub-regional matchup is set for next Tuesday.

DISTRICT 6 CLASS 5A SOFTBALL FINAL

Central Mountain 12, Hollidaysburg 1

(5 INNINGS)

TIM WEIGHT/Special to the Sun-Gazette Central Mountain softball players celebrate at the mound during the District 6 Class 5A title game against Hollidaysburg, Tuesday at Mount Aloysius.

HOL 000 10 – 1 6 3

CM 310 53 – 12 10 1

Makaylah Vincent and Marissa Snyder. Camdyn Weaver and Katelyn Bowman. W – Weaver. L – Vincent.

Top Hollidaysburg hitters: Genevieve Peacock 3-3, run; Lexi Peacock 2-3; Maggie Hicks, 1-3, RBI. Top Central Mountain hitters: Katelyn Bowman 2-4, HR, 3B, 4 RBIs, 3 runs; Cora Myers 2-4, HR, 2 RBIs, run; Cirstyn Watson 3-3, RBI, 3 runs; Aubrey Eiler 2-3, RBI, 2 runs.