Bottom of the Order Gets It Done for Celtics

Providence freshman Courtney Pych was having a perfect day at the plate when she stepped up to the dish in the bottom of the sixth inning —and she hadn’t even swung the bat.

Hitting last in the lineup, Pych had executed a pair of sacrifice bunts in her first two plate appearances. In the sixth inning, with Providence trailing 4-3, bunting wasn't an option for the freshman or Celtics coach Jay Biesterfeld.

Illana Primack had walked to load the bases prior to Pych's at-bat in the sixth, moving the potential tying run, in the person of Tara Airola, to third base, and the go-ahead run, Caroline Casper, to second.

Primack's base on balls was the first issued by Queen of Peace's Jessica Kelly. Perhaps the fact that Primack had singled in her first two at-bats got into Kelly’s head. And perhaps the fact that Pych had used her bat only to deaden the ball and move runners up a base via the sacrifice meant that Kelly took her lightly.

Regardless, it created a great opportunity for Pych to deliver in the clutch, and she came through in a big way.

Pych's seeing-eye single proved to be the difference as it put the Celtics ahead 4-3. Leadoff hitter Allie Stick gave the Celtics an insurance run when she followed with an RBI single to make it 5-3, which proved to be the final score.

"I thought (Pych) picked out a good pitch to hit and came through with a very big hit for us," Biesterfeld said. "I was a little nervous for her in that last at-bat because she hadn't had a chance to swing. I tried to remind her that even when you bunt you see a pitcher pretty good, so I think she was ready."

"She's a freshman, so it was so awesome for (Pych) to get a big hit there," Primack said. "We just kept trying to get runners on all game and it took us awhile, but when we did it was great to come back and get the win."

Providence appeared ready to rally in the fifth inning, but saw its threat fizzle when Pride center fielder Maddi Cozzi threw out a runner attempting score on a flyout to center.

"We knew it was a risk sending her, but we couldn't seem to get the big hit so we tried to force the issue," Biesterfeld said. "It happens, and fortunately we were able to do something (in the sixth.)"

The Celtics’ last four hitters in the order—Airola, Casper, Primack and Pych—combined to go 6-for-9 with a double, two sacrifices, three runs and four RBIs.

"We kept out heads up even when we were down," Providence winning pitcher Amanda Wilson said. "We came back when we were down 2-0 to Lockport to tie it, but that wasn't like this. We just keep going no matter what."

Download the movie