Remember When?: Charleroi stunner: Cougars upend BV Area

By Josh Yohe

For the Valley independent

The Charleroi girls softball team produced perhaps their best performance of the season yesterday, ending Belle Vernon Area’s bid for a perfect season in Class AA’s Sec. 3 with an impressive 4-1 victory. 

The Leopards, who entered the game with a perfect 12-0 league record, managed a meager four hits against the Cougars’ Lauren Pieri. 

BVA shortstop Erica Templin opened the game with a double down the left field line and scored two outs later when Tracy Kovatch successfully executed a suicide squeeze. 

However, Pieri dominated the rest of the afternoon, finishing with six strikeouts. 

“Lauren pitched a great game and our defense was great,” said Charleroi skipper Cliff Winnett, whose team moved within one game of the Leps. 

The Cougars, who recently committed three costly errors in a loss to Waynesburg, played crisp defense, producing only one fielding blunder. 

After falling behind 1-0, Charleroi’s offense came alive. 

In the bottom of the second inning, Kelly Haywood walked, and eventually scored on Templin’s throwing error. 

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