NEW BETHLEHEM, Pa. (D9Sports) — Redbank Valley is headed back to the District 9 Class 2A title game for the first time since 2013 thanks to a 3-0 win over visiting Curwensville in the semifinals Wednesday afternoon.

(Photo: Redbank Valley sophomores Montana Hetrick (left) and Brooke Holben played key roles in the Lady Bulldogs reaching the District 9 title game for the first time since 2013)

“It’s nice to get back there,” Redbank Valley manager John Sayers said. “And it will be a good experience for these girls. This is a young team. For them to experience it and understand what it is all about. We start two seniors, a junior and six sophomore. It’s a good experience for them.”

Two of those six sophomores were front in center in giving the Lady Bulldogs a shot at their first District 9 title.

Montana Hetrick was spot on in the circle giving up just three hits, only one of which left the infield. She walked three and struck out six.

“All of the fastballs and stuff, they were going straight down the middle,” Hetrick said. “All of the changeups and curveballs, they have been working really well lately.”

Sayers said he wasn’t surprised at all by the composure his softball hurler showed in a big game.

“There is no emotion (in the circle),” Sayers said. “That is what you want from your pitcher. She is not too high and not to low. She has pitched like that all year. She never gives in and she has never quit. I never see her get flustered.”

Hetrick’s fellow sophomore, Brooke Holben, had the big hit for Redbank Valley with a two-run single in a three-run third inning that ended up being all the runs the Lady Bulldogs needed.

Holben’s single to right came with Hetrick on third and Brynn Rearick on first and Redbank Valley up 1-0 following an error by Curwensville.

“I was just trying to get them all home,” Holben said. “We were down, and I was just trying to get us all up.”

Watch Holben and Hetrick talk after the game.

Sayers said he expects big hits from Holben.

“She was our big stick last year,” Sayers said. “She hit .500 something last year. Her average is down a little bit this year. But she can come through in a pinch, and she can hit when she gets everything going.”

A big call in the third inning helped Redbank Valley score its runs.

Torilynn Nelson led off the inning with an infield hit, and Hetrick followed with a bunt that the Curwensville pitcher, Joslynne Freyer field and threw to second. Nelson beat the rap at second, but she was then pushed off the bag and was called out by the second base umpire.

Sayers questioned the call with the home plate umpire who told him to go see the second base umpire, which Sayers did. After a brief discussion with the second base umpire, all four umpires got together and determined that Nelson had been pushed off the bag and was therefore safe at second.

“That feels good,” Sayers said of the call. “That helped us out. That is where we scored three runs. I asked the home plate umpire, and he said go talk to the second base umpire. We talked about and, and I said she was shoved. And the (second base umpire) said she (Nelson) was off balance. I said, yeah she was after she shoved her. And she (the second base umpire) said she would talk to the rest of the (crew), and the ruling went in our favor. We will take it.”

Rearick followed the plat with a single to center that ended up scoring Nelson when the center fielder mishandled the ball. That brought up Holben, who single gave the Lady Bulldogs some breathing room.

“That just got my confidence back up,” Hetrick said of taking a 3-0 lead out to the field. “It got me more excited to play the rest of the game.”

Redbank Valley will take on defending champion Cranberry in the title game at 4 p.m. May 30 at Heindl Field in DuBois.

“It means a lot,” Holben said of reaching the title game. “We worked really hard to get here.”

REDBANK VALLEY 3, CURWENSVILLE 0

Score by Innings

Curwensville 000 000 0 — 0
Redbank Valley 003 000 x — 3

CURWENSVILLE — 0

Abby Pentz ss 3010, Logan Sheeder 2b 3000, Bailey Bloom c 1010, Kelsey Bumbarger cr 0000, Joslynne Freyer p 3000, Lauren Tozer 1b 3000, Mackenzie Wall 3b 2000, Ally Hess cf 3010, Maddie Butler rf 3000, Alexandria Zattoni dp 2000, Ariel Zattoni lf/ph 1000. Totals 24-0-3-0.

REDBANK VALLEY — 3

Montana Hetrick p 4100, Brynn Rearick ss 4110, Brooke Holben 2b 3022, Shylie Shreckengost 3b 2000, Becca Kunselman c 3010, Teja Hageter rf 2000, Trista Bowser dp 2000, Elaina Miller 1b 3000, Torilynn Nelson cf 2120. Gabby DInger lf 0000. Totals 25-3-6-2.

LOB: Curwensville 6. Redbank Valley 8. Errors: Curwensville 3. Redbank Valley 0. SB: Rearick. DP: Curwensville 1 (Freyer to Pentz to Tozer).

PITCHING

Curwensville

Joslynne Freyer 6 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 6 K

Redbank Valley

Montana Hetrick 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 6 K

Winning pitcher: Hetrick
Losing pitcher: Freyer