By By STEVE FRANKLIN, Sports Writer
YEATESVILLE— On a night when Northside honored its four departing seniors, it was Southside senior Gabby Cilluffo and the Seahawks who stole the show.
Cilluffo delivered a tie-breaking two-RBI triple in the top of the sixth inning and kept Panthers’ hitters off balance all night from the circle, leading the Atlantic Conference champions to a 9-4 victory over cross-county rival Northside.
Northside jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning as Lauren Rodriguez came through with a two-run single that scored Amanda Daw and Amanda Beirne.
The Panthers appeared to be on cruise control from that point as Beirne took to the circle and breezed through the Seahawks order without allowing a hit to the first 11 batters.
After that point it was all downhill for the Panthers’ junior ace. The Seahawks tagged Beirne for 14 hits in the final four innings, and pushed nine runs across the plate in their final three at-bats.
Southside knotted the score at 2-2 in the fifth after Kellie Hardison and Shakeira Lomax led off the inning with back-to-back singles. Hardison would score on an RBI groundout by Kristen Ayers and Lomax crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly by Chelsi Chandler.
Then in the sixth, following back-to-back singles by Resla Penn and D.D. Stanley, Cilluffo came through with her game-breaking triple. The Seahawks tagged on two more runs in the inning to go up 6-2, as Cilluffo scored on an infield single by Lomax, who scored two batters later after an error by the Panthers.
The ‘Hawks put the game away in the seventh as they pushed three more runs across the plate. Hardison and Ayers each had RBI singles in the final inning.
The Panthers scored their final two runs in the bottom of the seventh as Alligood ripped and RBI triple and Daw added an RBI single.
Cilluffo earned the victory after allowing four runs and striking out six. Beirne went the distance as well, allowing six earned runs and striking out five.
Penn and Lomax each pounded three hits to lead Southside, while Alligood, Beirne and Lewis Whitney had a pair of hits each for Northside.
Southside (17-4, 11-1) will wait to find out who they host in the East Region playoffs. The Seahawks will host the No. 3 seed from the Tideland Conference sometime later this week.
Meanwhile, Northside must sweat it out for one of three wild card slots. The Panthers are among 14 teams vying for the last three slots.
Southside 000 024 3 — 9 14 1
Northside 200 000 2 — 4 8 3
WP: Gabby Cilluffo; LP: Amanda Beirne
Hitters: S — Chelsi Chandler 0-5 (RBI), Resla Penn 3-4 (2 RUNS), D.D. Stanley 2-4 (RUN), Gabby Cilluffo 2-3 (2 RBIs, 2 RUNS), Kelli Hardison 2-4 (RBI, 2 RUNS), Shakeira Lomax 3-4 (RBI, 2 RUNS), Kristen Ayers 2-4 (RBI). N — Casey Alligood 2-3 (RBI, 2 RUNS), Amanda Daw 1-4 (RBI), Amanda Beirne 2-4, Lauren Rodriguez 1-4 (RUN), Lewis Whitney 2-3 (2 RBI).