HALLOWELL — Telstar returned to the scene of its worst nightmare of the season Saturday — and produced its greatest triumph.

The Rebels avenged a horrible outing earlier in the season against Hall-Dale with a 3-2 win over the Bulldogs in a Western C semifinal game.

Telstar took a 3-1 lead in the fifth and held off a late Hall-Dale threat in the seventh to earn a trip to next week’s Western C final.

“We talked about redemption,” Telstar coach Jim Lunney said. “They’d never seen us play well. I’m not sure whether that was my team that showed up before. We wanted to play well today. If we play well, we don’t care if you win or lose.”

The Rebels (16-2) lost to Hall-Dale 11-2 earlier in the season and committed eight errors.

“It felt good to come here and play well,” junior pitcher Olivia York said. “Last time it didn’t go so well. It felt good to prove to them and prove to everybody that we can come here and play.”

York scattered six hits and struck out three. The defense behind her was solid. Players like Ashley Savage, at third, made some nice defensive plays, but the Rebels got outs from just about everybody in the field.

“I can’t say anything more about my defense,” York said. “They do everything they can and more. We had a couple of errors but I trust them. We’ve been in close games the last couple of games. We’ve managed to pull through.”

The Rebels managed just three hits off Hall-Dale pitching but that was enough. Lisa Gammon had the two-run double in the fifth that erased a 1-0 deficit. Telstar scored three runs in that inning to take the lead.

“I was so excited as soon as I hit it, I knew I had done what I needed to do,” Gammon said.

Savage drove in a run with an infield hit in the same inning and Hayley Peterson had the other Telstar hit. Olivia Maynard pitched the first five innings and Becca Ackerson threw the final two.

“We had a missed bunt and it hurt us,” Hall-Dale coach Steve Acedo said of the fifth inning. “Then we had another error on a bunt and that cost us. They got those three unearned runs.”

It was a pitchers’ duel early between two Olivia’s — Telstar’s York and Hall-Dale Maynard. The Bulldogs (15-3) took the lead in the fourth when Maynard hit a solo homer to left/center for the early 1-0 lead.

“I think that was a good boost,” Acedo said. “We’ve been a positive team all year. It was a good lift. We made the plays the first few innings.”

Telstar had just one runner off Maynard through the first four innings. That was when Tehya Johnson reached on an error in the second and was stranded at second.

In the fifth, Peterson led off with a single. Then an error on a bunt by York followed. Vanessa Godwin pinch-hit and reached on a bunt and fielder’s choice. After a strike out, Gammon followed with a two-run double in the gap in center.

“I’ve had a lot of trouble hitting lately,” Gammon said. “I just believed in myself. Before the game, we all get together and talk about what we need to do. (Olivia) was like, ‘Believe and you can do it.’ That’s really all it took.”

Savage followed with an infield hit that plated the third run for the 3-1 lead.

York was in control, allowing just two hits over the final three innings, but Hall-Dale still managed to make it interesting in the seventh.

With two outs and one on, an error opened the door for the Bulldogs. That put runners at second and third with the top of the order up. Ackerson had an infield hit that plated Morgan Rush to make it 3-2. That put the tying run at third, but York got a pop out to end the game.

“I really had to pitch the whole game,” York said. “The last time we played Hall-Dale, they timed me up very well the whole game.”

The Rebels were a better poised and focused team Saturday. York pitched to contact the team behind her made the plays.

“We’ve got a flair for the dramatic,” Lunney said. “We came out for that inning and I told that girls that we were still ahead. They were pretty shaky because the girl at first was pretty fast. We were like ‘Let’s get the last batter.’ I wanted them to focus on the fact that we had to play.”

The win advances the Rebels to Western C final against Madison next Wednesday. The defending Class C state champs beat Telstar in Bethel during the regular season, but the Rebels look forward to another shot.

“I was pleased,” Lunney said. “St. Joe’s is the Heaven of softball. We wanted to get there. Everybody wants to get there. I’m very proud of these girls.”

kmills@sunjournal.com

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