SLIPPERY ROCK — Less 24 hours after securing a trip to the state playoffs by blasting District 10 runner-up Northwestern, the St. Marys softball team suffered a tightly contested 3-0 loss to D-10 champ Sharon early Friday afternoon in the District 9/10 Class 3A subregional final at Slippery Rock University.

The game was primarily for seeding purposes in the PIAA playoffs, as both teams had already secured berths. And, it was the returning state semifinalist Lady Tigers (21-1) who took home the subregional crown thanks to a dominant pitching performance by Madelyn Vogan.

St. Marys (17-3) struggled to get anything going against the sophomore, who tossed a one-hit shutout. She struck out 17 Lady Dutch batters and walked just two.

Lady Dutch senior Avery Eckels wound up the hard-luck loser, allowing just three runs, two earned, on six hits while striking out three and walking one.

The three runs were the second fewest Sharon scored in a game all season. The Lady Tigers beat Hickory, 1-0, back on April and then beat Hickory again, 3-1, in the District 10 semifinals last week.

Runners came at a premium in the game, especially for the Lady Dutch.

Vogan enjoyed a 1-2-3 top of the first, then retired the first hitter in the second before Guiliana Muccio drew a walk. However, Muccio never left first as Vogan responded by striking out Alison Mertz and Addison Beimel to end the inning.

Trailing 2-0 in the third, St. Marys got a two-out triple to center from Molly Hanslovan — a hit that broke up Vogan’s no-hit bid and proved to be the Lady Dutch’s lone one of the day.

Unfortunately for St. Marys, it was unable to capitalize on that big hit as Vogan got Eckels to ground out to end the inning.

St. Marys’ only other base runner in the game was also Hanslovan, who drew a one-out walk in the sixth but was stranded at first base.

Meanwhile, Sharon got all the offense it needed when it scored a run in the bottom of the first.

Marley Bundrant jump-started that rally with a walk with one out, then Claire Bodlen singled to center. Addie McFann followed with a single of her own to right to plate Bundrant to give the Lady Tigers the early 1-0 lead. Eckels limited the damage to just the one run.

Sharon doubled that lead to 2-0 in the second though when Mary Claire Brown reached on an error to open the inning and scored on a Vogan single to right.

Eckels and St. Marys kept Sharon off the board in the third and fourth innings, but the Lady Tigers added a third and final run in the fifth.

Vogan was in the middle of things again in the fifth, as she smacked a leadoff double and scored on a Bodlen single to left.

With the loss, St. Marys will enter the Class 3A state playoffs as the No. 2 seed from the District 9/10 subregional and play at WPIAL champ Mohawk Monday at 5 p.m. The Lady Dutch reached the PIAA quarterfinals a year ago in Class 4A.

As for Sharon, the Lady Tigers will open states against WPIAL runner-up South Park at a D-10 site and time to be determined.

SHARON 3,

ST. MARYS 0

Score by Innings

St. Marys 000 000 0 — 0

Sharon 110 010 x — 3

St. Marys—0

Molly Hanslovan ss 2010, Avery Eckels p 3000, Kaylen Eozzo 1b 3000, Kelsie Fledderman 3b 3000, Guiliana Muccio rf 2000, Alison Mertz c 2000, Zoe Romanic cr 0000,Addison Beimel cf 2000, Taylor Gornati 2b 2000, Sophia Surra lf 2000. Totals: 22-0-1-0.

Sharon—3

Madelyn Vogan p 3121, Marley Bundrant rf 1100, Claire Bodlen 3021, Addie McFann cf 3011, Mya Bundrant 3010, Chloe Pagliarini ss 3000, Dalaini Bayer 2b 3000, Mary Claire Brown c 3100, Alauna Wilson lf 2000, Jocelyn Roberts cr 0000. Totals: 24-3-6-3.

Errors: SMA 1, Sharon 0. LOB: SMA 3, Sharon 5. 2B: Vogan. 3B: Hanslovan. SAC: Mar. Bundrant.

Pitching

St. Marys: Avery Eckels-6 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO.

Sharon: Madelyn Vogan-7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 17 SO.

Winning pitcher: Vogal. Losing pitcher: Eckels.