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Brandywine Heights shuts down St. Pius

Brandywine Heights pitcher Alyssa Fegely decided to celebrate her graduation a few hours early. That wasn't good news for St. Pius in yesterday's PIAA Class AA state quarterfinal game at Spring-Ford.

Brandywine Heights pitcher Alyssa Fegely decided to celebrate her graduation a few hours early. That wasn't good news for St. Pius in yesterday's PIAA Class AA state quarterfinal game at Spring-Ford.

Fegely, who is 25-0, had a no-hit bid spoiled in the last inning and struck out 11 as the Bullets knocked the Lions out of the playoffs with an 8-0 win.

The hard-throwing righthander struck out the first five batters she faced and allowed just one Lions runner to reach second base.

"Our goal has been to win the state championship," said Fegely, who also provided some big offensive support for the Bullets (26-0). She led off the game with a triple and scored on cleanup hitter Leanda Helms' double.

Helms scored on Chelsea Trewella's single, and the Bullets, champions of District 3, had a quick 2-0 lead. That was more the enough for Fegely.

Fegely had a perfect game going through three innings. She issued her only walk to Morgan Birtch to open the fourth. Lions pitcher Denise Haines broke up Fegely's no-hitter with two out in the seventh inning.

Meanwhile, Haines kept the Lions (8-13) in the game for the first five innings. Despite eight hits, the Bullets only held a 4-0 lead through the fifth. All nine starters for the Bullets are hitting over .300.

A four-run sixth inning put the game away for Brandywine Heights.

The game had been scheduled for noon at Spring-Ford but was moved back to 2 p.m. because of rain.

"When I got the word the game was being moved back, I got a little nervous because graduation is at 7," Fegely said. "But I didn't let it bother me."

The rain and wet field conditions didn't seem to bother her, either.

"I just focused on hitting my spots," she said.

She must have been concentrating heavily because she said after the game that she didn't realize she had a no-hitter going until after Haines' hit.

Bullets coach Don Roach said his four-time Berks County League Division III champs have been frustrated in the state playoff recently. Last season, they lost to Loyalsock in the semifinals.

"We were three innings away from the finals," he said.

Now they have another chance.

St. Pius 000 000 0 - 0 1 1

Brandwine Heights 201 014 x - 8 13 0

WP: Alyssa Fegely. LP: Denie Haines.

2B: BH-Lenda Helms. Chelsea Trewella, Jill Guldin. 3B: BH-Alyssa Fegely.