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A guy who was in the stands watching Holy Redeemer win the PIAA Class 2A softball championship last year will have an even better view of the Royals on Thursday.
Dan Beebe attended Redeemer’s 10-5 comeback win against Deer Lakes. Now his job as Moniteau’s coach is to have his Warriors unseat Redeemer as the champion. The two teams play at 3 p.m. at the Nittany Lion Softball Park at Penn State University.
“They’re the champs,” said Beebe, whose team brings a 24-1 record into the game. “I’ve been in the stands watching since 2011 and I was there last year to watch their victory against Deer Lakes. I saw what they are capable of in the one time I’ve seen them in person.
“They’re the champs and should have a big advantage — been there, done that.”
District 2 champ Redeemer (24-3) has been on the right side of that thin line that separates winning from losing in the postseason the past two years. The streak of playoff victories — in both districts and states — came after a couple heartbreaks.
Redeemer lost in the 2014 District 2 Class 2A championship game 5-1 to Catholic school rival Holy Cross. A year before that, the Royals fell in the state semifinals 5-4 to eventual state champion Brandywine Heights. Beebe knows that feeling as well.
District 9 champ Moniteau, which is about 60 miles north of Pittsburgh, was undefeated entering the 2014 state playoffs, but was manhandled 19-6 by Phillipsburg-Osceola. The ending was even more painful last season as the Warriors lost 8-7 in nine innings to Everett, once again in the first round.
“Last year against Everett we had a 6-0 lead early,” Beebe said. “Everett came back, tied the game at 6, and we lost 8-7 in nine innings. Everett was a good team, but we felt we were the better team. It was Everett’s day that day, and we’ve learned from it the last two years.”
Only one senior departed from the 2015 squad as Moniteau made changes to bulk up its non-conference schedule, adding some Class 4A opponents and scrimmaging Deer Lakes. The results have been close to amazing as of late.
Moniteau hasn’t allowed a run in its last 11 games and has posted 21 shutouts overall. Beebe credited pitcher Kennedy DeMatteis (0.75 ERA, 227 strikeouts) and a stellar defense for the current scoreless streak. It also helps to have six batters hitting .500 or better.
“We never planned on this kind of streak,” Beebe said. “I don’t think anyone plans on going on a shutout streak like we have. But we’ve embraced it. Now we look forward to trying to keep teams off the scoreboard. As a coach I love it because if they can’t score, they can’t win.
“It’s been a magical ride to get this far for one, and then to do it the way that we’ve done it without giving up runs. The playoff teams we’ve played, it’s been no cakewalk.”