Faith Persing has been a human tack driver in the circle over the years. But despite being a walking strikeout machine, Montgomery’s ace pitcher was the one who made the final catch.

The Class A state Player of the Year threw out the final pitch of her high school career. The ball popped up and Persing met it by the plate and her glove greeted it on the way back down to Earth.

A quick turn, hop and skip to her teammates, Persing and the rest of the 2022 Red Raiders let it all out.

“That was it. We won the gold at that point,” Persing said. “I think we talked, ‘Are we gonna dogpile? Are we gonna jump? What are we gonna do?’”

FINAL — Montgomery 5, DuBois Central Catholic 1

For the first time in school history, Montgomery has a state championship in a team sport.

Unreal. pic.twitter.com/QiLL7YRd3A

— Evan Wheaton (@EvanWheaton) June 16, 2022

The improv led to Persing finding herself at the bottom of a dogpile full of elation. Montgomery’s softball team defeated DuBois Central Catholic, 5-1 at Penn State University’s Beard Field on Thursday for the school’s first Class A softball title ever.

Not only was it the first softball state title, it was also Mongomery’s first team state championship across all of the school district’s athletics.

“It’s incredible. We have our entire community here supporting us and just that alone is so emotional,” first baseman Taylor McRae said. “Those little girls really look up to us and we’re able to be role models for them.”

McRae went 2 for 4 with a two-out, two-run single that drove in a pair of runs. Brynn McCrae and Jenna Waring went 3 for 4. Courtney Smith and Persing both knocked RBI singles. The Red (22-4) Raiders rattled off 14 hits altogether.

The lone run for the Cardinals (22-4) came in the bottom of the fifth inning when Savanah Morelli and Jessy Frank both hit doubles, the latter driving in the former.

“We just set an example for all the little ones who look up to us,” Brynn McRae said, noting the sea of red flooding the right hand side of Beard Field’s bleachers. “That community that came out, we really made it happen today.”

The night before the state championship, the Red Raiders held a team dinner at Mountain Tavern off Montgomery Pike. Spaghetti dinners were on the menu with a special keynote speaker.

Casey Drick, the starting pitcher for the program back in 2010, spent the evening sharing her experiences. Drick’s squad was the last Red Raiders team to make the state final.

“It was really surreal. It made it believable that this is happening, and it is today,” Taylor McRae said. “That she did live that moment and being able to share her experiences.”

Drick spoke of her highs and lows that year. She told the team to take in the moment. It took 12 years for Montgomery to have another crack at state gold. The message came across well.

“I think we got really focused last night when she came. Reality sat in,” Brynn McRae said. “We knew we had to get focused and put our heads in the game.”

Persing threw a four-hitter and struck out six, tying a season-low stat line. Behind her, the field put together four 1-2-3 innings.

Having outscored opponents 44-2 in the postseason — largely in part by the Bloomsburg University commit in the circle — it was the pieces around her on defense that stepped up and acted as a golden safety net against DuBois Central Catholic.

“We stress our defense so much. A lot of people know I can throw, but a lot of people can hit too,” Persing said. “It’s just huge to have a pitcher and a defense and when you add the offensive side to it, it’s just unbeatable.”

Being a pitcher herself generations later, Persing acted more sponge-like during that team dinner. She heard every word from Drick and processed it with her teammates.

In just hours from that point, Persing would go out to battle on the biggest stage of her high school career for one last ride with her closest friends. One last moment wearing the red, white and black.

“I just took it in. It’s our last game as a team. With the eight starting seniors that we have, it’s such a close bond,” Persing said. “It’s sad it’s all over, but it’s the perfect way to go out. Just go out, have fun, enjoy the moment, keep a good mindset and leave it all out on the field.”

Chris Glenn has been Montgomery’s coach since 2018. He saw his seniors come up short a year prior. He saw them lose a whole year to COVID-19 entirely. But on Thursday, Glenn saw a storybook ending that the school has never seen before.

Glenn looked at the softball in his hand — the very ball Persing caught to close the deal — and gave it a little spin in the palm of his hand.

“Can’t say I ever had a better plate of spaghetti in my life.”