DISTRICT 11 SOFTBALL: Marian, Tri-Valley in A title game
· Yahoo Sports
PINE GROVE — Marian Catholic and Tri-Valley shined a light on the Schuylkill League when they each earned trips to the District 11 1A Championship with wins at Pine Grove on Friday afternoon.
The Fillies (12-9) sparked a six-run third inning on the way to a 10-3 win over Weatherly (6-12). Tri-Valley (16-5) wasted no time at the plate and scored 11 runs in the first two innings of a 12-0 win over Nativity (4-18).
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Marian Catholic and Tri-Valley will now meet in the District 11 Class 1A Championship next Tuesday, May 26 at a site and time to be announced.
Marian Catholic 10, Weatherly 3
The Fillies were highlighted by a six-run third inning and Kayla Birrer’s complete game, three run gem in the pitching circle to advance to the district championship.
Malina Letcher led Marian Catholic’s lineup with two hits and four RBI’s, including a two-run triple off the center field fence for the 10-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth.
“It’s shown how far we’ve come and how hard we fought throughout the season,” Letcher said. “We really locked in and did our thing at the plate today.”
Birrer started the game hot in the circle as she recorded 1-2-3 innings in the first, third and fourth innings while striking out two to end the top of the second inning.
“It’s nice to not worry about extra baserunners and Kayla does a good job of that,” Marian coach Lyndsey Reinoehl said. “When we do get extra baserunners our catcher does a really good job of not letting them advance.”
The Fillies rose at the plate in the third inning, starting with Breanne Hopeck and Deanna Pugh walks before Emily Upanavage grounded into a fielder’s choice to shortstop to score Hopeck for the 1-0 lead.
Hailey Treskolasky singled on a groundball to center field to score Pugh for the 2-0 lead. Letcher kept it going with an RBI pop fly single to shortstop for the 3-0 lead. Birrer singled on a bunt back to the pitcher to score Treskolosky for the 4-0 advantage.
“I’m so excited to get to keep this going and be able to play on Tuesday again,” Reinoehl said. “Our hitting was a lot stronger today and we didn’t wait until the third or fourth inning to get the bat on the ball.”
Chloe Cannon shot a groundball fielders choice to second base to score Birrer for the 5-0 lead before Hopeck grounded out to shortstop to score Maggie Turano for the 6-0 edge.
Letcher stepped up again at the plate in the bottom of the fourth when she reached on a groundball error to third base to score Treskolosky for the 7-0 lead.
“It felt really good to help out the team there,” Letcher said. “It’s been nice having the easy innings in the field to get back to the batters box.”
Weatherly sliced into the deficit in the fifth when Abby Binder grounded an RBI single to right field before Courtney Snyder singled on a line drive to center field for the 7-2 difference.
The Fillies closed it out at the plate in the bottom of the fifth, beginning with a Pugh RBI single to left field for the 8-2 lead. Letcher then tripled off the center field fence to score two more runs for the 10-2 lead.
Birrer closed it out in the seventh before allowing Weatherly their final run on an Abby Weston bases loaded walk for the 10-3 final score.
Weatherly 3 — Weston SS 2 0 0 1, Marasco 2B 2 0 0 0, Caldwell CF 4 0 0 0, Zooderi RF 3 0 0 0, Kane LF 3 0 2 0, Makowiec C 3 0 0 0, DiGennaro 3B 3 2 2 0, Biles DH 2 1 0 0, Binder P 3 0 1 1, Snyder 1B 3 0 1 1. 28 3 6 3.
Marian Catholic 10 — Pugh SS 2 1 1 1, Upanavage CF 2 2 0 1, Treskolosky C 4 3 2 1, Letcher 3B 4 0 2 4, Birrer P 3 1 1 0, Turano 1B 4 1 0 0, Sirkot 2B 2 0 0 0, Wolfgang 2B 0 0 0 0, Degler RF 1 0 0 0, Cannon RF 3 0 0 1, Knock LF 1 1 0 0, Hopeck DH 1 1 0 0. 27 10 6 9 .
WEA (6-12);0;0;0;0;2;0;1;—3
MAR (12-9);0;0;6;1;3;0;X;—10
Weatherly
IP H R ER BB K
Binder 6 6 10 9 9 2
Marian Catholic
Birrer 7 6 3 3 3 5
Tri-Valley 12, Nativity BVM 0
The Bulldogs scored 11 runs across the first two innings for a mercy-rule five inning win over Nativity.
Ava Snyder led Tri-Valley’s lineup with three hits and four RBI’s and Kenzie Tobin ripped a two-run single into right field to put the Bulldogs ahead 9-0 in the second inning.
“All the cheering and confidence we had in ourselves hitting really helped us today,” Snyder said. “We definitely got it going forward and we have to keep hyping each other up.”
Myah Schwalm got the start for the Bulldogs and went four innings of shutout ball, allowing just four hits and striking out nine. Alina Leonard closed it out by striking out the side in the fifth.
“It’s been a good day for the Schuylkill League and I’m never surprised because it’s a good league,” Tri-Valley coach Marty Shade said. “We didn’t play for 10 days and I was happy with the way we started the game, we took it to them with the bats.”
Schwalm struck out two of the three outs in the top of the first before Tri-Valley pounced with six runs in the bottom of the first inning.
Leonard doubled on a line drive to left field to score Summer Cupsta for the 1-0 lead. Olivia Witmer doubled on a fly ball to left field to score Leonard for the 2-0 lead.
Savannah Stiely singled on a pop fly to center field to score Witmer for the 3-0 lead before Olivia Lupole singled on a line drive to left field to score Schwalm for the 4-0 lead.
“We’ve been hitting decently and we have a chance to win the district title and that’s all we could ask for,” Shade said. “We’ll be ready to go.”
Tobin flew out to center field to score Stiely for the 5-0 lead and Snyder singled on a groundball to center field to score Lupole for the 6-0 lead at the end of the first.
The Bulldogs tacked on five more runs in the second inning, beginning with a Witmer flyout to left field to score Leonard for the 7-0 lead. Tobin then singled on a pop fly to right field to score two more runs for the 9-0 lead.
Snyder put the finishing touches on the second inning scoring with a two-run groundball single into right field for the 11-0 lead at the end of the second.
“My teammates confidence in me really helps out at the plate,” Snyder said. “The confidence we all give each other at the plate is great.”
Schwalm struck out three batters in the third inning and three more in the fourth, marking six of her nine strikeouts.
Snyder brought home Tri-Valley’s final run on an RBI triple to center field to score Ava Kramer for the 12-0 final score.
Leonard pitched the fifth inning and earned the save, striking out three batters for the 12-0 win.
Nativity BVM 0 — Kraph CF 3 0 1 0, Rushannon SS 3 0 1 0, Clark LF 2 0 0 0, Covell 3B 2 0 0 0, Jansson RF 2 0 1 0, Ricard 1B 2 0 1 0, Stankavage P 2 0 1 0, Zulick DH 2 0 0 0, Leonard C 1 0 0 0. 19 0 5 0.
Tri-Valley 12 — Cupsta 2B 4 1 1 0, Leonard SS 3 2 2 1, Witmer 3B 3 1 1 2, Schwalm P 3 2 2 0, Rodichok C 3 1 1 0, Stiely LF 2 2 1 1, Lupole CF 3 1 1 1, Tobin RF 2 1 1 3, Kramer RF 1 1 1 0, Snyder 1B 3 0 3 4.
NAT (4-18);0;0;0;0;0;—0
TV (16-5);6;5;0;1;X;—12
Nativity BVM
IP H R ER BB K
Stankavage 4 14 12 8 1 1
Tri-Valley
Schwalm 4 4 0 0 1 9
Leonard 1 1 0 0 0 3