Inside Lehigh Valley Softball: Week 2 Digest

Two full weeks of the softball season are already in the books, as Northwestern Lehigh, Southern Lehigh and Nazareth and Liberty are the leaders across District XI 4A, 5A, and 6A respectively. Meanwhile in Berks County, Brandywine Heights, Schuylkill Valley and Kutztown are 3-1, Hamburg is 5-1, and Fleetwood remains unbeaten at 5-0. Wilson West Lawn is rallying after two early losses and is now 3-2. Below find a daily digest of all the games played in the EPC, Colonial and BCIAA this past week!

Monday, 3/24:

• Salisbury defeated Central Catholic in extra innings, holding the Vikettes to one win on their season and moving the Falcons to 3-2. The Falcons scored early on a bases loaded walk to Zaira Stokes that scored Sophia Gunning. Sydney Foulke singled in Gianna Olds and Jenna Swoyer. Central Catholic responded with a three-run third inning bolstered by Gianna Mencola’s RBI triple. Leinna Negron tied the game in the seventh on a grounder into right and the Falcons took the victory in the extra inning on Taylor Wagner’s flyball mishandled in center field. Foulke led the way for Salisbury with 2RBI. For the Vikettes, Eloise Brown knocked in two runs.
• Eleven players knocked in at least one run in East Stroudsburg Norths’ 25-0 victory over Notre Dame East Stroudsburg. Jennika Doyle and Alexia Robinson combined for a three-inning two-hit shutout with seven strikeouts. The Timberwolves banged out 20 second inning runs and scored on five passed balls or wild pitches. Karyme Saieh walked twice and snagged 3RBI. Jaylean Marcoux also scored three times and added 3RBI of her own.
• Stroudsburg got by Pocono Mountain East 17-9. Dorothy Elko hit two solo home runs and Isabella Thomas hit a 3-run shot to deep center. The Mountaineers’ seven run first inning set the tone and despite PM East coming back, they were never able to get closer than a six run deficit. Karlie Jurasists had a spectacular day despite the loss, bringing in five runs and scoring three runs. She was 3-for-4 at the dish. She was matched by Thomas who brought home five runs and was 2-for-2. Melissa Safin had 4RBI on four hits. The Mounties scored in all six turn at bats.
• Wyomissing fell to Schuylkill Haven 12-6 in a nonconference contest. Ally Becker’s 2-run shot to center made the score 9-4 in the fourth, keeping the Hurricanes comfortably ahead. In defeat, Cairs way went 2-of-3 and scored a run for Wyomissing. All of Wyomissing’s runs came with two outs. Haven pitchers Allie Scherer and Gracelyn Line combined to strike out 10 batters and walked five.
• Spring-Ford got by Exeter by the narrowest of margins, 2-1. Both Rams runs came with two outs in the fourth and fifth innings. Brooke Haring singles in Ava Bainbridge and an error at first base scored Sam Lycosky. In the top of the seventh, Spring-Ford got the first two on with back-to-back singles, but could not do any further damage. After not threatening all game long, Exeter got a Marion Eagle RBI double, but she was stranded there as both Alena Dinnini and Meghan Moyer both struck out at the hand of Jessica Fliszar. Those were strikeouts six and seven for Fliszar to secure the victory.
• Wilson West Lawn picked up its first victory of the year, getting by Manheim Township 5-1. Madi Farrell clocked a 3-run bomb in the fifth inning that brought home Leah Berkis and Ava Futrick, cracking open what had been a 2-1 contest. Shannon Bratton continues to assert her role in the circle, striking out 12 Blue Streaks in her one-hitter.
• Hamburg moved to 5-0, winning their fifth game in eight days 20-2 over Oley Valley. Molly Krick needed just 41 pitches to get through three innings of three-hit ball. Offensively, the Hawks were on fire, blasting three home runs. Norah Davey’s was the first, a three-run shot to center that extended the Hawk lead to 17-0. Molly Krick and Jenna Shuman followed up. Davey finished a perfect 4-of-4 with 7RBI, while Shuman was also a perfect 4-for-4 with 3RBI. Krick was 3-of-3, scoring three runs and bringing in three.
• Tulpehocken evened its record at 2-2, blanking Lancaster Mennonite 17-0. Maddie Hostetter hit a bases clearing triple in the first inning, contributing to a lopsided 7 run turn at-bat. Kaylee Holland hit an inside the park home run to left that scored Ember Sunday. Molly Goldberg and Emma Reifsnider combined on a mercy rule-abbreviated no-hitter, striking out five.
• Pleasant Valley picked up a 10-2 win over the Palmerton Blue Bombers. Six runs came across in the top of the second, putting the Bears ahead with a crooked number early. Kailyn Getz and Katie VanSchyock each compiled three hits and 2RBI. Getz struck out nine in a three-hitter. Mikayla Pengelly recorded the only RBI for Palmerton, a double in the fifth.

Tuesday, 3/25:

• Four runs in the bottom of the first with two outs propelled Octorara Area on their way past Muhlenberg, 17-7. Madi Wetzel brought in 4RBI for the Muhls; her 2-run single in the first gave the Muhls a temporary 2-0 lead, but it wouldn’t stand up. Octoara moved eight runners across the dish in response. Four doubles, a single and a hit by pitch accounted for all eight. Delaney Amole’s bases clearing double in the second kept Octorara at a safe 12-5 distance. Amole led the way for Octorara with 6RBI.
• Daniel Boone mercy ruled Antietam 15-0, spurred on by a ten run first inning. Lily Gonzalez hit an inside the park grand slam in the first inning barrage. Antietam did work nine walks in four innings and even loaded the bases in the second and fourth, but could not push a run across. Vanessa Eardley and Olivia Bentz each batted in two runs, while Gonzalez finished her day with four. Despite the nine walks, Aubrey Garman also struck out ten.
• Pottsgrove narrowly defeated Governor Mifflin 3-1. An error at first, a passed ball, and a sac fly were all the damage done by Pottsgrove in consecutive innings. The Mustangs mustered only six baserunners all afternoon and pushed only Byanne Lehr across home plate. In the loss, Valerie Addis fanned six and allowed only four hits.
• Northwestern Lehigh bounced back from a loss to Nazareth by mercy ruling Bangor 12-1. Emma Freeman got things going early with a 2-run homer to left. Natalie Conner followed up with a 2-run triple and before the Slaters had their first turn at-bat, they were trailing 6-0. Abby Dunstan kept the pressure on in the second, reeling off another 2-run home run in the game. Dunstan and Conner combined to bring in eight runs and were 7-of-8 at the dish. Lizzie Diehl scattered four Bangor hits, striking out three and walking one.
• The Green Knights of Pen Argyl snapped a two-game losing streak by mercy ruling Jim Thorpe 10-0. Abby Scherer knocked a 3-run home run over the fence in the fourth inning, extending a 4-0 lead that was established in the first. Jillian Bradley struck out 12 Olympians, limiting Jim Thorpe to only one hit. That lone hit belonged to Ryah Confer.
• Wilson Area picked up a key conference victory over Colonial newcomer Lehighton 13-10. The teams combined for 22 hits, ten errors and ten walks. The Indians had a strong start, scoring four in the top of the first; Makayla Scott and Brynn Mriss each hit 2-RBI singles. Carli Snyder tied the game in the second after WIlson picked up two runs in their half of the first. Tessa Fredericks put the Warriros ahead for good at 6-4, smoking a line drive to right field, scoring Aby Colon and Sabrena Espinosa. After Kennedy Quinn tied the game at 6 on an RBI single in the fourth, Wilson went right back on top by way of a Fredericks triple to the fence in left. Wilson was able to push their lead to four when Elizabeth Horinko scored on a passed ball in the fifth. Iyanna Aponte piled on with a solo shot deep center in the sixth and Maci Kovacs was the second Warrior to score on a passed ball, pushing the lead to 13-8. Lehighton tried to rally in the seventh, but only pushed across two more. For Wilson, Tessa Fredericks led the way with 3RBI, followed by two each from Aponte, Colon and Espinosa. Makayla Scott was Lehighton’s star, knocking in four runs and scoring one.
• Notre Dame Green Pond stayed unbeaten, breezing by Northern Lehigh 8-1. Eight of nine Crusaders batters got at least a hit and seven were credited with an RBI. Despite the final score, it was the Bulldogs taking the initial lead, with the Crusaders not taking over until the third inning. Riley Palank launched a solo shot in the fourth, moving NDGP’s lead to 4-1. They finished off the scoring with a four run sixth. Addison Ryan, Emily Szczepanski and Natalie Lilly each had two hits, the only players to record multi-hit days. Rachel Fisher shut down the Bulldogs, sending eight back to the dugout via the strikeout.
• Palisades remained atop the District XI 3A field with a 12-2 rout on the road at Salisbury. Karlye Teman remained a prominent figure as always, fanning 12 and allowing only four hits. Offensively, the Pirates put the game away with a seven run first inning. Catie Russo, Jordyn Bonelli and Ella Young all notched 2-RBI evenings. Zaira Stokes provided the lone scoring for the Falcons on a 2-run home run.
• Southern Lehigh cruised to a 4-0 record, blanking Saucon Valley 13-0. From her leadoff spot in the lineup, Isabella Germani capped a six run third inning with a 3-run bomb over the center field fence. She finished with 6RBI and went 3-of-3 on her day at the plate, scoring three times. Both Ella Roset and Brooke Davies brought home two runs. Delaney Young threw a three-hitter and fanned five, walking none.
• Berks Catholic picked up its first victory of the year and had an offensive explosion, blasting Reading 17-1. Giana Mirenda had herself a day, striking out ten in a two-hitter and kicking off the scoring with a 2-run home run in the first inning. Six Saints recorded at least 2RBI; Bryanna Gallagher was 3-for-4 with three runs scored and three batted in. Celeste Mirenda brought in two runs as part of her 3-of-4 day.
• Fleetwood stayed unbeaten by way of a 12-1 victory over Oley Valley. Eight runs crossed the plate in the second inning, propelling the Tigers to an 11-0 lead. In that turn at-bat, Morgan Koehler cleared the bases on a double ripped into right field. Peyton Trexler added a solo home run as part of her 2RBI effort. Sophia Breidegam struck otu eight Lynx batters and scattered four hits and four walks.
• Hamburg survived a stiff test from Twin Valley 8-7. The Hawks saw only one batter reach base over the first three innings, as Twin Valley led 4-0 after their half of the fourth. Hamburg finally broke through with four in the fourth, led by a Kaida Chwatek 2RBI double roped into left. Mackenzie Hoover tied the game on a seeing-eye single through short. It all came down to the seventh inning. Twin Valley got a 2-run shot from Maggie Krall two batters into the inning. Maggie Stoltzfus singled in Erin Cromwell as the next three batters all got hits following the deepr fly. With their backs against the wall and down three runs, hamburg found ways to get it done. Back-to-back triples from Amelia Gassert and Norah Davey moved the Hawks within 7-6. Molly Krick would pop out after Erica Gerner struck out, making the situation all the more dire for Jenna Shuman. She smacked the first pitch she saw into right field, bringing in Davey to tie the game. Shuman ended up on third and Chwatek delivered the game-winning liner into center just two pitches later. Despite fanning ten, Erin Cromwell found herself on the losing end of an offensive struggle. Molly Krick was hit 16 times and survived for the victory despite striking out just one batter.
• Miranda Morstatt’s fifth inning two-out 2RBI single up the middle was all Kutztown needed to squeak by Schuylkill Valley 2-0. Gabby Leone’s fifth inning leadoff double would be the closest Schuylkill Valley got to chasing home their own run and the only hit allowed by Brianna Bauscher. She struck out nine and walked none.

Wednesday, 3/26:

• The Vikettes of Central Catholic won 13-1 over Dieruff, snapping a season-opening four game losing streak. After a Huskies bases loaded walk in the first that put Dieruff up 1-0, the Vikettes would score the remainder of the runs on the afternoon. Gianna Menecola drove in two runs on a single into left in the second inning, bumping the lead at that time to 8-1. Seven Vikettes recorded at least one RBI. Hailey Kahr threw a no-hitter, but did walk eight batters. She struck out.
• Bethlehem Catholic picked up a big second win, 11-3 over Pocono Mountain West. Four runs in the fourth inning broke open a game that the Hawks led 4-2 at the time. Mikaila Brooks had a 2RBI effort on three hits, while tossing four and a third innings of three-hit ball with two strikeouts. Maddie Bixler closed out the rest of the game, fanning six. Isabella Borsuk also added 2RBI.
• Northampton moved over East Stroudsburg North 15-0 in a mercy-rule shortened four innings. The Konkrete Kids dropped nine runs in the third to make the final score a no-doubter. Avery Deibert launched a 2-run homer early and Ro Echevarria added a solo shot. Deibert finished her game with 4RBI. Kiley Henritzy went 3-for-4 with 3RBI. Riley Gable struck out ten in her four inning no-hitter. The victory moved Northampton to 4-0
• East Stroudsburg South scored six runs in the fifth inning of their contest with Nazareth, but by then, the Blue Eagles had brought in 13. Nazareth went on to win 16-6 in a mercy rule game. Alina Weaver’s first inning grand slam brought home Marley Wismer, Makayla Ork and Gianna Perillo. The bottom of the lineup was key for the Eagles’ rout, as Emma Infantino, Wismer, and Ork combined for six hits and 5 runs batted in.
• After four innings, Easton led Stroudsburg 4-2. However, that lead did not stand up; the Mounties pushed across four in the fifth inning to take the lead and go on to win 10-6. Elena Trotter chased home Stroudsburg’s first run in the first inning after Elizabeth Molinaro walked, stole second, and moved up again on a passed ball. Anna Jones tied things up, scoring on a wild pitch in the second. Easton loaded the bases with one out in the third and capitalized with three runs off of an error and Gabby Orsato single into right. Stroudsburg struck back in the top of the fifth when Isabella Thomas led off with a shot to deep left. Trotter tied the game on a 2-out double in the same inning and she came around to score on a wild pitch to give Stroudsburg the lead 5-4. Dorothy Elko popped a 2-run shot over the fence in left to extend that lead to 9-5 in the seventh. Zoe Betts responded with a solo shot of her own, but Easton would score no more. Four errors by the Red Rovers led to five Stroudsburg runs. Despite striking out 15, Audrey Rinda was saddled with the loss.
• Emmaus cranked out 21 runs on 16 hits in their 21-0 rout of William Allen. Sadie Haefeli hit a 3-run homer and Morgan Schwab followed up with a grand slam in the first inning as twenty batters came to the plate. Twelve more appeared in the top of the second, as Emmaus scored seven more runs. Sophia Tranguch and Schwab both produced 5RBI. Amanda King threw a no-hitter and fanned five.
• Freedom broke open a tight game in the fourth inning on their way to a 13-3 rout of Pocono Mountain East. RBI singles by Maia D’Amico and Payton Besecker, the top two in the batting order, broke open a 6-3 lead. Brooke Rummel had 4RBI on two hits. Brooklyn Pronovich joined in with a two-hit day and brought in two runs. Namelia Duro struck out three and allowed six hits in her complete game effort.
• Liberty powered past Pleasant Valley 16-1, staying atop the District XI 6A standings. Addy Smith capped the day with a three run home run, scoring Addison Sabo and Sophia Rivera. Production came from up and down the lineup, as Kritzie Diaz-Rivera cleared the bases with a double to left in the second inning, ballooning the lead to 10-1 at the time. Abbie Benner threw the abbreviated no-no on 52 pitches, striking out one Bears batter.
• It was anything but a pitchers duel between Parkland and Whitehall. The Zephyrs emerged victorious 13-11, scoring six runs in their sixth inning to secure the win. Whitehall fell behind 1-0 after Parkland’s first turn at bat, but responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Moran Laub doubled in a run and Molly McFetridge singled in Jillian Ziegler in between a fielders choice. Parkland loaded the bases in the third on a leadoff walk to Anna Belletieri and hits by Allison Hunsberger and Maria Moore. Scerena Reed brought in the tying runs with her double up the middle and Amelia Dawson’s groundout to second base brought in the go-ahead run. With a 5-3 lead, Parkland got two on with no outs in the fourth, but the next three batters failed to drive either of them home. The bottom of the fourth saw Whitehall load the bases with nobody out. Two productive outs brought in three runs to put the Zephyrs ahead 6-5. Emma Kushner tied the game at 6 when she doubled home Reed in the fifth. Four more consecutive singles saw Parkland take a 9-6 lead. Whitehall produced two runs with two outs in their fifth, with Josie Shultz and Laub bringing them in on singles. Parkland got two on to start the sixth, but a 4-6 double play with a missed tag-up allowed Whitehall to turn a double play. The Trojans still scored, though, via Ami Patel’s RBI hit from the nine-hole in the lineup. Three singles in the bottom of the sixth gave the Zephyrs a loaded bases situation with one out. McFetridge’s hit into right field drove in one, making Parkland’s lead 10-9. Amya Espinal stepped to the plate, pinch hitting for Jules Muth. On the first pitch she saw, she stroked a 2RBI single to left, putting the Zephyrs ahead 11-10. Laub provided two insurance runs with two outs, dumping a ball into right field. With the tying run on base for Parkland, Scerena Reed grounded out and Laub got Dawson swinging to put the game to bed. Josie Shultz continually set the table for other bats in the Zephyrs’ lineup, getting three hits and scoring twice. Laub led the way with 4RBI.
• Wilson West Lawn continued getting on track, running by Exeter 14-6. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 5-0 lead as Ava Legath scored Leah Berkis and Tatum Werley. Meghan Farrell was responsible for two early RBI hits as well. Legath doubled home Werley again in the fourth, increasing the lead to 6-2. Exeter came to life in the fifth inning, scoring three runs all with two outs. Jillian Warner, Cheyenne Boyles and Avery Gibbons went back-to-back-to-back, singling in runs. The bats stayed lively for Wilson, though, as the first two reached in the bottom of the inning before Caitlin Figarola hit a ball to the hot corner and beat out the throw to first. Tatum Werley and Legath brought in two more and when all was said and done, Wilson had scored seven runs in the inning. Shannon Bratton struck out 14 Exeter batters and walked only one
• Governor Mifflin remained winless, falling to Muhlenberg 18-12. The Muhls scored in all but one inning in a game that was knotted at 7-7 after three. Mifflin got started early, putting up five in the first inning. Kaylee Jablonski launched the first of her two home runs, which got the first two runs on the board. Two errors on the infield provided the Mustangs with their first two runs and allowed them to cut the lead to 5-2 after an inning. Raeya Hoover made the score 5-3 with her two out RBI single back up the middle in the second. An error at first base in the third inning put Governor Mifflin back up by three and then a Brooke Wirth sac fly from the bottom of the lineup moved the lead to 7-3. Claire Hoffman led off the bottom of the third with a home run to right. An infield error extended the inning and the Mustangs capitalized with three more runs. Olivia Grosch’s 2-out 2RBI double to right tied the game at 7-7. Just two batters into their half of the fourth, Muhlenberg was back on top. Madi Wentzel tripled to right on the first pitch she saw, bringing in Jablonski to break the deadlock. Wentzel came around to score on a passed ball with two outs in the inning and the Muhls were up 9-7. Byanne Lehr responded with a solo home run to cut the lead to 9-8 after four innings. Kaylee Jablonski smacked her second home run in the fifth, moving the lead to 12-8. Wentzel came up big again with two outs in the sixth, clearing the bases on a triple to left. Mifflin got a two out rally going in their seventh inning, but a fielders choice ended the game with the 18-12 final in favor of the Muhls. Jablonski and Wentzel both had 4RBI days and all but two Muhls batted in a run.
• Maggie Krall and Hailie Barton went yard in Twin Valley’s 15-0 rout of Reading. Maggie Stoltzfus shut down the Red Knights in four innings, needing just 55 pitches to fan ten and give up one hit. Ten runs came across in the first inning, kicked off by Ella Herbst scoring on a passed ball. Barton and Krall went back-to-back, moving the lead to 10-0. Alex Podehl knocked in three runs, contributing to the mercy rule shortened contest.
• The Conrad-Weiser Scouts never scored more than two runs in an inning, but they did it six times to double up on Pottsgrove 10-5. The Scouts got production from both ends of the lineup, with Skylir Berger, the leadoff batter, racking up five hits, and Madelyn Ciemiewicz compiling four more from the 8-hole. By the time Pottsgrove rallied for three in the seventh, they were already trailing by eight. Aleena Martino walked only one and struck out eight in her 123 pitch outing. Eight of the Scouts’ runs came with less than two outs.
• Fleetwood continued to roll their way through BCIAA competition, blanking Daniel Boone 17-0. The Tigers plated 14 runs in the first inning, as 18 batters came to the plate. Lainee Guldner, Skyla Baer and Morgan Koehler all produced 3RBI efforts. Isabelle Santangelo threw only 33 pitches in a three inning no-hitter with six strikeouts.
• Tulpehocken rolled over Antietam 17-0. Ten runs were plated in the first inning, with eight of them coming in before a single out was recorded. All six Trojans outs came on runners leaving their base early. Zoee White and Kylie Snyder eached notched 3RBI afternoons. Molly Goldberg and Emma Raifsnider combined on the no-hitter.
• The Bullets of Brandywine Heights moved their win streak to three, using a sixth inning rally to get past Wyomissing 9-7. The Spartans led 5-0 eaely on. Singles by Kyla Lytle and Kylie Schoedler, along with two wild pitches and an error at short put the Bullets behind the eight ball. Two hits and an error led to the only three Brandywine Heights baserunners through the first three innings. The rally began in the fourth when the middle of the order strung some hits together. Lizzie Tomaine and Christina Schuster each singled through the hole between first and second, while Kaitlyn Steventon reached on an infield error to load the bases with nobody out. Kamryn Arnold chased home two runs with a hit into right, but Brandywine would still trail 5-2, leaving runners on the corners. A wild pitch and passed ball brought in two more Wyomissing runs, extending their lead to what seemed like a safe 7-2 margin. Five runs came across for the Bullets in the fifth. Following an error, Schuster singled into center to bring the score to 7-4. Arnold tied the game at 7-7 when she grounded back to first base, allowing Steventon to score. After retiring Wyomissing in order in their half of the sixth, Brandywine Heights capitalized on an another infield error from the Spartans. Henry doubled home Allyssa Bortz to give the Bullets their first lead of the day. Wyomissing went in order in the seventh to end the ballgame. The teams combined to commit eight errors and only six of the sixteen runs scored were earned.

Thursday, 3/27:

• Exeter fell to 0-5, losing 7-5 at Solanco in nonleague play. A seventh inning Eagles rally came up short, with Marion Eagle’s 2RBI triple not being enough. She and Cheyenne Boyles each record 2RBI days. Ava Fedoruk was 3-of-4 with 4RBI for the Golden Mules. Kira Roark struck out eight Eagles.
• Salisbury scored 11 straight runs against Jim Thorpe, but needed more to win 18-12. The Falcons loaded the bases in the first but didn’t score until Jenna Swoyer’s solo home run to center in the second. Tessa Kemmerer chased home two more runs after an RBI single from Gianna Olds to build the lead. In the third, it was three back to back bases loaded walks that moved the lead to 8-0. Zaira Stokes cleared the bases with a double laced into left. Mara Levens finally got the Olympians on the board in the fourth with a 2-run HR beyond the center field fence. Stokes and Amelia Swoyer hit consecutive RBI singles, pushing the lead to 13-3. Facing the mercy rule, Jim Thorpe put together one heck of a 2-out rally. Isabella Sully, with the bases loaded, brought home two runs with a fly ball that dropped into center. Two batters later, Gloria Strohl homered to cut the lead to 13-9. They loaded the bases again in the sixth, but after allowing three more Falcons runs. Two more runners reached for Jim Thorpe in the seventh, but they could not get any further. Jenna Swoyer struck out nine. Alaina Pavolko scored four runs and all but one Falcon batter touched home plate.
• The Green Knights moved to 4-2 with a 14-0 shutout of Lehighton. Grace Weaver piled up 5RBI on three hits, while Jillian Bradley added 3RBI on her two hits. Bradley threw a two-hitter and fanned 13 Indians batters.
• Wilson Area scored seven times in the first two innings to to roll past Northern Lehigh 10-3. Emma Dalpe drove two home as part of her 3RBI day, capping a four run first inning to immediately put pressure on the Bulldogs. Anna Schmitt brought in two more on a 2-of-4 effort. Kiera Hartzell-Ham scattered seven hits, walked three and struck out three. Peyton Hoffman accounted for 2RBI for the Indians on an early RBI double and later on a groundout to first.
• In an early season battle of the top two teams in District XI 4A and 5A, Northwestern Lehigh bombed Southern Lehigh 10-4. The Spartans jumped on top 2-0 in the first. Lila Padden brought home Isabella Germani and Lily Kelly followed up with her own hit to left, scoring Padden. In the bottom of the third, the Tigers took over. Emma Freeman’s RBI single tied the game up. Abby Dunstan then homered to deep right to put Northwestern up 4-2. The lead ballooned to 8-2 in the fourth, with four runs coming in all with two outs. After back to back walks to Lily Kinnon and Rylee McGinley, Freeman singled to begin the carousel. Dunstan doubled to right and Natalie Conner finished off the scoring with a single up the middle. The Spartans got the first two on in the fifth but did not score. They did, however, get their final two runs in the sixth. Natalie Conner answered those two with a 2-run home run to left, scoring Dunstan. Dunstan, Freeman and Conner combined for all 9RBI on the day. Freeman fanned ten in her pitching effort.
• Twin Valley played just its third game of the year, coming away with an eight inning 3-2 win over Penn Manor to keep the Comets winless. A leadoff error on a dropped infield popup allowed Riley Frank to reach in the third for the Comets. She would score two batters later when Mia Skiadas doubled her in. Skiadas’ hit in the fifth drove in Frank again, aided by an error in left field. In the sixth inning, Twin Valley rallied quickly. Hailie Barton led off with a grounder into left and Erin Cromwell doubled her home two pitches later. Emma Hahn took the first pitch she saw back to the pitcher on a hard grounder, beating it out for a single and allowing Cromwell to score. Penn Manor loaded the bases in the seventh inning with one out, but a fly out to center and strikeout ended the rally, sending the game to extras. With two outs in the top of the eighth, Maggie Stoltzfus reached on an error in left. Alex Podehl singled her in. Penn Manor nearly rallied one more time, getting the first two on in their half of the eighth, but the next three were retired in order to end the game. Cromwell struck out 12 in her 132 pitch effort.
• Pocono Mountain West pounded Notre Dame East Stroudsburg 33-5. Nine of the fourteen first inning runs scored on bases loaded walks. Over three innings, 33 Panthers came to the plate. Twenty-two of those batters walked Julia MacPhee ended her day with seven RBIs and Sam Rider had six.

Friday, 3/28:

• Cocalico run-ruled Daniel Boone 16-6. Aubrey Garman gave the Blazers an early 2-1 lead, doubling home Kaylee Henderson in the first inning. Cocalico responded with eight runs in the second inning, blowing the game wide open. Mazurek-Smith had the biggest hit of the day for the Blazers, scoring three runs on her double into center field. The Blazers amassed just six hits and struck out eight times against opposing pitcher Kira Lehman.
• Pleasant Valley took out their frustrations from a mercy rule loss to Liberty by turning the tables on Central Catholic in a 15-0 rout. Both teams loaded the bases in the first inning, but neither could score. The Vikettes went in order in the second and the Bears struck hard with an 11-run inning. Seven of those runs scored on bases loaded walks. Kailyn Getz had the big hit of the inning, clearing the bases on a 3-run triple to center. Two more bases loaded walks accounted for runs in the second inning.
• Lily Moretti homered twice in Nazareth’s 15-1 trouncing of Bethlehem Catholic. Sarah Banko gave the Hawks a short-lived 1-0 lead on a solo shot to deep center. Moretti hit her first long ball to cap the scoring in an eight-run first. The two-run home run went out to left. Her second came in the sixth, a 3RBI shot to left. Emma Infantino added 2RBI. Kylie Grover gave up three hits and fanned 12 at the plate, allowing only the early home run.
• For the second straight game, Emmaus put up 21 runs. This time, it was a 21-0 shutout of the East Stroudsburg North Timberwolves. Sadie Haefeli hit a 2-run shot in the third, making the score 13-0 at the time. All but three runs scored on hits, with two errors and a sac fly account for the other three. Abby Derr accounted for 3RBI and scored three times. Haefeli joined her with the three runs batted in. Both Morgan Schwab and Avery Shank knocked in four runs from the latter half of the lineup. Mari Eiswerth again threw a no-hitter, striking out eight Timberwolves and walking none in only 34 pitches.
• Dueling home runs kicked off the matchup between Freedom and Easton. Easton’s Anna Jones gave the Rovers a 1-0 second inning lead and Maia D’Amico led off Freedom’s half of the second with a solo shot to center. The Patriots then brought home two more runs with two outs in the inning. Alyssa Laubach hit an RBI double to left and was then brought home to score by Siara Gonzalez’s single in the hole at short. After no threats either way for two more innings, Mary Munjone launched a 2-run home run to left, scoring Alyvia Fleming and tying the game at 3-3. The tie was broken for good when Payton Besecker doubled to left and scored Gonzalez. While Eastong to two runners on in the sixth and seventh, they could not push across any more runs. Gonzalez led the Patriots with 2RBI from her ninth position in the batting order.
• In another battle of top teams in the EPC, Liberty got by Northampton 10-8. The Hurricanes took an early 7-3 lead that lasted into the fifth inning. Sophia Rivera led off the game with a home run to center. McKenna Beck followed up with a 3-run shot came with two outs in the inning and moved the lead to 4-0. Avery Deibert helped the Konkrete Kids pull back within one when she skied a 2-run shot to right, bringing in Hannah Duerr with her. Duerr would tie the game with her own shot to center, scoring Kiley Henritzy. With the score knotted at 7-7 going to the sixth, AnnMarie Stella and Kritzie Diaz-Rivera got on base to begin the inning. Leadoff batter Sophia Rivera’s line drive dropped into center, bringing in Stella and putting the Hurricanes up 8-7. Rivera’s two-out 2RBI single in the seventh gave the Hurricanes the separation they needed to bring home the win. Rivera’s 4RBI, along with three from McKenna Beck were key. Addy Smith spaced out nine hits by the Konkrete Kids and struck out seven.
• In a game between a top contender from the Colonial League and BCIAA, Northwestern Lehigh punished Hamburg late in a 13-2 six-inning win. Abby Dunstan got things going with an RBI single Rylee McGinley and Emma Freeman walked to leadoff the game. After the Tigers loaded the bases again in the second, Freeman knocked in Ainsley Behler. Dunstan hit into a fielders choice, allowing Freeman to score and bringing the early lead to 3-0. A 6-2 game was blown wide open in the fifth as McGinley cleared the bases with a double to left, making the margin 9-2. Four more runs were chased in in the seven run inning. McGinley finished the day with 5RBI, two hits, two runs scored, and two walks. Dunstan went 2-of-4 with 2RBI.
• Parkland snapped a three-game losing streak and evened their record at 3-3 by running by Pocono Mountain West 13-2. Nine runs scored over the first two innings for the Trojans. Along the way, Scerena Reed hit a 2-run home run and she was joined by Elizabeth Pinkham, Amelia Dawson and Addison Fritzinger with 2RBI each. Fritzinger struck out seven Panthers over five innings of work.
• A four-run sixth inning provided Whitehall with the runs they needed to come back from a 2-1 deficit and beat Stroudsburg 6-2. Elizabeth Molinaro scored as she stole third and then came home as part of a double steal. Amya Espinal tied the game at 1-1 with a solo home run in the third, dropping a ball beyond the center field fence. Katren Lavra singled home Morgan Callender in the fourth to put Stroudsburg back up 2-1. Nya Brown retied the game with her RBI single that scored Morgan Laub. Paige Tacker hit into a 6-3 groundout, but Bella Muth scored to give Whitehall the lead. The Mountaineers went in order in the sixth and seventh. All RBIs for the Zephyrs came from the 5-9 spots in the lineup and all nine batters reached base.
• Mechanisburg moved Governor Mifflin to 0-6 with a 16-5 drubbing. Abby Brunelli homered, but she had no one on base and by then, the Mustangs had fallen behind 16-4. Valerie Addis brought in two runs on a bases loaded walk and a single late in the game. With rhe bases loaded and nobody out in the fourth, Mifflin managed only two runs.
• Reading led Milton-Hershey 9-0 before a 15-run third inning explosion led to a 24-9 Spartans win. Ayerim Rodriguez took a bases loaded double to left field, giving the Red Knights a 6-0 lead. Gabriella Quijano did the same, scoring Rodriguez and Yolanda Velez. Then the Spartans went off. Seventeen consecutive batters came to the plate in the top of the third without an out being recorded. Seven walks and three hits by pitch contributed to 22 batters appearing before the nightmare inning finally ended. Fifteen more came to the plate in the third, accounting for nine more runs. Fourteen earned runs were charged to Ayerim Rodriguez over two innings.
• Conrad-Weiser won its second in a row, blasting by Oley Valley 19-8. After falling heind 2-1, the Scouts plated seven in the second inning to storm ahead. Madi Ciemiewicz and Skylir Berger both hit RBI doubles into center field, followed by another to left by Aleena Martino that scored two. A wild pitch and passed ball brought in two more. A misplayed ball in right allowed the Lynx to climb back within 8-4, but Alex Trevena singled in two more in the third to push the lead back to six. The Scouts pounded out seven runs in the sixth to invoke the run rule and eliminate any ideas Oley Valley had of coming back. Trevena finished with 5RBI, while Madi Derfler and Ciemiewicz added three a piece.
• The Fleetwood Tigers stayed unbeaten, moving to 5-0 with a 12-1 win over Berks Catholic. Lainee Guldner’s three-run home run capped a seven run first inning, giving Fleetwood the comfortable lead early. She finished the game with 4 runs batted in and Isabelle Santangelo had three. Sophia Breidegam struck out six in her four-hit day in the circle.
• Tulpehocken rallied late to move to 4-2, defeating Pequea Valley 10-6. They needed six runs in the sixth to overcome a 6-4 deficit. The inning actually began with two groundouts on the infield. Madi Hostetter doubled up the middle, scoring Kaylee Holland to get the Trojans within 6-5. Hostetter stole third and scored the game tying run on a passed ball. Julianne Forry put her team ahead, putting a flyball into right field and bringing in Ember Sunday. Zoee White tacked on a 2-run triple back through the middle to provide some insurance. Pequea got two runners on in the seventh, but could not score. Juliet Snyder and Zoee White each had 3RBI on the game.

Saturday, 3/29:

• Notre Dame Green Pond moved to 4-0 with a 15-3 rout of Bangor. Seven runs crossed home plate in the first inning, including an Addi Ryan 2-run homer to center on a 3-1 count. Her sister Sydney did the same in the third, bringing the lead at the time to 11-0. The sisters Ryan knocked in five runs and the sisters Lilly, Hannah and Natalie, each drove in a run on a hit.
• Emmaus suffered its first loss of the year, an extra innings defeat on the road at Abington Heights 6-5. Taylor Hauver led off the game with a solo shot to left. The Comets fired back with their own shots into the sky. Lauren Stalica and Adrianna Condrad went back to back, giving Abington Heights the quick 2-1 lead. The first two Hornets reached in the second, but two fly outs and a strikeout ended the threat. Sadie Haefeli knotted the game at 3-3 on her 2-run home run to center, bringing Hauver in. Neither side threatened for the remainder of the seven regulation innings. The longball came back in play in the eighth, though, when Abby Derr went long to center, putting the Hornets up 4-3. An infield error on a ball hit by Sophia Tranguch allowed Avery DeFanti to score what Emmaus thought would be an insurance run. A leadoff single by the Comets in the bottom of the eighth was quickly forgotten with two outs recorded. However, after Isabelle Wilmot singled, Stalica was intentionally walked to load the bases. Condrad roped a liner into center, tying the game and then Isabella DeRiggi recorded her only hit of the afternoon, hitting one into center to give Abington Heights the win. Mari Eiswerth pitched all eight innings, striking out six and walking only two in the loss.
• After four consecutive wins, Freedom took a 5-2 loss at Central Dauphin. Other than two runners reaching in the first inning before being erased by a fielders choice and a pop back to the pitcher, Freedom did not threaten until their final turn at-bat. That said, Freedom did get a chance with the tying runs on base. Brooke Rummel grounded out to short to end the late rally. Central Dauphin used four pitchers to secure their win, giving up just four hits and two walks.
• Palisades continued to run over its competition, moving to 4-0 by way of a 13-4 win over Jim Thorpe. Karlye Teman continued to do what Karlye Teman does, striking out 17 Olympians around only two hits. All four runs scored by Jim Thorpe were unearned. Jordyn Bonelli brought in two runs, while the Pirates worked 14 walks as a team. Eight runs scored on passed balls or wild pitches, and an error accounted for one more.
• Lehighton wasted no time, scoring five runs in the top of the first inning, but needing to hold on to an 11-8 victory at Salisbury. Two walks an an error quickly loaded the bases, and a grand slam by Makayla Scott put the Indians up 5-0. Amelia Swoyer helped the Falcons come back. Her two run grounder into left field brought the score to 5-4. With the score tied at 8-8, the teams headed to the seventh. Lehighton loaded the bases with no outs and a walk to Ava Trach forced in what would be the winning run in Morgan Myers. Scott was then plunked with a pitch to make it 10-8. The Falcons went in order in the bottom of the seventh. Scott finished her day going 4-of-4 at the plate, bringing home five runs and scoring twice.
• Liberty suffered its first loss of the year, 11-5 to the North Pocono Trojans. The Trojans took a 9-0 lead into the fifth. For the Hurricanes, Leah Onia and Sophia Rivera each hit 2-run long balls, bringing Liberty back within 9-4. However, North Pocono pitchers only allowed five other hits in the game. Avery Roscioli could not be retired, going 4-of-4 at the plate, driving in three runs.
• Despite nine hits, Wilson Area only pushed across one run in their 12-1 defeat at the hands of Marian Catholic. Abby Colon and Emma Dalpe each snagged two hits, but the lone run did not come until the bottom of the sixth. The Fillies scored in all but the second inning. Seven Wilson errors contributed to four runs along the way.
• Pen Argyl had to grind out a 3-0 victory to hold Northern Lehigh winless on the season. Neither team threatened until the Green Knights broke through in the bottom of the sixth. Jillian Bradley led off with a double back up the middle. With two outs, Ashlyn Oessenick doubled her home along with Abby Scherer who was hit by a pitch. Angelina Beltran’s RBI single scored Oessenick. The Bulldogs got a 2-out single in the seventh but never started a rally. Bradley struck out 12 Bulldogs in the game, scattering four hits and walking only one.
• Southern Lehigh rebounded from a loss by defeating Palmerton 9-0. The Spartans scored in all six turns at-bat, including a Brooke Davies solo shot in the fifth. Lila Padden had 2RBI and five players recorded two-hit afternoons. In the circle, Delaney Young allowed five hits and fanned 12 Blue Bombers.
• Pine Grove piled on early, defeating Whitehall 9-4 in a non-conference matchup. Aryanna Donlon got the Zephyrs on the board first with a double into left that scored Josie Shultz. However, seven runners would come home for Pine Grove over their first three innings, placing Whitehall in a large deficit. Amya Espinal’s 2-run homer cut the deficit to 7-3, but the Zephyrs saw their next seven batters retired in order until the seventh.
• Exeter continued their early struggle against one of the toughest schedules in the BCIAA, falling to Owen J Roberts 12-2. Mackenzie O’Brien totaled two hits for the Eagles. Despite seven hits, the team could not string them together; outside of two reaching in the second and third innings, Exeter did not have a significant threat.
• Wilson West Lawn ran its record back to 3-2, defeating Berks Catholic 6-2. Kaya Werley’s sac fly brought in, scoring Leah Kope. Caitlin Figarola brought home Meghan Farrell with a single to left. An error in right field on a ball hit by Ava Futrick scored two more runs in the fifth. Tatum Werley plated two more, grounding one back up the middle. Shannon Brattong struck out 13 Saints, limiting her opponents to three hits and two walks.
• Wyomissing lost its third in a row, falling at Schuylkill League opponent Pottsville 3-1. Two Crimson Tide runs scored in the third, and they loaded the bases again with two outs, but did not score further. Pearl Caldwell came to bat in the sixth with the tying run on base, but was struck out. Wyomissing went in order in the seventh.