Inside Lehigh Valley Softball: Week 4 Digest

It was a shorter week than usual, with numerous weather postponements. Let’s get right into all of this week’s action.

Tuesday, 4/8:

• Emmaus, despite all of its losses to graduation, continues to chug right through the regular season. They moved to 8-2 with a 3-2 narrow victory at home against Stroudsburg. Leading 1-0 in the third, the Mountaineers had a big chance to tack on. Ava Fagan-Huse, from her anchor spot in the lineup, doubled to open the inning and Elizabeth Molinaro walked. Mari Eiswerth, though, struck out the next three to get ouf of trouble. Emmaus countered in the bottom of the fourth, loading the bases. Amanda King singled up the middle to score Avery DeFanti and tie the game. A double play got Stroudsburg out of the inning. Stroudsburg took the lead back in the top of the seventh after Madi Perez and Jordan Cook singled and Callender, pinch running for Cook, scored on a wild pitch. The Hornets then loaded the bases for the second time in the game in their final turn at bat. Abby Derr delivered the winning hit, flying a ball into center field that brought in Sydney Bennett and Taylor Hauver. Eiswerth fanned 12 Mounties in the win.
• In the ultra-competitive District XI 6A field, Freedom remained atop the mountain, defeating Bethlehem Catholic 17-2. The first three Patriots struck out in the first, but then the team broke through for 12 in the second, all scoring with two outs. The final out was elusive, as twelve Patriots came to the plate. Namelia Duro broke things open with a bases clearing double to make the score 4-1. Brooklyn Pronovich finished off the scoring in the inning with a 2-run home run to right. Alyssa Laubach led her team with 4RBI. Durro and Pronovich knocked in three each.
• The Green Knights won their sixth in a row, blasting winless Catasauqua 19-0. Thirteen runs came across in the first inning. Eleven Pen Argyl batters batted in at least a run. Abby Scherer began the scoring on a sharp ball resulting in an error at short. Two runs scored on the play. Madacyn Rivera hit a 2-run double to left, followed by a Jill Bradley 2-run triple to right. Angelina Beltran finished the afternoon with 4RBI. Grace Weaver and Aubrey Dehart combiend to strikeout seven Rough Riders, allowing only two hits. Pen Argyl now trails only Pine Grove in the District XI 3A playoff field.
• Wilson Area moved to 5-4 by run-ruling Saucon Valley 15-1 in five innings. Tessa Fredericks batted in four runs on two two-run home runs. Aby Colon matched the 4RBI day and went 2-for-3 at the dish. Fredericks struck out seven and allowed only two hits.
• On a damp, soggy evening in Kutztown, the Cougars rolled up a 19-4 win over Oley Valley and moved to 7-2 on the year. Kutztown is trying to keep pace with an undefeated Susquenita team in District 3 3A’s playoff standings. Jayden Gehris started the scoring, doubling in Sadie Berger. Her second at bat came later in the 12-run inning, as she tripled in two more. Flip Oldt then went yard, scoring her and increasing the lead to 11-0. The Lynx loaded the bases in the third and did score four runs, but were already trailing 15-0 at the time. Flip Oldt finished the day batting in six runs to go along with three from Gehris. Kutztown racked up 19 hits on the chilly evening.
• Wilson West Lawn put together its seventh straight win, shutting out Conrad Weiser 12-0. Seven Warriors’ runs came across in the second inning with two outs, capping an eight run turn at-bat. Ava Sensenig began the two-out rally with a 2RBI single into right. She was followed two batters later by a Leah Berkis RBI hit and another from Ava Legath. The Scouts managed only one hit, coming from Alex Trevena. Shannon Bratton and Madi Farrell combined to fan 13 Scouts, dropping Conrad Weiser to 2-4.

Wednesday, 4/9:

• After an 0-5 start to the year, the Bulldogs of Northern Lehigh picked up their fourth win in a row, blasting Lehighton 16-2 in five innings. After scoring eight times in the first three innings, the Bulldogs doubled their total in the fourth. Emily Gad scored twice and batted in three. Tegan Simms scored three times and went 3-for-4 on the afternoon. Despite Addi Smith getting hit eight times, only Brynn Mriss and Morgan Myers recorded an RBI for the Indians.
• Early runs in the first two innings were enough for Southern Lehigh, as they defeated Salisbury 5-0. Lila Padden homered in the first inning, bringing in two runs. Lily Kelly knocked in two more, doubling up the middle in the second inning. Delaney Young spread out eight hits and struck out seven. The Falcons’ largest threat was getting two on in the sixth inning with two outs.
• Northwestern Lehigh stayed atop the District XI 4A power rankings, handing Notre Dame Green Pond a second straight loss 10-2. Emma Freeman got it all going with a home run to left. The Crusaders took a 2-1 lead in the second when Hannah Lilly singled to center and drove two in. Ainsley Behler replied in the third, bringing two runs home on a grounder into right field. Other than getting two on with one out in the fourth, Notre Dame Green Pond was set down quietly for the remainder of the game as the Tigers tacked on frequently. Freeman walked four and fanned eleven in her victory. The win extended Northwestern’s streak to six.
• Despite a 6-3 record, Whitehall sits in the seventh slot of the district 6A power rankings. The Zephyrs took care of business, however, blasting Central Catholic 12-1. A second inning two-out rally began when Molly McFetridge placed a fly ball in right field, bringing home Alyssa Dunbar. Jules Muth, Aryanna Donlon, Bella Muth and Nya Brown all followed up with RBI hits or walks, as eight more batters would appear before a third out was recorded. Brown and Morgan Laub added 2RBI hits in the third. Morgan Laub struck out six over four innings of work.
• Northampton picked up a key 4-3 victory over Bethlehem Catholic. The Golden Hawks left eight on base, as a late home run from Mikaila Brooks provied the three runs in the seventh. Kiley Henritzy broke through for the Konkrete Kids in the third, doubling to left and scoring Josephine Siegfried who had reached on a leadoff error at second base. Megan Ferenchak led off the fourth with a deep shot out to center, bringing Northampton’s lead to 2-0. Ferenchak’s seventh inning two-out double would provide just enough insurance for the Kids to hang on. Mikell Kulp and Rylee Gable fanned a combined twelve Hawks.
• In the battle of North versus South, the Cavaliers of East Stroudsburg South used an eight run fifth inning to shatter a 5-5 tie, running away with a 15-5 win. The Cavaliers enjoyed an early 5-1 lead after Erin Brozusky homered in the second and the team manufactured three in the third. However, a fourth inning error by Erin Ehrhardt allowed Alyssa Adrover and Maura Bear to come in, cutting the Timberwolves deficit to 5-4. Fatoumata Barry scored on a passed ball to tie the game. The first five Cavaliers got on base in the fifth and four came into score before an out was recorded. Nina Venslosky tacked on in the following inning with a leadoff solo home run.
• Easton took a critical home game over Nazareth 2-1. Fourth inning walks to Anna Jones and Zoe Betts led to a Gianna Koch line drive into right field for the only two Red Rovers runs. For the Blue Eagles, it was a similar situation in the fifth. After Gianna Perillo and Emma Infantino walked. Brianna Recchia’s single to right, though, only scored one. Two more Blue Eagles walked in the sixth, but Audrey Rinda got six strikeouts over the final two innings, totaling 16 on the game.
• Emmaus dominated rival Parkland 12-2, moving to 9-2 and winning four in a row. The Hornets scored in all five innings of the mercy-rule shortened contest. Avery DeFanti led her squad with 4RBI Mari Eiswerth and Taylor Hauver each contributed two more. Over the four game winning streak, Emmaus has outsocred its opponents 53-4.
• Five combined home runs highlighted the battle of Bethlehem and the top two teams in the 6A field. The Patriots trailed 4-3 in the third, but were relentless from there on out, winning 16-6. Sophia Rivera’s single through the hole at short, aided by an error by the Patriots, put the Hurricanes on top 3-1 in the second. Then, Brooklyn Pronovich and Landry Guman went back to back with solo home runs from the bottom of the lineup. Leah Onia then put Liberty back on top with her own solo shot in the third. Guman’s RBI single in the third scored Siara Gonzalez and provided the game winning run. A three-run homer by Pronovich in the fourth would move the lead to 11-4. In a bit of a surprise, only one batter between the teams struck out all game. The Patriots also worked nine walks.
• Stroudsburg came back from their loss to Emmaus to defeat Pleasant Valley 10-3. The tone was set via a four run first. Katren Lavra provided a 2-run single to left along the way. Rylan Knapp provided a 2RBI home run for the Bears, but by then, the Mounties had built an 8-0 lead. The win keeps Stroudsburg in the top four of the 6A power rankings.
• Maggie Krall’s solo shot to right in seventh punctuated Twin Valley’s 7-0 victory over Exeter. Erin Cromwell provided another solid performance, giving up four hits and striking out seven. Olivia Escalona and Emma Hahn eached batted in two runs. Marion Eagle had two of those hits for the Eagles.
• The Fleetwood Tigers won their eighth in a row to begin the season, mowing down Muhlenberg 14-4 in five innings. A strong start saw Fleetwood score nine runs over the first two innings, as 18 batters came to the plate. The Tigers swiped 11 bases along the way, remaining aggressive all game long. Isabelle Santangelo went 3-for-4, scoring three times and bringing in three runs. Morgan Koehler and Skyla Baer each plated two. Sophia Breidegam struck out six. Madi Wentzel provided 2RBI for Muhlenberg in the loss.
• The Conrad Weiser Scouts moved within a game of returning to the .500 mark, defeating Reading 18-1 in three innings. Three runs scored on passed balls and four scored on errors. Three more came across on bases loaded walks. The biggest hit was a bases clearing triple for Macy Snyder. In the circle, Snyder fanned six and gave up one hit.
• Wilson West Lawn took home its eighth straight win, rolling over Daniel Boone 17-0. Rylea Fick kickstarted the first inning with a 2-run home run to center, bringing home Ava Legath with her. Shannon Bratton and Madi Farrell used a combined 39 pitches to set aside the Blazers in three innings, striking out seven.
• Tulpehocken moved to 6-3 by getting by Berks Catholic 7-3. A couple of passed balls put the Saints ahead 2-1 in the second, but Zoee White put the Trojans back in front when she scored on a dropped third strike to Leanne Eckenrode. White and Eckenrode both had RBI hits in the fourth to help the Trojans extend their lead. Molly Goldberg struck out 11 Saints, working around five hits and four walks.
• In a key BCIAA battle, Hamburg pulled away late, winning 12-4 at Brandywine Heights. The Bullets led 4-1 after four, Lizzie Tomaine provided a 2-run single back up the middle in the third, followed by a Kamryn Henry RBI single in the fourth. Brandywine Heights worked around two Hawks runners in the third and another in the fourth, While two runs scored in the fifth, the Bullets retained the lead until a 2-out rally bit them in the sixth. Mackenzie Hoover reached on an error by Jenna Crist at first. Leadoff batter Amelia Gassert then singled into right, but an error in right field allowed her to come all the way around to score and take the 5-4 lead. Another infield error allowed the first of many insurance runs that Hamburg tacked on in the seventh. When all was said and done, Brandywine Heights had committed seven errors and five unearned runs had scored.
• Schuylkill Valley moved to 5-2 with a 20-5 victory at Antietam. Ella Martin had a 4RBI performance, bolstered by her first inning 2-run home run that began a busy day on the scoreboard for her squad. Five consecutive bases loaded walks and a wild pitch in the second inning piled on the runs, followed by a 2RBI triple from Martin.

Thursday, 4/10:

• Twin Valley continued a nice week, handing Fleetwood its first loss of the year 6-2. Erin Cromwell helped her cause greatly, knocking an RBI double in the third and then bringing two more home in the fifth to make the Trojans lead 4-1. In the circle, she needed only work around two hits and two walks on her way to striking out seven and securing the victory. Maggie Stoltzfus provided further insurance with an RBI hit in the fifth.
• Parkland rebounded off its loss to its Cedar Crest rival and took out frustrations on East Stroudsburg South, 9-1. The Cavaliers loaded the bases in the first, third, and sixth innings but were unable to push across any runs in any of the situations. Parkland plated five in the fifth to ensure victory. Addi Fritzinger batted in three and scored twice. Allison Hunsberger went largely unscathed despite giving up eight hits.
• Bangor scored 13 runs in the first two innings of their 20-9 win at Jim Thorpe. A two-base, two-run error off a ball hit by Brook Hermanski started the scoring, and four more runs scored on passed balls and wild pitches in the inning. Two more errors in the outfield led to three more runs in the second inning and then Marissa Siu provided a 3-run bomb to put the exclamation point on the 13-0 lead. When all was said and done, 11 unearned runs came across and Jim Thorpe was charged with seven errors.
• Salisbury kept Catasauqua winless via a 17-0 win. Seven Falcons knocked in two runs a piece, as everyone got in on the action. Jenna Swoyer threw a one-hitter and struck out three. Gianna Olds had a perfect day, going 3-of-3, scoring three times and bringing in two runs. Tessa Kemmerer was 3-for-4 and scored twice along with 2RBI of her own.
• Northwestern Lehigh scored 12 in the fourth inning of their 17-2 win over WIlson Area. The win marked seven in a row for the Tigers, who remained atop the 4A playoff standings with an 8-1 record. After Tessa Fredericks put WIlson on top with a 2-run home run, it was all Tigers. Abby Dunstan rocketed one out to center in the third, building a 5-2 Tigers lead. Nat Conner added her own 3-run shot as part of that 12 run fourth. Emma Freeman used 61 pitches to strike out eight Warriors and get through four innings.
• Notre Dame Green Pond snapped a two game skid in style, piling up 13 runs in a 13-3 win against Palmerton. Freshman Riley Palank had another stellar performance, going 3-for-4, scoring three times and knocking in two. Emily Szczepanski brought in three runs, while Hannah Lilly and Sydney Ryan accounted for two each. The win moves the Crusaders to 8-2, as they attempt to keep pace with state powers Blue Mountain and Northwestern Lehigh in 4A.
• Southern Lehigh picked up a nice win 6-4 over Palisades on the road. Through six innings, the Spartans stranded seven Pirates on the basepaths. A first inning RBI hit from Lila Padden and bases loaded walk to Delaney Young in the sixth were the only scoring up to that point. In the seventh, both teams broke through in a big way. Four consecutive bases loaded walks piled up a 6-0 Spartans lead. Then, the Pirates pulled a 2-out rally out of their bag of tricks. Erin Wallbillich led off the inning with a walk and came home to score via an Aubrey Boushell triple. Two errors plated two more runs in the inning. Bonelli grounded out to second base as the tying run, allowing the Spartans to escape with the win. Karlye Teman struck out 15 more in the loss, throwing 172 pitches.
• The Green Knights of Pen Argyl moved to 9-2, keeping pace with Pine Grove in class 3A, defeating Saucon Valley 12-1. Abby Scherer had herself a day, banging out two 2-run home runs late in the contest for a 4RBI effort. In the circle, Jill Bradley fanned 11 in a two-hitter. Eight runs came across in the third inning, blowing open a 2-1 Pen Argyl lead and putting the game away. All of those runs scored with two outs.
• Kate Shaak one-hit Governor Mifflin, moving the Mustangs to 1-10 on the season in a 10-0 shutout by Warwick. Marlee Martin hit two dingers, knocking in five runs. Byanne Lehr had the lone hit for Governor Mifflin.
• Brianna Bouschell threw a one-hitter in Kutztown’s 11-0 shutout of Wyomissing. Flip Oldt, Jayden Gehris and Klara Schnore all had a 2RBI day. The Cougars pounded out 12 hits and took advantage of seven Spartans errors.
• A four run third inning put Tulpehocken ahead 4-1 over Oley Valley. The Trojans held off the Lynx for a 4-3 win. After the Trojans stranded two in the first inning, Oley Valley took a 1-0 lead on a bases loaded walk in the second. Kylie Snyder tied the game in the third, singling to right and scoring Julianne Forry. The Lynx rallied in the fifth, but Cora Nash grounded out with the tying run on third. Molly Goldberg struck out three over the final two innings to help her squad hang on. She had ten Ks on the afternoon.

Friday, 4/11:

• Central Catholic carried a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the fifth at East Stroudsburg South. A 10 run explosion by the Cavaliers then propelled them to the 13-6 win. Gianna Menecola’s 3-run triple put the Vikettes ahead as she cleared the bases. Johanna Carey tripled in the fifth to chase in two runs and put ES South ahead 5-3. The win moved the Cavaliers to 6-7 and keeps them in the running for a road playoff spot in 6A.
• Jordan Cook and Ella Fagan-Huse combined to one-hit William Allen in Stroudsburg’s 15-0 victory. Dorothy Elko had two hits and brought in three runs while scoring twice. Madi Perez was 2-for-2, scored twice and batted in two. The Mounties did not strike out on the game and racked up 12 hits. Stroudsburg remains in the fourth spot in 6A’s power rankings.
• Conrad Weiser got back to .500 with an 8-5 win at home against Exeter. Jill Warner’s ball hit to first base resulted in an error, scoring Marion Eagle for an early 2-0 Eagles lead. Maddi Derfler and Aleena Martino each doubled in the bottom of the inning, putting the Scouts up 3-2. Warner grounded one into left field in the fifth to tie the game up at 5-5. Alex Trevena delivered the go-ahead and winning run on her 2RBI triple to right in the sixth. Cheyenne Boyles and Mackenzie O’Brien combined to strikeout nine Scouts, but the Eagles went in order in the seventh and could not rally.
• Twin Valley capped a 3-0 week with a 10-0 rout of Governor Mifflin. Erin Cromwell launched a 3-run home run in the third to put her team up early on as part of a 4RBI afternoon. Maggie Stoltzfus took the circle and three-hit the Mustangs, fanning five along the way.
• Mackenzie Hoover no-hit Antietam and struck out seven Antelopes as Hamburg rolled to a 17-0 win. Offensively, Hoover accounted for 4RBI, while Jenna Shuman and Molly Krick added three more each. The Hawks are now 9-2, but just the sixth seed out of eight teams in the District 3 4A playoff field.
• Similar to Hamburg, Schuylkill Valley took care of business, blowing away Tulpehocken 15-0. The Panthers are 8-2 but stand at seventh in an eight team playoff field in 3A midway through the season. Ella Martin and Gabby Leone each had 3RBI days. Kayla Konetsky pitched a one-hitter, needing only 54 throws to complete the three innings. Molly Goldberg had the lone hit for Tulpehocken.