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By STEVE SEMBRAT; Times Leader Sports Writer
Saturday, May 25, 1996     Page:

WILKES-BARRE — Jessica Cronauer hits ninth in the Meyers batting order for
a reason.
   
It’s not because she is weak at the plate, either.
    The sophomore right fielder with good speed and a decent bat was placed
there so the her team could start rallies from the bottom of its order. So it
shouldn’t come as a shock that Cronauer started a uprising that lifted the
Mohawks into the playoffs.
   
Cronauer singled to lead off the seventh inning Friday and eventually
scored the winning run as Meyers edged Bishop O’Reilly 1-0 in a key Wyoming
Valley Conference softball game at Miner Park.
   
The win earned the Mohawks their second straight trip to the District 2
Class AA playoffs. Hanover (15-0) clinched its fifth straight AA crown
Thursday and the top playoff spot. Meyers (14-2) edged out O’Reilly (12-3) for
the No. 2 spot in districts, which are expected to start Tuesday. Matchups
should be announced today.
   
“I didn’t want to let my team down,” Cronauer said. “It’s my first year of
varsity and it’s kind of hard at times.”
   
Yet as she has all season, the young and talented Cronauer adjusted to the
competition. After walking then striking out in her first two plate
appearances, she singled up the middle to lead off the bottom of the seventh
inning.
   
“She has come up with some big plays for us this season,” Meyers coach Ron
Lloyd said of Cronauer. “She has throw out about a dozen runners at first base
from right field for us this year. She comes to hustle.
   
“She is at the No. 9 spot because she has speed. It takes the bat out of
her hands for a couple of innings, but when she does get up she and Melanie
Yale can cause teams problems.”
   
Yale followed with a sharp ground ball to O’Reilly shortstop Sa’Raya
Harden. Since Harden was cheating toward second base in anticipation of
Cronauer trying to steal, she had to go hard to her right to get the grounder.
She had no play on Cronauer at second base, but did manage to get Yale by a
hair for the first out.
   
The next batter, Alice Fink, looped a pop into short right. It dropped in
for a single, but Cronauer only got as far as third base, as she was held up
at second by Lloyd until the ball hit the ground. Meyers had its top hitter,
Joanne Polakoski, coming up and Lloyd wanted to avoid an inning-ending double
play at all costs.
   
“You have to give her the chance” to win it, Lloyd said.
   
Polakoski, a senior shortstop, did what Lloyd expected and the situation
demanded. She drilled a hard ground ball that careened off Harden’s glove and
into the outfield. Even if Harden had fielded that ball, though, it was highly
unlikely that she would have been able to throw Cronauer out at the plate.
   
“I just wanted to get the ball on the ground,” Polakoski said, “anything to
bring the runner in.
   
“Jess is a fast base runner. You want people like her on base.”
   
The win came just one day after Meyers had squandered a 7-1 lead against
Hanover, a game the Mohawks ended up losing 9-7.
   
“We had to forget about it,” Polakoski said of that loss. “Our playoff spot
was depending on this game. We had to get focused.”
   
Meyers did that, playing nearly flawless ball. Pitcher Alice Fink allowed
just two hits and one walk in picking up the win. O’Reilly did get runners in
scoring position in the fifth then sixth inning, but Fink worked out of each
jam with a strike out.
   
Maureen McGlynn pitched a great game for the Queenswomen, wiggling out of
jams up until the seventh inning. Meyers got runners in scoring position in
the first, second, third and fifth innings, but McGlynn worked her way out of
those jams. She allowed five hits, five walks and struck out 14, many in key
situations.
   
“We’re happy to be going to the playoffs,” Lloyd said. “O’Reilly has a
great team and could be here, too. Two 1-0 games show they’re almost as good
as we are.”
   
O’Reilly, which also lost to Meyers 1-0 on Thursday, May 16, concludes its
season today with the completion of a suspended game at 4 p.m. at the Kingston
Rec Field.
   
Although the Queenswomen missed out on the playoffs, they did show dramatic
improvement this season. In 1995, they started out strong and fell apart down
the stretch. This year, it took two near-perfect games by Meyers to deny them
a playoff spot.
   
“We didn’t hit. We had some chances and we couldn’t come through,” O’Reilly
coach Mike Twardowski said. “Overall, we had a great season.”
   
Bishop O’Reilly 000|||000|||0 — 0
   
Meyers 000|||000|||1 — 1
   
One out when winning run scored
   
WP — Alice Fink 14-2 (7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 SO). LP — Maureen McGlynn
11-3 (6 1/3 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 5 BB, 14 SO).
   
Top Hitters: Meyers — Alice Fink, 2-for-4; Jen Tierney, 1-for-2; Jessica
Cronauer, 1-for-2.
   
Tunkhannock 8, Wyo. Area 1
   
TUNKHANNOCK — Robin Davies went 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI as
Tunkhannock clinched a tie for the WVC Class AAA Northern Division title with
a win over Wyoming Area.
   
The Tigers (12-4) completed their regular season. Lake-Lehman (11-4) can
forge a tie for the division crown with a victory over Wyoming Valley West
today. If Lehman wins today, then Lehman and Tunkhannock will meet Monday in a
special playoff at a time and site to be announced. If Valley West wins today,
then Tunkhannock will take the title and advance to the District 2 Class AAA
semifinals against Abington Heights at 4 p.m. on Tuesday at Schautz Stadium in
Dunmore.
   
Shannon Heydon tossed a three-hitter to pick up the win for the Tigers,
Nikki Farber had a triple and Jamie Wildrick added a double.
   
Wyoming Area 000|||001|||0 — 1
   
Tunkhannock 122|||210|||x — 8
   
WP — Shannon Heydon 5-1 (7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 7 SO). LP — Erin Bell 2-10
(4 2/3 IP, 6 H, 8 R, 7 BB, 4 SO), Amy Cassegrande (1 1/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0
SO). 2B — Robin Daives (T), Jamie Wildrick (T). 3B — Nikki Farber (T).
   
Top Hitters: Tunkhannock — Robin Davies, 2-for-3, 3 RBI.
   
Hazleton 9, Coughlin 0
   
HAZLETON — Megan LaBuda went 3-for-3 and Lisa Swank tossed a three-hitter
as Hazleton Area clinched a tie for the WVC Class AAA Southern Division title
with a victory over Coughlin.
   
The Cougars (13-2) can clinch the crown and a berth in the District 2 Class
AAA playoffs if they defeat Crestwood in the completion of a suspended game
today. Hazleton lead 1-0 in the bottom the third inning of that contest.
   
Swank walked one and struck out 13 for Hazleton. Leslie Singley was 2-for-3
with a triple for the Cougars, and Roxanne Kupsho had a pair of singles.
   
Jamie Szafran had two of the Crusaders’ two hits.
   
Coughlin 000|||000|||0 — 0
   
Hazleton Area 503|||100|||x — 9
   
WP — Lisa Swank 4-0 (7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 13 SO). LP — Jamie Pesotski
2-12 (6 IP, 12 H, 9 R, 2 BB, 4 SO). 2B — Kristy Houseknecht (H), Rose Barkus
(H). 3B — Leslie Singley (H).
   
Top Hitters: Coughlin — Jamie Szafran, 2 singles. Hazleton — Megan
LaBuda, 3-for-3; Leslie Singley, 2-for-3; Roxanne Kupsho, 2 single.
   
Berwick 8, Nanticoke 1
   
BERWICK — Michelle Whitenight went 2-for-4 with a home run as Berwick
topped Nanticoke.
   
Brooke Shipman tossed a two-hitter to get the win. She walked one and
struck out nine.
   
The ‘Dawgs (12-3) will play Bishop Hoban at 10 a.m. today in a make-up game
at Kirby Park Field No. 3. Berwick needs a win over Hoban, plus a Hazleton
Area loss to Crestwood today to finish tied with Hazleton for the WVC Class
AAA Southern Division title.
   
Nanticoke 000|||010|||0 — 1
   
Berwick 012|||041|||x — 8
   
WP — Brooke Shipman 12-3 (7 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 9 SO). LP — Cheryl
Stachowiak 0-3 (6 IP, 5 H, 8 R, 6 BB, 1 SO). HR — Michelle Whitenight (B).
   
Top Hitters: Berwick — Michelle Whitenight, 2-for-4.
   
Northwest 10, Hafey 0
   
HAZLETON — Lisa Hartman came within one pitch of tossing a no-hitter in
Northwest’s victory over Bishop Hafey.
   
The game was halted by the 10-run rule after five innings. Hartman took a
no-hitter into the final inning, got two outs and then two strikes on Hafey’s
Jessica Ballard. But Ballard singled, breaking up Hartman’s no-hit bid. The
sophomore right-hander finished with two walks and seven strike outs.
   
Amanda Kittelson and Dawn Boberick each went 2-for-3 for the Rangers.
Boberick had a two-run homer and Kittelson led off the game with a triple.
   
Northwest 152|||20 — 10
   
Bishop Hafey 000|||00 — 0
   
WP — Lisa Hartman 9-6 (5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 SO). LP — Lori Gasper 1-5
(5 IP, 11 H, 10 R, 2 BB, 0 SO). 3B — Amanda Kittelson (N). HR — Dawn
Boberick (N).
   
Top Hitters: Northwest — Amanda Kittelson, 2-for-3, 3 runs scored; Dawn
Boberick, 2-for-3, 2 runs scored; Christy Swisher, 2-for-2, RBI; Jess
Kittelson, 1-for-2, 2 RBI.
   
Pittston 7, Dallas 1
   
PITTSTON — Ann Cebula went 2-for-2 with a triple as Pittston Area topped
Dallas.
   
Michelle Pramick and Jen Rebovich each had two hits for Pittston, and
Amanda Darbenzio tossed a four-hitter to pick up the victory.
   
Dallas 010|||000|||0 — 1
   
Pittston Area 301|||120|||x — 7
   
WP — Amanda Darbenzio 2-4 (7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 12 SO). LP — Sandy
McCloud 5-8 (6 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 4 BB, 3 SO). 3B — Suzanne Fisher (D), Segan
Millington (D), Ann Cebula (P).
   
Top Hitters: Dallas — Suzanne Fisher, 2-for-3. Pittston — Michelle
Pramick, 2-for-3; Jen Rebovich, 2-for-2; Ann Cebula, 2-for-2.
   
GAR 13, Seton 11
   
WILKES-BARRE — Leor Zellner, Kim Krutski and Becky Snyder each had two
hits as GAR outscored Seton Catholic at Coal Street Park.
   
Zellner had a pair of doubles for the Grenadiers and Krutski had a triple.
Deanna Zarzecki was 2-for-4 with a triple and a homer for Seton.
   
Seton Catholic 322|||112|||0 — 11
   
GAR 260|||032|||x — 13
   
WP — Kim Bradshaw 3-10 (7 IP, 9 H, 11 R, 2 BB, 8 SO). LP — Aimee Grabosky
5-10 (7 IP, 9 H, 13 R, 6 BB, 4 SO). 2B — Michelle Marriott (S), Leor Zellner
2 (G). 3B — Deanna Zarzecki (S), Kim Krutski (G). HR — Deanna Zarzecki (S),
Aimee Grabosky (S).
   
Top Hitters: Seton — Deanna Zarzecki, 2-for-4. GAR — Kim Krutski,
2-for-3; Leor Zellner, 2-for-2; Becky Snyder, 2-for-4.