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By JOHN ERZAR; Times Leader Sports Writer
Friday, July 12, 1996     Page: 1B

WRIGHT TWP. — When a team puts everything together, it’s going to have a
good day.
   
Nanticoke had one of those days Thursday.
    Every starter scored and knocked at least one run as Nanticoke defeated
Mountaintop, 26-2, in the District 16 Senior Softball Tournament losers
bracket final.
   
The game was halted after the fifth inning because of the 10-run rule.
   
Nanticoke will travel to unbeaten Back Mountain on Saturday. The game will
be at 4 p.m. if Back Mountain National defeats Plains today in the District 16
Little League Baseball Tournament. If National loses, the girls’ game will be
at 6 p.m.
   
Back Mountain, which defeated Nanticoke 6-4 earlier in the tourney, can win
the title with a victory. If Nanticoke wins, then the two teams will play
again Tuesday to decide the title.
   
“It was a team effort for a change,” Nanticoke manager Kathy Szychowski
said. “The defense was there today as well. They came to play.”
   
Nanticoke’s defense committed just one error. Even when something went
wrong, it ended up righting itself.
   
That happened in the first inning when a wild throw to first base careened
to Nanticoke catcher Amanda Hummell, who tagged out Mountaintop’s Jen Sawicki
at the plate.
   
However, it was the offense which put Nanticoke up 9-0 after one-half
inning and kept up the scoring.
   
Jen Warren and Amber Hower each singled in two runs in the first. Hummell,
Kim James and Alexis Rambo also had RBI singles.
   
After scoring two more runs in the second, Nanticoke added eight more in
the third to take a 19-2 lead.
   
Warren doubled in two runs, Rambo singled in two, and Becky Katra knocked
in another with a sacrifice fly. James and Hower also drew bases-loaded walks
to force runs across while Hummell added a double.
   
Later in the game, Erin Brzozowski, Gail Pattison and Cheryl Stachowiak
singled home runners. Hower also had a two-run triple to finish with a
team-high five RBI.
   
As for pitching, Stachowiak allowed just three hits, none after the second
inning. The fast-pitching lefty struggled with control at times, but did
strike out the side in the fourth.
   
“She didn’t have too much control today, but this is when to have a bad
day,” Szychowski said. “She had a great game the other day when she struck out
15.”
   
Mountaintop hit the ball hard at times, especially in the first inning.
Kristy Sawicki singled with one out and scored on Mandi Loefflad’s triple to
left field. Jennifer Sawicki added an RBI single in the second, scoring Katie
Chado.
   
NANTICOKE MOUNTAINTOP
   
| ab|r|h|bi| ab|r|h|bi
   
Hower cf 4 5 3 5 JSawicki 2b-p 1 0 1 1
   
Brzozowski ss 3 3 1 1 Glynn ss 3 0 0 0
   
James 1b 1 2 1 2 KSawicki 3b 3 1 1 0
   
Rakowski 1b 1 0 0 0 Loefflad p-2b 2 0 1 1
   
Rambo rf 2 1 2 3 McCune c 1 0 0 0
   
Ostopowicz rf 1 0 0 0 Thomas lf 2 0 0 0
   
Katra 3b 3 1 0 1 Baron 1b 1 0 0 0
   
Dalmas 3b 1 0 0 0 Dickey 1b 1 0 0 0
   
Hummell c 3 5 2 1 Chado cf 1 1 0 0
   
Warren lf 2 3 2 4 Schawrtz rf 0 0 0 0
   
Pockevich lf 2 0 0 0 Barket ph 0 0 0 0
   
Pattison 2b 1 2 1 1|
   
Szychowski ph 0 0 0 0
   
Stachowiak p 3 4 1 1
   
Totals 27 26 13 19 Totals 15 2 3 2
   
Nanticoke 928|||34–26
   
Mountaintop 110|||00–|2
   
E–Nan 1, Mtp 4. LOB–Nan 7, Mtp 3. DP–Nan 1. SF–Katra. SAC–James.
SB–Hower, Hummell 2, McCune. CS–KSawicki. 2B–Hummell, Warren. 3B–Hower,
Loefflad.