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WEST PITTSTON — Reality is setting in for the Tunkhannock softball team. The Tigers most likely won’t be winning a second consecutive Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 title with the way Nanticoke is pulling away from the field.
All, though, is not lost. There is a goal very much alive — getting a high seed in the District 2 Class 4A playoffs which start later this month.
Tunkhannock took a big step toward it, using strong pitching from Hope Jones and Kendra Schultz and some small-ball offense to defeat Wyoming Area 5-1 Thursday at the Atlas Complex.
Tunkhannock (6-3) remained three games behind Nanticoke (9-0) in the WVC Division 2 standings. But the win allowed the Tigers to remain in a tight pack of D2-3A teams battling for what will probably be the second seed behind Nanticoke barring an unexpected collapse by the Trojanettes.
“We kind of figured that even if we were able to beat (Nanticoke) in the second game they were going to win the division,” Tunkhannock coach Bob Hegedty said. “Looks likes they’re going to go in as the top seed. We just got to keep pace with West Scranton and Valley View.”
Wyoming Area (3-5) will also be in the D2-3A tournament, which is an open format meaning all teams qualify. The Warriors’ seed will pretty much be sorted out next week when they play four games, including a rematch with Tunkhannock on Wednesday.
The Wyoming Area bats will need to pick up the pace in order to get a home game in districts. The Warriors struck out seven times and managed one hit — a second-inning single to left by Kristi Skok — against Jones. Schultz pitched the final three innings, fanning four more and surrendering a sixth-inning hit to Kari Melberger.
“We not hitting the ball,” Wyoming Area coach John McNeil said. “It’s not like we don’t practice it, we’re just not hitting. We hit every day for an hour. Our immaturity is showing.”
Wyoming Area’s only run came via two Tunkhannock errors in the third inning. A three-base throwing error put Julia Kopetchney on third, and she scored when Jess Parente’s grounder was booted.
Tunkhannock finished with four errors, the only real blemish on a solid game.
“I like our pitching, I like our hitting. We have to work on our defense,” Hegedty said. “We’re doing well. Everything is coming around. We have to get hot at the right time. We’re not playing badly. We’re just a little shaky on defense right now.”
Tunkhannock isn’t known for manufacturing offense with bunting, but Thursday was the exception. Danielle Krispin, Paige Mokychic, Erin Dunn and Jenn Bulford all bunted their way on base in the second inning. Krispin and Mokychic eventually scored, while Dunn and Bulford had RBI in the four-run inning.
Mokychic added an RBI single in the third for Tunkhannock’s final run.
Lake-Lehman 4,
Northwest 3
Down 3-0 after three innings, the Black Knights chipped away before finishing the rally with two runs in the bottom of the seventh for a walk-off victory.
Abbey Hogan doubled twice and drove in two runs while going the distance in the circle for the win. Chloe VanGorder added a home run.
Trista Babcock (double) and Nicole Cragle each had two hits and an RBI for the Rangers.
Nanticoke 4
Berwick 0
Miranda Bohn was dominant for the Trojanettes, pitching seven shutout innings, only allowing five hits.
Bohn struck out six in the win. She also was 2 for 2 at the plate, with a double and a run scored.
Both Jenna Lipowski and Kiera Brown had home runs for Nanticoke.
Berwick was paced by Sarah Dent, who was 2 for 3.
Pittston Area 7,
Coughlin 1
Madisyn Antal knocked in three runs and Alexa McHugh added two RBI in Pittston Area’s victory.
Nina Cencetti pitched a two-hitter with eight strikeouts and added three hits at the plate. Gabby Para was 2 for 3.
Montana Raggi and Alexa Berecin had hits for Coughlin.
Meyers 15, GAR 0
Lexi Bruno homered and Abbi Satoff pitched a two-hit shutout in the Mohawks’ three-inning victory. Lydia McFarlane and Dakota Zyskowski both added a double.
Rachael Stucker and Sarah Youkoski had the hits for the Grenadiers.
Holy Redeemer 8,
Hanover Area 0
Morgan Bienkowski struck out 10 in pitching a complete-game victory for Holy Redeemer.
Bienkowski also had three hits. Meghan Armstrong had two RBI.
Karly Bennett had two hits for Hanover Area.
Seminary sweeps MMI
After holding on for a wild 8-7 win to open the doubleheader, the Blue Knights closed out the Preppers 13-0 in five innings in the second game.
Game 1 saw Seminary break things open with four runs in the top of the sixth, only to have MMI answer with four in the bottom of the seventh. Melinda Holena (nine strikeouts) was able to stop the rally one run short of a tie with her 126th pitch. She went 3 for 4 with a double and a triple at the plate.
Aubrey Mytych threw a one-hitter in the second game, striking out nine herself. Alicia Carr and Abbie Corcoran both homered.
Olivia Minzola tripled and drove in four runs for the Preppers in the opener. Gabriella Kupsho had three hits and an RBI.
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Tunkhannock 5, Wyoming Area 1
Tunkhannock`AB`R`H`BI
HJones p`3`1`0`1
FJones ss`4`0`1`0
Simmons 3b`4`0`0`0
Schultz ss`3`1`2`0
Krispin c`3`2`2`0
Mokychic cf`3`1`2`1
Traver lf`3`0`1`1
Farr dp`3`0`2`1
Bulford 2b`3`0`1`0
Dunn rf`0`0`0`0
Totals`29`5`1`4
Wyo Area`AB`R`H`BI
Glatz p`3`0`0`0
Parente c`3`0`0`0
Pisano ss`3`0`0`0
Skok 3b`3`0`1`0
Melbergr 2b`3`0`1`0
Graham 1b`3`0`0`0
Karctskie rf`3`0`0`0
Silinskie lf`3`0`0`0
Koptechny cf`3`1`0`0
Totals`27`1`2`0
Tunkhannock`041`000`0`—`5
Wyoming Area`001`000`0`—`1
Tunk`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
HJones (W)`4`1`1`0`0`7
Schultz (S)`3`1`0`0`0`4
Wyo Area`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Glatz (L)`5`10`5`5`1`0
Graham`2`1`0`0`0`1
Lake-Lehman 4, Northwest 3
Northwest`003`000`0`—`3
Lake-Lehman`000`110`2`—`4
Pitching — NW, Nicole Cragle (LP), 6.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 7 K; Brooke Harvey, 0.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K. LL, Abbey Hogan (WP), 7 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K.
Top hitters — NW, Trista Babcock 2-4, double, RBI; N. Cragle 2-3, RBI; Payge Wusfus triple. LL, Hogan 2-4, two doubles, two RBI; Hayley Evans 2-3, double, RBI; Cassie Konopki double; Chloe VanGorder HR, RBI.
Nanticoke 4, Berwick 0
Berwick`000`000`0`—`0
Nanticoke`100`003`x`—`4
Pitching — BER, Kylie Levan (LP), 6.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 3 K; NAN, Miranda Bohn (WP), 7.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K.
Top hitters — BER, Lydia Hess 1-3, double; Sarah Dent 2-3; Sammi Starr 1-3; Emma Stoker 1-2. NAN, Jenna Lipowski 1-2, home run, 2 runs; Miranda Bohn, 2-2, double, run; Kiera Brown 2-3, home run, 3 RBIs; Cassie Novakowski 1-3.
Pittston Area 6, Coughlin 1
Coughlin`000`000`1`—`1
Pittston Area`102`022`x`—`7
Pitching: COU, Brittany Nastawa (L) 6 IP, 13 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO. PA, Nina Cencetti (W) 7 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 SO.
Top hitters: COU, Montana Raggi single; Alexa Berecin single. PA, Alexa McHugh 3-4, 2 RBI; Cencetti 3-4; Madisyn Antal 2-4, 3 RBI; Gabby Para 2-3.
Meyers 15, GAR 0
GAR` ` `000`—`0
Meyers` ` `366`—`15
Pitching — GAR, McKenzie Malys (LP) 2 IP, 4H, 12 R, 8 ER, 7 BB, 2 K; Chloe Sromovoski 0.2 IP, 4H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K. MEY, Abbi Sattof (WP) 3 IP, 2H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K.
Top hitters — GAR, Rachael Stucker single; Sarah Youkoski single. MEY, Lexi Bruno home run; Lydia McFarlane double; Dakota Zyskowski double.
Wyoming Seminary 8, MMI Prep 7
(Game 1)
Wyo. Seminary`111`014`0`—`8
MMI Prep`120`000`4`—`7
Pitching — WS, Melinda Holena (WP), 7.0 IP, 11 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 6 BB, 9 K. MMI, Olivia Minzola (LP), 7.0 IP, 11 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 2 BB, 0 K.
Top hitters — WS, Abbie Corcoran 2-3, double, 2 RBI; Emma Bean 2-3, double, two RBI; Aubrey Mytych double, two RBI; Alexus Dunn double; Holena 3-4, double, triple. MMI, Maddie Perchak 2-4, triple, RBI; Minzola triple, 4 RBI; Gabriella Kupsho 3-3, RBI; Dana Carrato 2-4; Caelyn McGran 2-3.
Wyoming Seminary 13, MMI Prep 0
(Game 2)
MMI Prep` `000`00`—`0
Wyo. Seminary` `141`7x`—`13
Pitching — MMI, Gabriella Kupsho (LP), 2.2 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 2 K; Caelyn McGran 1.1 IP, 2 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 7 BB, 0 K. WS, Aubrey Mytych (WP), 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 9 K.
Top hitters — MMI, McGran single. WS, Alicia Carr 2-3, double, home run, two RBI; Lauren Fletcher 2-2, two RBI; Molly Mazur double, three RBI; Alexus Dunn double, two RBI; Mytych double; Abbie Corcoran home run, two RBI.
