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ALLENTOWN – The first four pitches to Holy Redeemer’s Tiana Wren were nowhere near the strike zone. They weren’t supposed to be.

Nor was the fifth pitch when Wren came to the plate again in the third inning. The sixth pitch, though, was right over the plate and Wren made Pine Grove pay for the mistake.

Wren blasted the pitch well over the left-field fence for a two-run homer and Redeemer tacked on two more runs in the fifth as the Royals defeated Pine Grove 4-0 Monday to advance to the PIAA Class 2A softball state championship game for the second consecutive year.

Redeemer (24-3), the defending 2A state champion, will play District 9 champion Moniteau (24-1) at 3 p.m. Thursday at the Nittany Lion Softball Park at Penn State University.

Wren’s homer also scored Allyson Laiuvara, who singled with one out. It was her second home run of the state tournament. She had a grand slam in a 7-3 victory over Milton in the first round.

D11 champ Pine Grove (22-7) was well aware of Wren’s long-ball ability coming into the game. Pitcher Liv Lehman’s first four pitches were so wide that Wren would have needed another foot on her bat to touch them.

“We knew what she was capable of doing,” Pine Grove coach Ryan Leffler said. “We didn’t want her to beat us. Unfortunately, we left it over the plate and she hit it. Credit to her. You can’t miss spots when you have a good hitter like that up.”

That’s plenty of concern for a freshman, who at 5-foot-1 doesn’t resemble a traditional power hitter.

“I didn’t really think I’d see a pitch so the one I got I knew I had to take a swing at it,” Wren said. “It shows respect, I guess.”

If that didn’t, then the next time Wren came to bat did. Again, the pitches were well outside and she walked in the fifth inning. Redeemer, though, had done some additional damage and more was on the way.

Morgan Bienkowski ripped her second single to left with one out in the fifth. Laiuvara followed with a double that took a crazy bounce in left field. The hit initially looked like a single that left fielder McKenzie Warner would field it easily until the ball made nearly a 90-degree turn away from Warner.

Bienkowski ended up at third and scored when Olivia Mennig grounded a single to left.

“After Tiana hit that home run, the momentum shifted a lot to us,” said Mennig, the only senior in the starting lineup. “Once I saw runners on third and second and I was up to bat, I knew I had to get them home.”

Mennig got one in. Brittany Hebda took care of the other as Laiuvara scored on her sacrifice fly for a 4-0 lead.

Pine Grove never threatened from the third inning on. Starter Kristen Coffay finished off four innings of work with her fourth strikeout. Bienkowski, as has been normal procedure for Redeemer, finished up. She struck out six over the final three innings.

Redeemer coach Jerry Paulukonis believed his team’s dominance over the final four innings could be traced to Wren’s homer.

“What I felt was the kids started to relax more,” Paulkonis said. “They let the game come to them. They relaxed defensively, didn’t let things get to them. Not to worry about the bunt or what they were trying to do. That was the key to that hit.”

Pine Grove’s best chance to score came in the third when Mackenzie Warner and Kate Rittenbaugh hit one-out singles. They moved up a base on a sacrifice bunt, but Coffay recorded a strikeout to end the inning. She ended three of the four inning she pitched with strikeouts.

PIAA 2A Semifinals

Holy Redeemer 4, Pine Grove 0

Pine Grove`AB`R`H`BI

Rittenbaugh ss`3`0`1`0

Kaufman 2b`2`0`0`0

Hasenauer 1b`3`0`0`0

Becher dp`1`0`0`0

Lehman p`3`0`0`0

Kopinetz c`3`0`1`0

Sleva 3b`2`0`0`0

Hindman ph`1`0`0`0

Nagle rf`3`0`0`0

Warner lf`2`0`1`0

Lesh cf`0`0`0`0

Totals`23`0`3`0

Redeemer`AB`R`H`BI

Bienkowski ss`3`1`2`0

Laiuvara dp`3`2`2`0

Mennig 2b`2`0`1`1

Wren cf`1`1`1`2

Hebda 3b`2`0`0`1

Coffay p`3`0`1`0

Shorts c`2`0`1`0

Armstrong 1b`3`0`0`0

Rajza lf`3`0`0`0

Kuhar rf`0`0`0`0

Totals`22`4`8`4

Pine Grove`000`000`0`—`0

Holy Redeemer`002`020`x—`4

DP – Pine Grove 1. LOB – Pine Grove 5, Redeemer 6. 2B – Coffay, Laiuvara. HR – Wren

SB – Schaeffer. SAC – Kaufman, Mennig, Shorts. SF – Hebda

Pine Grove`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Lehman (L)`6.0`8`4`4`1`1

Redeemer`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Coffay (W)`4.0`3`0`0`1`4

Bienkowski (S)`3.0`0`0`0`1`6

The Holy Redeemer Royals lift closing pitcher Morgan Bienkowski after winning the game againt Pine Grove. 6/12/2016 Aimee Dilger|Times Leader
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/web1_TTL061416redeemer1-1.jpg.optimal.jpgThe Holy Redeemer Royals lift closing pitcher Morgan Bienkowski after winning the game againt Pine Grove. 6/12/2016 Aimee Dilger|Times Leader

Holy Redeemer girls celebrate a victory over Pine Grove. 6/12/2016 Aimee Dilger|Times Leader
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/web1_TTL061416redeemer2-1.jpg.optimal.jpgHoly Redeemer girls celebrate a victory over Pine Grove. 6/12/2016 Aimee Dilger|Times Leader

Tiana Wren of Holy Redeemer is congratulated at home plate by her team mates. 6/12/2016 Aimee Dilger|Times Leader
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/web1_TTL061416redeemer3-1.jpg.optimal.jpgTiana Wren of Holy Redeemer is congratulated at home plate by her team mates. 6/12/2016 Aimee Dilger|Times Leader

Abbey Shorts bunts against Pine Grove. 6/12/2016 Aimee Dilger|Times Leader
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/web1_TTL061416redeemer4-1.jpg.optimal.jpgAbbey Shorts bunts against Pine Grove. 6/12/2016 Aimee Dilger|Times Leader

Morgan Bienkowski tries to tag out a Pine Grove runner. 6/12/2016 Aimee Dilger|Times Leader
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/web1_TTL061416redeemer5-1.jpg.optimal.jpgMorgan Bienkowski tries to tag out a Pine Grove runner. 6/12/2016 Aimee Dilger|Times Leader

Morgan Bienkowski hits the ball for Holy Redeemer. 6/12/2016 Aimee Dilger|Times Leader
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/web1_TTL061416redeemer6-1.jpg.optimal.jpgMorgan Bienkowski hits the ball for Holy Redeemer. 6/12/2016 Aimee Dilger|Times Leader

Kristen Coffay pitches the start of the Holy Redeemer Pine Grove game. 6/12/2016 Aimee Dilger|Times Leader
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/web1_TTL061416redeemer7-1.jpg.optimal.jpgKristen Coffay pitches the start of the Holy Redeemer Pine Grove game. 6/12/2016 Aimee Dilger|Times Leader

Holy Redeemer girls celebrate a win over Pine Grove. 6/12/2016 Aimee Dilger|Times Leader
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/web1_TTL061416redeemer8-1.jpg.optimal.jpgHoly Redeemer girls celebrate a win over Pine Grove. 6/12/2016 Aimee Dilger|Times Leader

Holy Redeemer girls celebrate a victory over Pine Grove. 6/12/2016 Aimee Dilger|Times Leader
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/web1_TTL061416redeemer9-1.jpg.optimal.jpgHoly Redeemer girls celebrate a victory over Pine Grove. 6/12/2016 Aimee Dilger|Times Leader
Defending 2A state champs defeat Pine Grove

By John Erzar

[email protected]

Reach John Erzar at 570-991-6394 or on Twitter @TLJohnErzar