WEST PITTSTON — Nanticoke’s Rachel Roccograndi received two chances at redemption Saturday after her uncharacteristic fielding blunder pushed the Trojanettes’ game with Wyoming Area into extra innings.
The first opportunity didn’t go so well. The second was exactly what Nanticoke needed in the 10th inning.
Roccograndi’s lead-off single helped set up Kiera Brown’s RBI hit as Nanticoke outlasted Wyoming Area 4-2 in a key Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 game.
Nanticoke, the defending District 2 Class 3A champion, stayed the only unbeaten team in Division 2 at 3-0. Wyoming Area, the defending divisional champion, fell to 2-2.
Nanticoke was leading 2-0 in the sixth inning thanks to Jenna Lipowski’s two-run double off the center-field fence in the third inning when Roccograndi’s defensive mistake allowed Wyoming Area to score two unearned runs. Considered one of the top shortstops in the WVC throughout her career, the senior drifted back for an easy pop-up that would have ended the sixth inning.
And she missed it.
“Honestly, I don’t know (how I missed it),” Roccograndi said. “I think I was so ready to get the ball in that I misjudged it. I was close, it just fell behind me.”
Roccograndi was set up for a storybook ending in the seventh, coming to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs. She ended up flying out the right. But then came the 10th inning.
Using the international tiebreaker rule, Nanticoke started the inning with Brinley Sobeck on second base. Roccograndi then singled, sending Sobeck to third. Brown followed with her fourth single of the game to give Nanticoke a 3-2 lead. Brown’s hit went to center, and considering Wyoming Area center fielder Bree Bednarski had thrown out one runner at home there was no certainty Sobeck could have scored from second.
“It’s just a product of the team picking everybody up and playing enough softball together and not overreacting to one situation in the game,” Nanticoke coach Ryan Stetz said.
Roccograndi went to third on Brown’s single and scored on a groundout by Lipowski.
“I made a mistake at shortstop a couple innings before,” Roccograndi said, “and I wanted to make it up to my team and prove to them that I was going to do all I could for us to score and win.”
Nanticoke pitcher Leandra Ramos retired the side in the 10th, making it 13 consecutive Warriors who failed to reach base on her to end the game.
Wyoming Area was outhit 17-4, with two of the Warriors’ hits coming in the sixth inning. Julia Kopetchny and Bednarski opened that inning with singles and were the runners who scored when Roccograndi misplayed the pop-up off the bat of Gwen Glatz.
Glatz had a double in the fourth and Heather Nametko doubled in the third for Wyoming Area’s other hits.
“Until we can consistently put hits together we’re an average team,” Wyoming Area coach John McNeil said. “I said in the beginning of the season (Nanticoke) was going to be tough and they are.”
Hazleton Area 5, Berwick 0
Megan Trivelpiece had two RBI and Erika Book knocked in a run as Hazleton Area defeated Berwick.
Celine Podlesney picked up the win, scattering five hits.
Sammi Starr and Shea Petty had two hits each for Berwick.
Tunkhannock 5, Dallas 0
Hope Jones struck out 10 and surrendered just three hits as Tunkhannock shut out Dallas.
Kendra Shultz was 3 for 3 with two doubles for the Tigers. Kailey Reposa knocked in two runs as Tunkhannock took control with a four-run fifth inning. All five runs were unearned against Dallas pitcher Maddie Kelley.
Crestwood 2 Pittston Area 1
Crestwood finally played a game and came home a winner.
Haley Naperkowski pitched seven strong innings for the Comets, while Sarah Macko paced the offense with two hits.
Pittston Area pitcher Taylor Baloga struck out eight. Mindina Lieback scored the only run for the Patriots, who suffered their second 2-1 loss of the week.
Nanticoke 4, Wyoming Area 2 (10 inn.)
Nanticoke`AB`R`H`BI
Roccograndi ss`6`2`3`0
Brown cf`4`0`4`1
Lipowski 3b`6`0`1`3
Tocket 1b`5`0`1`0
Kotch pr`0`0`0`0
Novakowski 2b`5`0`1`0
Briggs c`5`0`2`0
Ramos p`5`0`3`0
Murphy rf`5`0`1`0
Sobeck dp`3`2`1`0
Benscoter lf`0`0`0`0
Totals`44`4`17`4
Wyo. Area`AB`R`H`BI
Bednarski cf`4`1`1`0
Parente ss`4`0`0`0
Coolbaugh c`3`0`0`0
Glatz p`4`0`1`0
Karcutskie rf`4`0`0`0
Skok 3b`4`0`0`0
Remley 2b`4`0`0`0
Nametko 1b`4`0`1`0
Kopetchney lf`3`1`1`0
Totals`34`2`4`0
Nanticoke`002`000`000`2`—`4
Wyoming Area`000`002`000`0`—`2
2B — Lipowski, Glatz, Nametko.
Nanticoke`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Ramos (W)`10`4`2`0`0`5
Wyo. Area`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Glatz (L)`10`17`4`4`2`4
Hazleton Area 5, Berwick 0
Hazleton Area`003`020`0`—`5
Berwick`000`000`0`—`0
Pitching: WP, Celine Podlesny 7 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1BB, 3 SO; LP, Kyle Levan 7 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 1 SO.
2B: HA, Megan Trivelpiece, Podlesny; Ber, Levan.
Top hitters: HA, Trivelpiece 2-3, 2 RBIs, C. Podlesney 2-4; Erika Book 2-4 RBI; Berwick – Sammi Starr 2-3; Shea Petty 2-3
Tunkhannock 5, Dallas 0
Dallas`000`000`0`—`0
Tunkhannock`000`140`x`—`5
Pitching: WP, Hope Jones 7 IP, 3 H 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 SO; LP — Maddie Kelley 6 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 SO.
2B: TUN, Kendra Shultz 2, Kailey Reposa.
Top Hitters: DAL, Christina Schappert 1-3; Samantha Kern 1-3; Olivia Johnson 1-3. TUN, Paige Mokychic 1-2, RBI, run; Shultz 3-3, 2 runs; Reposa 1-3, 2 RBI; Sarah Traver RBI.
Crestwood 2, Pittston Area 1
Crestwood`000`200`0`—`2
Pittston Area`001`000`0`—`1
Pitching: WP, Haley Naperkowski 7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO. LP, Taylor Baloga 7 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 SO.
Top Hitters: CRE, Sarah Macko 2-3; Mady Heller 1-3; Sydney Sobolewski 1-3, Naperkowski 1-3. PA, Abbey Bradigan 2-3; Mindina Lieback 1-3, run; Lexi Felinski 1-3; Nina Cencetti 1-3; Julie Silinskie 1-3
