Pittston Area’s potent offense has averaged 11.3 runs per game in the Pennsylvania District 16 Little League Major Softball tournament despite being so efficient it has ended each of the last three games early.
The offensive firepower has qualified Pittston Area for Sunday’s 2 p.m. district championship game against Mountain Top at Wilkes University.
“They work really hard at practice,” Pittston Area manager Kevin Booth said after his team followed up a 3-0 record in round-robin play by handling Plains, 12-2, in four innings in Friday’s semifinals. “They come every day ready to play.
“They’re in the cage, on the tee, doing everything they need to do to be better hitters.”
Pittston Area again got contributions from all over the lineup Friday when Sophia Vanesko’s RBI single ended the game before Plains could record an out in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Plains scored a run in the top of the first, but Pittston Area answered with two runs each in the first and second.
After Plains cut the deficit to 4-2, Pittston Area batted around in the bottom of the third to score seven times.
Ava Serino pitched the first three innings and Tori Para worked the fourth.
Kallie Booth, Sage Wiedlich and Ava Callahan all had two hits.
Para had a triple and Sophia Quaglia added a double.
Pittston Area has outscored its four tournament opponents, 45-9.
Mountain Top reached the final by defeating Nanticoke, 11-4, in Friday’s opening semifinal game at Plains.
Pittston Area landed the top seed in the semifinals with its performance in round-robin play.
Callahan and Para each finished with three hits, a home run and three runs scored to help Pittston Area finish off Nanticoke, 15-4, in five innings Wednesday to finish 3-0.
Callahan hit a three-run shot and also doubled.
Wiedlich had four hits, including a triple and scored four times. Booth had two hits and scored twice.
Serino struck out seven.
The win was the second on the 10-run rule in as many days.
Para threw a one-hitter in a 10-0, four-inning win over Plains. She also had two hits and scored three times.
Weidlich had four hits, including three doubles, and scored three times. Callahan had two hits.
Serino threw a one-hitter with seven strikeouts when Pittston Area defeated host Mountaintop, 8-3, in a June 17 opener.
Callahan had two doubles while Weidlich had a triple and scored two runs to lead the offense.
DISTRICT 31 MAJOR SOFTBALL
Defending champion Back Mountain ended the Wyoming/West Wyoming season with an 8-5 home-field win in Friday night’s semifinals.
Wyoming/West Wyoming went 0-3 in round-robin play, falling to Harveys Lake, 8-4; Back Mountain, 12-3; and Kingston/Forty Fort, 15-14.
Hailey Kline had two hits in the opening loss.
Halle Kranson was 2-for-3 with three runs scored against Kingston/Forty Fort. Shelby Halman, who had a double, and Jillian Graham each drove in two runs.