TUNKHANNOCK — The similarities were uncanny. The outcome, though, was different.
This time Tunkhannock won in walk-off fashion.
Emily Schultz delivered a two-run single to right field with two outs in the bottom of the seventh as Tunkhannock edged Pittston Area 5-4 Tuesday, tightening its hold on first place in Division 1 of Wyoming Valley Conference softball.
Tunkhannock improved to 10-1 in the division and 14-2 overall. Pittston Area fell to 6-2 in the division and 6-3 overall. The Patriots are the only team that can catch Tunkhannock for the divisional title, although those hopes dimmed with the loss.
“We have to taste the same pill they had to taste the other day, and it’s tough,” Pittston Area coach Frank Parente said. “I told the girls they played great and to remember the feeling. It’s no fun to lose. Tip of the cap to (Tunkhannock). They’re a team that’s going to battle.”
Five days earlier, Pittston Area trailed Tunkhannock 3-2 going into the bottom of the seventh. Tori Para then hit a two-run double with two outs — also to right field — to give the Patriots a 4-3 victory.
Pittston Area entered that final inning with 9-1-2 up in the batting order, just like Tunkhannock did on Tuesday. The Tigers, though, trailed by two runs.
Hannah James opened the seventh with an infield single — a low bloop that died halfway up the first base line — and lead-off hitter Ella McNeff reached on an error, putting runners on first and second with no one out. The next two Tunkhannock batters were retired, but Nicole Howell then singled to score James. Schultz then lined a single to right to score the tying and winning runs.
Like Para said after her game-winner last Thursday, Schultz felt she would come through.
“I did feel confident,” Schultz said. “I fouled the first one off inside. She threw another inside and I took it. And then that last one was outside.”
And into right field, setting off a celebration … and some relief.
“They battled right to the end,” Tunkhannock coach Bob Hegedty said. “It’s like they flipped a switch and it turned on at the end, and Pittston has a great team, a nice young team. Coach (Ron) Hampsey said it. He thought we deserved to win down there and we didn’t, and we thought Pittston deserved to win here tonight and didn’t.”
Pittston Area took the 4-2 lead in the sixth on a two-run double by Taylor Baiera and an RBI single by Nikki Dennis. Para brought in the Patriots’ first run in the third inning on a bloop single to right.
Tunkhannock scored twice in the fourth on a sac fly by Schultz and an RBI single by winning pitcher Kaya Hannon. Hannon’s hit was the Tigers’ first of the game.
NOTE: The game was halted for about 15 minutes as a parade of motorcycles and emergency vehicles entered the school campus escorting The Wall That Heals, a replica of the Vietnam Memorial. The Wall That Heals will be on display at Tunkhannock High School from May 13-16.
Tunkhannock 5, Pittston Area 4
Pittston Area`AB`R`H`BI
Giardina lf`4`1`2`0
Booth rf`3`0`0`0
Weidlich cf`3`0`2`0
Para ss`3`0`1`1
Callahan c`4`0`1`0
Mihalka cr`0`1`0`0
Adams p`3`1`0`0
Borthwick 3b`3`0`0`0
Baiera 1b`3`1`1`2
Dennis dp`3`0`1`1
George 2b`0`0`0`0
Totals`29`4`8`4
Tunkhannock`AB`R`H`BI
McNeff 2b`4`1`0`0
Marabell c`3`0`1`0
Wood 1b`4`1`0`0
Howell lf`4`2`1`1
Schultz ss`2`0`2`3
Hannon p`3`0`1`1
Huff 3b`2`0`1`0
Kulsicavage rf`2`0`0`0
James cf`3`1`1`0
Totals`29`5`7`5
Pittston Area`001`003`0 — 4
Tunkhannock`000`200`3 — 5
2B — Baiera.
Pittston Area`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Adams L`6.2`7`5`0`4`5
Tunkhannock`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Hannon W`7.0`8`4`1`1`9
