Spartan Sara Hoskins (5) attempts to beat out the throw at first with Pittston Area’s Bernadette Liebeck stretching for the out.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
The Patriots’ Tori Para (9) breaks up a double play attempt from Wyoming Valley West’s second baseman Maddie Austra.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Tiara George (4) is safe at third base for Pittston Area with the Spartan’s Samantha Adamski attempting to make the tag.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Patriot Kallie Booth slides under the tag by Wyoming Valley West catcher Aubrey Duesler for Pittston Area’s first run of the game.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Pittston Area’s starting hurler Tori Para delivers a pitch in the first inning against opponent Wyoming Valley West at home. The Patriots defeated the Spartans and move on in PIAA District 2 action.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
HUGHESTOWN — The big inning. Pittston Area got it Tuesday. Wyoming Valley West, despite a few chances, never did.
That inning, when Pittston Area scored four times, proved to be the difference as the Lady Patriots defeated Wyoming Valley West 8-4 in a District 2-4 Class 5A Subregional softball quarterfinal game.
The win wound up being the last of the season for Pittston Area, which finished 14-4 following a 3-1 semifinal loss to West Scranton Thursday.
Seventh-seeded Wyoming Valley West finished 5-12.
Pittston Area handled Wyoming Valley West, 5-0 and 16-6, during the Wyoming Valley Conference season on the way to a second-place finish, but Tuesday was different. The Lady Patriots clung to a 3-2 lead going into the bottom of the fourth, when they finally were able to get a bit of a cushion.
Skylar Borthwick’s two-run single up the middle highlighted the four-run outburst that gave Pittston Area a 7-2 lead. The other two runs scored prior when Ava Callahan walked and Nikki Dennis was plunked with a pitch — both with the bases loaded. All four runs came with two outs.
“That was the key,” Pittston Area coach Frank Parente said. “Skylar had a great at-bat. All the girls battled that inning, but with Skylar coming up and driving in those two runs was huge.”
It was the type of hit Wyoming Valley West sought all game but was unable to attain.
The Spartans scored two runs in the second, the first coming on an RBI single by Sam Pepe. Kiley Hardin and Aubrey Duesler followed with singles to load the bases. Pepe eventually scored on a wild pitch, but the other two ended up stranded.
Wyoming Valley West loaded the bases again in the fourth, yet its only run came when Duesler scored on a wild pitch.
It was more of the same in the fifth. Despite getting a double from Pepe and singles from Hardin and Maddy Austra, only one run crossed the plate.
The Lady Spartans’ final at-bats epitomized their afternoon. They loaded the bases and with two outs and Pepe fouled off three consecutive pitches. She then hit a liner that Pittston Area reliever Gianna Adams knocked down and threw to first to end the game.
“Every time they were down, they kept fighting to come back,” Valley West coach Jess Ras said. “You can’t teach that. They fought to the end.”
Pittston Area benefited from a couple of errors to score in the first. RBI singles by Kallie Booth and Tori Para brought in runs in the second inning. The Patriots’ final run came in the sixth on an RBI single by Dennis.
Para pitched the first 5 2/3 innings for the win.
West Scranton 3, Pittston Area 1
All the scoring took place in the first inning Thursday when visiting West Scranton ended Pittston Area’s season.
Kallie Booth and Nikki Dennis had three hits each while Sage Weidlich had two, but as Wyoming Valley West had learned two days earlier, those hits did not always translate to runs.
Pittston Area out hit West Scranton, 11-6.
Booth had a triple and double and scored the only run. Para drove her in.
Gianna Adams struck out nine and only allowed one earned run in the loss. She gave up six hits and walked one.
