Little League: Pittston Area 8-10 softball knocks off Delaware champ at Eastern Regionals

WRIGHT TWP. — As the only team without a state championship banner, District 16 champion Pittston Area all-stars entered the Little League Softball 8-10 Eastern Regionals as a longshot in most eyes.

Well, they opened some eyes once again Wednesday.

Pittston Area used timely hitting and strong pitching along with taking advantage of miscues to defeat Delaware champion MOT 8-2 and advance to the winners bracket finals at the Mountain Top Little League.

Pittston Area will play Rhode Island champion Cranston Western at 2:30 p.m. Thursday. A victory would send Pittston Area to a game Saturday morning where it would have a chance at the championship. A loss would result in an elimination bracket finals game 9:30 a.m. Friday.

Pittston Area was guaranteed a spot in regionals as the host district, bypassing the Section 5 tournament and a possible shot at the state title since it would have to win both to qualify. But by defeating New York champion South Shore and then MOT, the team has defied the odds usually stacked against host district teams.

“There was a little bit more swagger with them today,” Pittston Area manager Bill Kroski said. “They used that last win (against New York) to feel like they belong here. And with New York doing what they’re doing, 10-running a team, I think we stepped up our game and felt more confident and like we deserve to be here.”

Pittston Area took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Natalie McAndrew reached on an error with one out and Ainsley Lear then rolled a triple through the gap in right-center to score her. Lear scored on a sac fly by Sophia Laudato.

Pittston Area tacked on a run in the second on an inside-the-park home run by Isabella Kroski. Kroski launched a flyball over the center fielder’s head to circle the bases.

Kroski scored in a similar way in the fourth to make it 4-2. She singled to center and kept running on the throw home, where Lexi Bartle was tagged out. A throw to third to get Kroski was off target, allowing her to score.

Pittston Area boosted its lead to 8-2 in the sixth as Lear and Laudato reached on errors and scored on an error on Payge Pesotini’s grounder. Lydia Luvender then doubled in a run, stole second and scored on a wild pitch for the final run.

Starter Ava Thomas and reliever Lear limited MOT to three hits while each recorded four strikeouts. Both MOT runs were unearned.

“Ava controlled the plate,” Kroski said. “She pitched in and out. Ainsley comes in in big situations and just delivers every single time.”

MOT made some noise in the fifth on consecutive two-out singles by Molly Frantz and Grace Overby. Lear, though, retired the final four batters of the game. She received an excellent defensive play from McAndrew, who stabbed a hot grounder and threw to first for the initial out of the sixth.

“That’s a high school level play that Natalie McAndrew made,” Kroski said. “That gets through 90 percent of the people at the high school level and she made that play. I can’t say enough about her and how hard she works.”

Little League 8-10 Eastern Regionals

Pittston Area 8, MOT (Del.) 2

MOT`AB`R`H`BI

Gambino c`3`0`0`0

Martin 3b`3`0`0`0

Austin 1b`2`0`0`0

Frantz 2b`3`0`1`0

Overby ss`2`0`1`0

Bennett p`2`1`0`0

Kersey ph`0`0`0`0

Smoke lf`2`0`0`0

Jacob p`1`0`0`0

Olsen cf`1`0`0`1

Berich ph`1`0`0`0

Ramirez rf`2`1`1`0

Holl ph`1`0`0`0

Totals`23`2`3`1

Pittston Area`AB`R`H`BI

Kroski c`3`2`2`1

McAndrew ss`3`1`1`0

Lear 1b`3`2`1`1

Laudato lf`2`0`0`1

Thomas p`0`0`0`0

Pesotini ph`1`1`0`1

Luvender 2b`3`1`2`1

Budzak 3b`1`0`0`0

Karbowski ph`1`0`0`0

Basile rf`1`0`0`0

Bartle ph`2`0`1`0

Fediw cf`2`0`0`0

Distasio ph`0`0`0`0

Totals`22`8`7`5

MOT` `001`100 — 2

Pittston Area` `210`14x — 8

2B — Ramirez, Luvender. 3B — Lear. HR — Kroski.

MOT`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Bennett L`1.1`3`3`3`2`2

Martin`2.2`2`4`0`0`3

Jacob`1.0`1`1`0`0`3

Pittston Area`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Thomas W`3.1`1`2`0`3`4

Lear S`2.2`2`0`0`0`4