DALLAS – Pittston Area’s Tori Stephenson and Wyoming Valley West’s Madison Austra each volunteered for some extra duties as the catchers in Monday’s 44th annual Robert L. Dolbear Senior All-Star Softball Game.
The additional workload could not slow down either Stephenson or Austra.
They were selected as the team Most Valuable Players in the game that Austra’s West squad won 5-2 at Misericordia University.
The East roster for the game, for recent Wyoming Valley Conference graduates, lacked an experienced high school catcher.
Enter Stephenson, who offered to play a position with which she at least had some familiarity.
“I volunteered because we didn’t have any other catchers,” said Stephenson, the third baseman on Pittston Area’s division and district championship team, which also reached the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association state Class 5A final. “I was like, ‘I’ll do it’.”
Stephenson had a little experience playing the position.
“I did once for a fall league last year for one game, but it wasn’t anything serious,” she said. “I used to catch in Little League and before the COVID year, I tried out for catcher.”
Stephenson handled the first four innings behind the plate, catching another Pittston Area player in a new role.
Julia Mehal, a regular in the Pittston Area batting order, had pitched just twice in the regular season as the bulk of that action went to two-time (so far) state Class 5A Pitcher of the Year Gianna Adams. With Adams selected to the team and in attendance, but unable to pitch because of an illness, Mehal took over.
“It was different from what I am used to, but it was fun,” Stephenson said.
Stephenson’s RBI double accounted for the only extra-base hit off Wyoming Valley West’s Abby Yenalevitch, who tossed a four-hitter. She finished the game at third base and made one of the East’s best defensive plays while there, getting an out on a dribbler up the third-base line.
“It was fun,” Stephenson said. “Everyone was really enjoyable to play with. We were all nice to each other, cheering each other on.”
Among the friendly offerings was Austra allowing Stephenson to borrow her glove, then taking over for her behind the plate. For the last five half-innings, Austra stayed behind there, catching for both teams.
In her spare time, Austra borrowed home plate umpire Tony Chiarella’s hand-held, mini broom to sweep home plate clean between innings.
The MVP award, however, was not for the extra effort, but for the role Austra played in the West win.
Austra made sure the East running game was non-existent, while showing awareness, if not necessarily speed, on the bases.
Along with going 1-for-1 with a walk, Austra did her own work on the bases, rather than exit for a courtesy runner. She made her way to third after a throw across the diamond on a first-inning groundout, then waited for the throw to first again before coming home on an Abby Cruz bunt in the fourth.
Wyoming Area had two players on the winning team.
Maggie Hallman started in right field and went 0-for-1 with a walk. Morgan Slusser was 0-for-2, but one of her groundouts drove in the final West run.
Stephenson, Mehal and Abby Lynn Colleran represented the East in the game.
Mehal pitched four innings, giving up five hits. She gave up five runs, only two of which were earned, walked two and struck out one.
At the plate, Mehal was 0-for-1, but drew two walks.
Colleran flew out in both of her at-bats.
