NANTICOKE — Much of the District 31 Major Softball tournament, at least up until Friday night’s championship game, was dictated by offense: slugfests and high-scoring contests were the norm from pool play through the semifinals.
But with the title on the line, Greater Wyoming Area turned to its ace — and Natalie Pikas rose to the occasion.
Pikas shut down a powerful Northwest lineup in a three-hitter as GWA posted a 4-1 championship game victory.
The GWA pitcher issued just one walk, struck out three and leaned on a silky-smooth game from the defense behind her as Northwest put a lot of balls in play, but couldn’t find a way to break through.
“Natalie’s been putting the work in, she’s our ace,” GWA manager Justin Adams said. “She’s been lights-out every tournament game … the first time against Northwest, we shot ourselves in the foot defensively but today we turned it around.”
Northwest won the pool play meeting between these two teams by a 10-4 score.
GWA’s defense didn’t just play error-free in the championship game, but made several difficult plays to keep Northwest off the bases.
Designated the visiting team by virtue of the pregame coin flip, GWA struck quickly to stake Pikas to a lead.
Sophia Adams led off the game with a walk, took second on a passed ball and scored as Pikas ripped a base hit to make it a 1-0 GWA lead.
Pikas scored two batters later when an Emma Stevens flyball landed just out of the reach of the Northwest left fielder to make it 2-0.
The lead doubled in the fourth, with RBI groundouts from Stevens and Lillian Miscavage scoring Pikas and Stella Roberts.
“Defense was the sticking point, and manufacturing early runs,” Coach Adams said. “We knew we could push some runs across and keep it close, that’s what we did and finally came out on top.”
Northwest answered in the bottom of the fourth with its lone run when Alivia Welch led off with a walk and scored on a McKenna Riaubia single up the middle.
Adalyn Agostinelli and Madelyn Holcomb had the other two hits for Northwest, both singles in the second and sixth innings, respectively.
Beyond that, it was smooth sailing for GWA and Pikas, who made the last out herself on a grounder back to the box.
GWA reached the final with Monday’s 8-7 victory over Back Mountain, its second one-run win over Back Mountain in week.
GWA will look ahead to the Section 5 tournament starting next week, to be hosted by the District 16 Hanover at the Ashley field. The tournament starts Tuesday and finishes up Saturday.
District 16 Major
NANTICOKE — Hanover’s Stella Styczen may have pitched the longest no-hitter in District 16 Little League softball history Friday night.
The length had nothing to do with innings. Styczen pitched the standard six innings in Hanover’s 9-0 victory over Greater Pittston Area for the D16 Major Softball championship. It had to do with when the game ended.
Hanover recorded the final out at 11:43 p.m., more than four hours after the game original start time.
The marathon had to do with three factors. First, the District 31 game prior ran long. Then there was a rain delay for more than two hours at the Nanticoke Little League after the game was in the top of the second. And finally, Hanover sent 11 batters to the plate in a five-run sixth inning.
Styczen struck out nine and allowed just three base runners — on a walk, a wild-pitch third strike and an error.
Two defensive gems by Hanover right fielder Chloe McDaniels preserved the no-hitter. She made a sliding catch in the first inning and an over-the-shoulder catch in the second.
GPA reached the final Monday when it avenged a pool play loss and defeated Plains 8-7.
District 16 Minor
Greater Pittston Area reached the championship game in the division for 8-10-year-olds with Thursday’s 16-1, semifinal rout of Hanover in three innings.
Sadie Bomber had two hits while Natalie Lambert and Emma Enslin each had a double for GPA.
Lucy Sciandra was the winning pitcher.
GPA had defeated Mountain Top 11-10 Monday, the last day of pool play, in a meeting of the last two unbeatens in the pool.
GPA went 3-0 to claim the top seed and a home field for the semifinal that was ultimately postponed from Wednesday to Thursday. It had handled Plains 15-5 in five innings June 21.
District 31 Minor
Back Mountain shut out Greater Wyoming Area 7-0 in a Thursday semifinal.
GWA finished 0-3 in pool play with Monday’s 13-1 loss to Northwest in four innings. It lost to Harveys Lake 22-19 June 21.
