Pittston pitcher Lucy Sciandra throws against Mountain Top.
Mark Moran | For Sunday Dispatch
ASHLEY — Mountain Top had four runners in scoring position in the first two innings June 29 and came up empty.
Everything changed in the third inning.
Mountain Top had its first eight batters reach base, scored nine runs and used the big inning to defeat Greater Pittston Area 10-6 for the District 16 Minor Softball championship for players ages 8-10.
Mountain Top sent 14 batters to the plate starting with Brianna Metrick, who was hitting in the final spot in the batting order. She walked and then the top of the order took over. Ryleigh Guzenski, Ella Smith, Lauren Sterowski and Madison Toole hit consecutive singles. Smith brought home one run and Sterowski sent home two more.
A 3-0 deficit turned into a 9-3 advantage when Mountain Top did not stop there.
“You never know,” Mountain Top manager Danielle Petros said. “We have big hitters, but again the bottom of the lineup put the bats on the ball.”
Sterowski pitched a strong game, striking out 14 and surrendering three hits. She strung together five strikeouts at one point and struck out the side to end the game.
GPA used some aggressive baserunning from Emily Morreale and Grace Whitling to score two runs in the first. Emma Enslin did the same in the second for a 3-0 lead.
GPA didn’t get its first hit until one out in the fourth inning, but it was a big one. Sadie Bomber sent a liner down the right-field line and circled the bases for an inside-the-park home run.
Enslin and Natalie Lambert each had a single for the other GPA hits.
