Tunkhannock’s Michaela Howell (8) helped her own cause by hitting a solo home run in the fourth inning.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Tunkhannock freshman Michaela Howell struck out 15 in the victory against Pittston Area.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Tunkhannock third baseman Kianna Hannon (23) looks for a call from the umpire after tagging out Pittston Area’s Jillian Haas on a throw from Tunkhannock right fielder Lucy Karp in the fifth inning.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Pittston Area second baseman Lili Hintze battles the sun catching a popup from Tunkhannock’s Addisyn Waterman.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Pittston Area second baseman Kelcey Podwika (10) tries to double up Tunkhannock’s Taryn Newswanger (12) at second base after Podwika caught a pop fly.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
HUGHESTOWN — Just when Pittston Area put itself back into the game Thursday, Tunkhannock took the Patriots out of it that quickly.
The Tigers answered Pittston Area’s four-run fifth inning with five runs in the sixth on the way to a 14-5 victory between two Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 softball rivals.
Tunkhannock improved to 4-0 in the division and 7-1 overall. Pittston Area fell to 2-1 in the division and 3-4 overall.
The two teams played some classic games in recent years, culminating with both twice playing for state championships. But as the temperature dropped, emptying the normally filled bleachers along the third-base line, Tunkhannock’s bats heated up.
The first sign came in the fifth when Tunkhannock’s MaKenzie Bevan hit an inside-the-park grand slam. Several factors played into the rare round-tripper. First, there were two outs, so everyone took off on contact. Second, Pittston Area left fielder Lydia Davis had to battle the sun and a never-ending wind and ended up crashing into the fence.
And third, Bevan hit the ball so incredibly high that she was rounding third base before it was retrieved.
Taryn Newswanger hit a three-run home run and Michaela Howell had a two-run double in the sixth as Tunkhannock stretched its lead to 12-5.
“We’ve been up and down a little bit,” Tunkhannock coach Bob Hegedty said. “There are games where we really come out and tag the ball and there are games where we kind of tie ourselves up at times and make it harder than it needs to be.”
Tunkhannock’s offensive surge erased the inroads made in the fourth. Using a two-run double by Julia Long, an RBI double by Sam Herbert and an RBI single by Jillian Haas, the Patriots cut the gap to 7-5.
Pittston Area, though, missed chance for a couple other big innings.
“First-and-third nobody out, that hurt,” Pittston Area coach Frank Parente said. “When it’s 7-1 and you come back and put that four up, it shows what kind of a team and the character we’re trying to build in them. I was really proud of them.”
Long singled, Mikaila Sarf did the same and Julianna Cocco hit an RBI single to open the second inning. Despite the strong start, the Patriots produced one run.
In the sixth, consecutive singles by Lili Hintze, Herbert and Haas loaded the bases with one out. The Patriots, though, came up empty.
A reason was Howell, Tunkhannock’s freshman pitcher. She struck out 15 and twice strung together three consecutive strikeouts. She also belted a solo home run in the fourth inning.
Tunkhannock 14, Pittston Area 5
Tunkhannock`AB`R`H`BI
Waterman 2b`2`3`0`0
Spudis dp`5`2`1`1
Newswanger ss`3`1`1`3
Bamberger 1b`3`0`1`1
Burnaford pr`0`1`0`0
Kinney lf`4`2`1`1
Hannon 3b`4`2`1`0
Bevan c`4`1`1`4
Howell p`4`1`2`3
Van Ness cf`3`1`1`0
Karp rf`0`0`0`0
Totals`32`14`9`13
Pittston Area`AB`R`H`BI
Hintze ss`4`0`1`0
Herbert p`4`0`1`1
Kroski pr`0`0`0`0
Haas rf`4`1`3`1
G.Roman cf`4`1`1`0
Long 3b`4`1`2`2
Sarf dp`3`0`1`0
Cocco c`4`0`4`1
Kelly cr`0`0`0`0
Davis lf`2`0`0`0
I.Roman ph`1`0`0`0
Stephenson p`0`0`0`0
Collins p`1`0`0`0
Podwika 2b`2`1`0`0
Banks ph`1`1`0`0
Totals`35`5`13`5
Tunkhannock`200`145`2 — 14
Pittston Area`010`040`0 — 5
2B — Howell, Herbert, Cocco, Long. HR — Howell, Newswanger, Bevan.
Tunkhannock`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Howell (W)`7`13`5`4`1`15
Pittston Area`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Herbert (L)`5`4`7`5`4`1
Stephenson`0.2`3`5`5`3`0
Collins`1.1`2`2`2`3`1
