WEST PITTSTON — Dallas softball had a strange sequence against Wyoming Area in Monday’s District 2 Class 4A quarterfinal game.
The Mountaineers had six consecutive batters reach base, yet failed to score. But from that oddity came confidence there would be a breakthrough and there was.
Dallas scored four times in the fifth inning to erase a three-run deficit and end Wyoming Area’s season with a 4-3 victory.
Lacey Youngblood grounded a single up the middle to score the tying and what proved to be the winning run as fifth-seeded Dallas (11-10) moved to the semifinals at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday against top-seeded Tunkhannock (20-1). Tunkhannock won the regular-season matchups 11-2 and 8-0.
Fourth-seeded Wyoming Area finished its season at 12-7, but with a bright future. Only senior pitcher Alexa Gacek will need to be replaced.
“We had some great plays in the field today,” Wyoming Area first-year coach Kayla Taddei said. “Honestly, we couldn’t get hot with the bats today. It was one inning, that was it, one inning.”
Now back to how Dallas had six consecutive players reach base only to come up empty.
Dallas’ Emma Eick singled with one out in the third, but was thrown out stealing by catcher Allison Layland while Annie Osipower was batting. Osipower then singled and Sydney Haydu reached on an error. Alyssa Traver singled up the middle, but center fielder Josie Kivak threw out Osipower trying to score to end the inning.
Dallas’ Elliot Rigol started fourth with a single, becoming the fifth consecutive Mountaineer to reach base. Cadance Hudgins then singled, but Rigol was thrown out at third by right fielder Jailyn Park. A pop and groundout ended the inning.
“I just told them in the huddle ‘Thanks, girls, for saving my butt’,” Dallas coach Buzz Buchinski said. “I made a mess of things the inning before. The last game we stole on them, so credit to their catcher. She got a lot better during the season.
“Then sending Annie home, that’s on me and I told them that. They bailed me out and that’s a credit to the team helping their coach out on that one.”
Madeline DeSanto singled and Eick doubled to start the Dallas fifth. Osipower then reached on a fielder’s choice when DeSanto managed to scramble back to third on a comebacker to Gacek. Haydu walked with the bases loaded and Rigol hit a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to 3-2. Youngblood then delivered a two-run single.
Youngblood gave up four hits and three runs in the first three innings before shutting down Wyoming Area the rest of the way.
The Warriors scored in the first as Kivak led off with a single. Consecutive bunts by Allison Gaylord and Layland brought her home. Gaylord hit a two-run home run in the third, curving her blast just inside the left-field foul pole.
“I just try to reset,” Youngblood said. “I know my teammates, my catcher always have my back. We all work together, so I know they’re there to back me up no matter what happens.”
Wyoming Area’s best chance to tie came in the sixth. Gacek led off with a double. Olivia Tokash ran for her and moved to third on a sac bunt by Sophia Wardell. Youngblood, though, retired the next two batters and all three she faced in the seventh.
Tunkhannock 11, Nanticoke Area 0
Michaela Howell threw a no-hitter and struck out 12 as top-seeded Tunkhannock defeated Nanticoke Area in five innings.
Alli Kinney had a double and four RBI for Tunkhannock. Addisyn Waterman was 3-for-3 with two RBI and four runs scored.
Tunkhannock (20-1) will host fifth-seeded Dallas in the semifinals at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. Eighth-seeded Nanticoke Area finished its year at 4-17.
Valley View 17, Hanover Area 0
Second-seeded Valley View scored 15 times in the second inning and Abbi Call threw an abbreviated no-hitter as the Cougars defeated Hanover Area in a D2-4A quarterfinal game.
Call was also 3-for-3 with a double and four RBI. Nevaeh Evans was 2-for-2 with a double and two RBI. Ella Swingle had two RBI.
Valley View (18-3) will host third-seeded Wallenpaupack (12-9) at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday in the semifinals. Seventh-seeded Hanover Area ended its year at 6-14.
Wallenpaupack 4, Berwick 1
Berwick pitcher Makayla Brown held Wallenpaupack to three hits, but the Buckhorns pushed across three unearned runs in the fifth inning for a victory in a D2-4A quarterfinal game.
Emma Welsh was 2-for-2 for Berwick and knocked in her team’s only run in the first inning. Ashlyn Klahold and Liliaa Belles each singled for the Dawgs’ other hits.
Madison Haynes and Hannah Daidone each had an RBI for Wallenpaupack. Lexi Laing pitched six innings to get the win.
Sixth-seeded Berwick ended its season at 10-11. Third-seeded Wallenpaupack (12-9) will play at second-seeded Valley View (18-3) in the semifinals at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.
District 2 Class 4A Quarterfinals
Dallas 4, Wyoming Area 3
Dallas`AB`R`H`BI
Osipower ss`4`1`2`0
Haydu cf`3`0`0`1
Traver 3b`4`1`2`0
Rigol rf`3`0`1`1
Hudgins c`3`0`1`0
Youngblood p`4`0`1`2
Fostock 2b`3`0`0`0
DeSanto 1b`3`1`1`0
Eick lf`3`1`3`0
Sypniewski cr`0`0`0`0
Totals`30`4`11`4
Wyoming Area`AB`R`H`BI
Kivak dh`4`2`3`0
Gaylord ss`2`1`1`2
Layland c`3`0`1`1
Gacek p`3`0`1`0
Wardell lf`2`0`1`0
Gustitus 1b`3`0`0`0
Lewis 2b`3`0`0`0
Sobeck 3b`3`0`0`0
Park rf`3`0`0`0
Tokash cr`0`0`0`0
Totals`26`3`7`3
Dallas`000`040`0 — 4
Wyoming Area`102`000`0 — 3
2B — Eick, Osipower, Gacek. HR — Gaylord.
Dallas`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Youngblood (W)`7`7`3`3`0`3
Wyoming Area`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Gacek (L)`7`11`4`4`2`4
District 2 Class 4A Quarterfinals
Wallenpaupack 4, Berwick 1
Berwick`AB`R`H`BI
Klahold ss`3`0`1`0
Belles rf`3`1`1`0
Brown p`3`0`0`0
Welsh c`2`0`2`1
Ashworth cf`2`0`0`0
Drauschak 3b`3`0`0`0
Bankes 1b`3`0`0`0
Schnerr 1b`2`0`0`0
Weaver 2b`2`0`0`0
Krepich cr`0`0`0`0
Totals`23`1`4`1
Wallenpaupack`AB`R`H`BI
Haynes cf`4`1`1`1
L.Babyak ss`2`1`0`0
Anderson lf`3`0`1`0
Daidone 1b`3`0`0`1
Milutinovic 2b`2`0`0`0
Lake 2b`0`0`0`0
Mancino c`3`0`0`0
Laing p`1`0`0`0
A.Babyak p`0`0`0`0
Decker rf`2`1`1`0
Story 3b`2`0`0`0
Sterner cr`0`1`0`0
Totals`22`4`3`2
Berwick`100`000`0 — 1
Wallenpaupack`000`031`x — 4
3B — Haynes.
Berwick`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Brown (L)`6`3`4`0`3`3
Wallenpaupack`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Laing (W)`6`4`1`0`2`2
A.Babyak (S)`1`0`0`0`0`1
