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H.S. Softball: Holy Redeemer recovers to defeat Berwick

john erzar, the times leader, wilkes-barre, pa.
·3 min read

Apr. 24—WILKES-BARRE — The top of the first was certainly something a slumping Berwick team needed Wednesday. A two-run double by Emma Welsh and three Holy Redeemer errors led to three runs.

Redeemer made sure things ended there as a pair of solo homers in the bottom of the inning were the impetus for an 8-3 victory over Berwick in a Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 softball game.

Bella Boylan and Abby Williams hit the homers for Redeemer (5-1 Div. 2, 7-3 overall) as it kept pace with first-place Lake-Lehman (7-0 Div. 2, 10-1). The two teams play Monday at Lehman.

Berwick fell to 4-3 in the division, just about ending any divisional championship hopes, and 7-5 overall. The Dawgs lost for the fifth time in six games and also lost ground to Wyoming Area for the fourth seed in the District 2 Class 4A playoffs. The top-four teams are guaranteed home games.

"The last two weeks have been frustrating," Berwick coach Emily Johnson said. "We've played some tough competition, but I truly believe in our team and I truly believe we're not playing to our potential."

Two throwing errors and a fielding error helped Berwick score three times in the top of the first.

"I wasn't worried about it," Redeemer coach Jerry Paulukonis said. "But when it was happening I was like, 'What are they doing?' That's why I went out there."

Nothing much happened for Berwick's offense after that. Redeemer pitcher Ann Carter retired 18 of the next 19 batters. The leaky defense plugged up the holes and led to a frustrating sequence for Berwick batters.

Berwick ripped three consecutive line drive, but all found Redeemer fielders. Second baseman Grace Stetz-Madden caught a line drive off the bat of Giana Berlin, resulting in an inning-ending double play in the third.

Berwick's Makayla Brown and Nicole Yankowsky hit rockets to start the fourth inning and both were robbed of hits. Williams, Redeemer's shortstop, jumped high to spear Brown's line drive. Third baseman Zoe Pecuch lunged to her left to grab Yankowsky's liner.

After Welsh's double in the first, Berwick didn't get a hit until Eden Savoy singled with two outs in the seventh.

By that time, Redeemer used a five-run fourth to open an 8-3 lead, causing all its damage with two outs.

A single by Boylan was followed by an RBI single by Pecuch and another single by Williams. Carter then walked and Katie Genovese and Kaylee Grabowski each delivered two-run singles.

Holy Redeemer 8, Berwick 3

Berwick'AB'R'H'BI

Corro lf'3'0'0'0

Lewis ss'3'1'0'0

Starr cf'2'1'1'0

Welsh cf'2'1'1'0

Berlin dp'3'0'0'0

Brown p'3'0'0'0

Yankowsky 3b'3'0'0'0

Savoy 1b'3'0'1'0

Siegel rf'3'0'0'0

Kennedy 2b/fx'0'0'0'0

Totals'26'3'3'2

Holy Redeemer'AB'R'H'BI

Boylan cf'4'2'2'1

Pecuch 3b'3'1'2'1

Williams ss'4'2'2'1

Carter p'3'1'0'0

Genovese c'3'1'1'2

Gryboski 1b'3'0'2'2

Stetz-Madden 2b'3'0'0'0

Hayden rf'3'0'0'0

Lombardi lf'2'1'2'0

Totals'28'8'11'7

Berwick'300'000'0 — 3

Holy Redeemer'210'500'x — 8

2B — Welsh, Pecuch. HR — Boylan, Williams.

Berwick'IP'H'R'ER'BB'SO

Brown (L)'6'11'8'7'2'4

Redeemer'IP'H'R'ER'BB'SO

Carter (W)'7'3'3'1'0'4