H.S. Softball: Starr shines in Berwick's comeback win against Wyoming Area
May 3—WEST PITTSTON — Berwick senior Gabby Starr waited a long time for moments on the softball field like on Thursday.
Starr hit the last of five consecutive two-out singles in the top of the seventh, driving in two runs to complete Berwick's 7-6 comeback victory over Wyoming Area in a Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 game.
Starr suffered a knee injury in soccer as a junior, wiping out her basketball and softball seasons and her soccer season this school year. She returned to basketball in the winter and to get on a softball field for the first time since her sophomore year.
"It felt so long and I was ready to come back," Starr said. "Even watching, I was at every practice and just waiting for that day to be (medically) released. It just felt like forever, but it feels great to be back on the field with these girls."
Berwick trailed 6-4 with two outs in the seventh when Nicole Yankowsky singled up the middle and moved to second on a wild pitch. Morgan Siegel followed with another single up the middle to score Yankowsky.
Singles by Alyssa Lewis and Casey Corro loaded the bases for Starr, who was intentionally walked the previous inning. Starr, who was a Times Leader All-WVC selection in softball as a freshman and sophomore, looped her two-run single into short left field.
"She obviously is a natural athlete and came up in the perfect situation there," Berwick coach Emily Johnson said. "She came up and said, 'Coach, I'm nervous,' and I said, 'This is what you worked so hard for.' Thousands of swings when she couldn't play last year."
Reliever Makayla Brown retired Wyoming Area in order in the bottom of the seventh.
"We had it and they took it. It's that simple," Wyoming Area coach John McNeil said. "They're a very good softball team. We were fortunate to beat them 2-1 down in Berwick. I give them credit. They never quit. From all indications, it looks like we'll be playing them again in the playoffs."
While neither team had a realistic shot at the division title, it was important for seeding in the District 2 Class 4A playoffs. Wyoming Area (7-3 Div. 2, 9-6 overall) was in fourth and 0.033 ahead of Berwick (7-3 Div. 2, 10-5) in the power ratings entering the game. The top-four teams are guaranteed a home game.
Wyoming Area appeared in good shape entering the sixth ahead 5-1. Addison Gaylord had an RBI triple and Alexa Gasek brought home a run with a groundout in the third inning. Arianna Gaylord had a sacrifice fly to plate a run in the fourth, and another groundout by Gasek and an RBI single by Morgan Slusser tacked on two runs in the fifth.
Berwick, though, sent nine batters to the plate in the sixth to score three times and move within 5-4. Brown's triple to start the inning at Casey Corro's two-run double were the highlights of the inning.
Wyoming Area got a run back in the sixth as Renee Haddock walked, stole second and scored from there on a throwing error on a flyout.
Berwick 7, Wyoming Area 6
Berwick'AB'R'H'BI
A.Lewis 2b'5"2'1'0
Carro 2b'5'0'2'2
Starr p-ss'4'0'3'3
Welsh c'3'0'0'0
Berlin lf'2'0'1'0
Hunter lf'2'0'0'0
M.Brown ss-p'4'1'1'0
Savoy 1b'4'1'1'0
Yankowsky 3b'4'2'2'0
Siegel rf'3'1'2'1
Drauschak cr'0'0'0'0
Totals'36'7'13'6
Wyoming Area'AB'R'H'BI
Ad.Gaylord ss'4'2'2'1
Gasek p'4'0'1'2
Slusser 2b'4'0'1'1
Hallman rf'3'1'1'0
Wardell rf'0'0'0'0
Haddock c'2'1'0'0
Ar.Gaylord lf'3'0'0'1
K.Brown 1b'3'0'1'0
A.Lewis pr'0'0'0'0
Giardina 3b'3'1'1'0
Gula dp'2'0'0'0
Galenty pr'0'1'0'0
Layland cf'1'0'0'0
Totals'29'6'7'5
Berwick'000'013'3 — 7
Wyoming Area'002'121'0 — 6
2B — Carro, Berlin, K.Brown. 3B — M.Brown, Ad.Gaylord.
Berwick'IP'H'R'ER'BB'SO
Starr'5'6'5'4'0'3
M.Brown (W)'2'1'1'1'1'0
Wyoming Area'IP'H'R'ER'BB'SO
Gasek (L)'7'13'7'6'2'3
