Williamsport lineup shines in 6A semifinal win over Wilkes-Barre Area softball
May 23—PLAINS TWP. — Wilkes-Barre Area managed to dance out of danger a few times in the first couple innings of Wednesday's game, stranding Williamsport runners and working through a few sticky situations.
They could only avoid the wrath of the Williamsport lineup for so long, however.
A pitcher's duel through four innings got out of hand fast as Williamsport scored 20 runs over their final three innings at the plate to beat Wilkes-Barre 21-3 in the semifinals of the District 2 Class 6A softball tournament.
It wasn't walks that did the Wolfpack in, and the defense didn't let the game get away from them either. The Millionaires simply hit the ball, again and again, to the tune of 29 total hits.
All 11 batters that stepped to the plate for Williamsport had at least one hit, and nine of those hitters drove in at least one run as the Millionaires scored six runs in the fifth, two in the sixth and finally hung a 12-spot on Wilkes-Barre in the top of the seventh.
"The age shows. ... We're young, and we die at 4-5 (innings)," Wolfpack coach Brittany Hess said. "That's attributed to their age, and it's a beautiful thing. This is already a winning season, it's only going to get better."
The most successful season in the young history of the Wilkes-Barre Area program earned a home game in the semifinals of the district playoffs, and for the first four innings, the Wolfpack looked right at home on the playoff stage.
Freshman pitcher Jordan Prushinski battled through her first four innings, allowing just one run in the top of the fourth and stranding seven Millionaires on base in the process.
Prushinski would tie the game back up 1-1 herself in the home half of the fourth, drawing a leadoff walk and making her way around the bases to steal home on a Williamsport passed ball.
She recorded two outs in the top of the fifth before the floodgates opened. Six straight two-out hits for the Millionaires scored six runs, the capper being a two-run home run to dead center field from Ashlyn Robinson.
Robinson was one of Williamsport's many standouts at the dish: she went 4-for-5 from the leadoff spot, driving in four runs and scoring twice.
Two of those hits came in the seventh inning, where the Millionaires sent 15 batters to the plate and scored 12 times off.
Williamsport launched three more homers in that monster inning: back-to-back jacks from Brenna Beck and Abby Robertson, and a grand slam from Bailey Livermore.
At the bottom of the order, Lili Cox had a perfect 5-for-5 day at the plate, with five runs batted in, as the Millionaires got production from everybody.
"We have power one through nine, there's not an easy out in our lineup," Williamsport coach Chase Smith said.
Kayce Martin led the way for Wilkes-Barre at the plate with two hits and an RBI. Heather Martin had a hit and drove in a run, as well.
Williamsport will head to the District 2 Class 6A finals on May 28 to face Hazleton Area.
Hazleton Area 14, Wyoming Valley West 4
The Cougars punched their ticket to the Class 6A championship with a strong day from their lineup, beating Wyoming Valley West in Wednesday's other semifinal.
After Valley West took a 2-0 lead after the first inning, Hazleton Area scored five in the bottom of the second to take the lead. The Cougars would score at least one run in their five remaining trips to the plate, triggering the 10-run rule with two runs in the sixth to end the game.
Kayla Lagowy had three hits, including a home run, for Hazleton Area. She scored three times and drove in three total runs. Saige Klesh had four hits and two RBI.
Madison Austra had a solo homer for Wyoming Valley West. Isabelle Seip had two hits and scored twice.
District 2 Class 6A Semifinals
Williamsport 21, Wilkes-Barre Area 3
Williamsport'AB'R'H'BI
Robinson cf-p'6'2'4'4
Vollman 3b'6'2'4'1
Beck ss'5'2'2'2
Robertson 2b'6'1'3'1
Livermore p-cf'6'4'3'4
McAnelly c'4'1'1'0
Stahl ph'2'1'1'0
Kinley lf '5'3'4'2
Cox 1b'5'4'5'5
Hanson rf'4'1'1'1
Engel ph'1'1'1'1
Totals'50'21'29'21
Wilkes-Barre Area'AB'R'H'BI
Keating cf'3'0'0'0
Prushinski p-ss'2'2'1'0
McGuinness c'3'0'0'0
K. Martin ss-p'3'1'2'1
H. Martin 1b'2'0'1'1
Franco 2b'3'0'0'0
Burke 3b'3'0'0'0
Simko rf '3'0'1'0
Contreras lf'2'0'0'0
George ph'1'0'0'0
Totals'25'3'5'2
Williamsport'000'162'12 — 21
Wilkes-Barre Area'000'102'0 — 3
2B — Kinley 2, Livermore, Cox, Hanson, K. Martin. HR — Robinson, Beck, Robertson, Livermore.
Williamsport'IP'H'R'ER'BB'SO
Livermore (W)'4'2'1'0'1'6
Robinson'3'3'2'2'0'4
Holy Redeemer'IP'H'R'ER'BB'SO
Prushinski (L)'5'14'7'7'0'2
K. Martin'2'15'14'14'0'2
Hazleton Area 14, Wyoming Valley West 4 (6 inn.)
Wyo. Valley West'AB'R'H'BI
Seip 1b'3'2'2'0
Hand cf'3'0'0'0
Ostroski lf'3'0'0'1
Austra c'2'2'1'1
Yenalevitch p'3'0'0'0
Geffert ss'3'0'0'0
Long 3b'2'0'1'0
Yurko 2b'2'0'0'0
Lynch'2'0'0'0
Totals'23'4'4'2
Hazleton Area'AB'R'H'BI
Lagowy ss'4'3'3'3
Klesh 1b'5'2'4'2
Hoffman c'3'1'0'1
Major'3'1'0'1
Williams cf'4'2'3'2
Mummey 3b'2'1'1'2
Tito 2b'4'1'1'1
Flaim lf'3'1'1'1
Rodgers'4'2'2'1
Totals'32'14'15'14
Wyo. Valley West'201'001 — 4
Hazleton Area'051'422 — 14
2B — Seip 2, Williams 2, Mummey, Lagowy, Rodgers. 3B — Klesh, Tito. HR — Austra, Lagowy.
Wyo. Valley West'IP'H'R'ER'BB'SO
Yenalevitch (L)'5.1'15'14'8'3'1
Hazleton Area'IP'H'R'ER'BB'SO
Almeida (W)'6'4'4'2'1'1
