HS Softball: Big bats power Spartans past Golden Bears
North Schuylkill's Olivia Jones hits during Tuesday's Schuylkill League Division I game against Mahanoy Area. Catching for the Golden Bears is Hailey Mroczka. (Photo by Bob Lipsky)
MAHANOY CITY — North Schuylkill continues to club the ball.
For the fourth straight game, the Spartans compiled double-digit runs and double-digit hits.
All of that offense overwhelmed Mahanoy Area 23-2 in five innings Tuesday in the Schuylkill League Division I opener for both teams on a blustery afternoon in Mahanoy City.
North Schuylkill scored eight runs in the top of the first inning to take command.
In their four games, the Spartans (3-1, 1-0 D-I) have scored 63 runs, an average of 15.8 per game. They’ve also smacked 58 hits, an average of 14.5 per game.
“We talk about about hitting and it’s one of the things we work on at all of our practices,” North Schuylkill coach Jack Flynn said. “We’re a pretty good hitting team right now, so it’s key.”
In that big opening outburst, Jordanna Frie roped a two-run double; Lindsay Brouse singled home a run; Olivia Jones clubbed a two-run double; and Maria Monahan laced an RBI triple. Frie finished the day with three runs scored and three RBIs; Jones went 2-for-3 with three runs and three RBIs; and Monahan went 2-for-4 with three runs and one RBI.
That’s not all. At the top of the lineup, Monica Selgrade went 1-for-1 with two runs and three RBIs, while No. 2 batter Lyza Holmes finished 2-for-3 with a two-run triple in the second inning and a two-run double in the third. Every North Schuylkill starter either scored a run or drove in a run.
Trailing 8-0, Mahanoy Area (2-1, 0-1) got two runs back in the bottom of the first inning. Ella Brode reached on an error, moved to third on Cadance Poslosky’s double and scored on a passed ball. Naomi Kowalick followed with another double to drive in Poslosky.
That’s all winning pitcher Brigid Flynn allowed. She finished the day with a five-hitter and surrendered just one earned run. Flynn struck out six and walked none.
North Schuylkill returns to action Thursday when it hosts Blue Mountain a huge Schuylkill League Division I game. Mahanoy Area hosts Panther Valley on Thursday.
Game Summary
NORTH SCHUYLKILL (23) — Selgrade cf 1 2 1 3, K. Nahodil rf 2 0 1 1, Holmes lf-rf 3 1 2 4, E. Nahodil lf 2 1 1 0, Flynn p 2 2 0 0, Frie 1b 4 3 1 3, Croker 3b 4 2 1 2, Brouse c 5 1 1 2, Jones dp-1b 3 3 2 3, Meskunas rf-lf 0 3 0 0, Miscannon cr-cf 2 2 0 0, Monahan ss 4 3 2 1, Capone 2b 2 0 1 1. Totals 34 23 13 20.
MAHANOY AREA (2) — Mroczka c 3 0 1 0, Brode 2b 3 1 0 0, Poslosky p-3b 3 1 1 0, Kowalick ss 2 0 1 1, Connolly cf 2 0 1 0, Carl 3b-p 2 0 0 0, Killian lf 2 0 0 0, Zubris rf 1 0 0 0, Kramer rf 1 0 0 0, Kennedy 1b 2 0 1 0, Sillers pr 0 0 0 0. Totals 21 2 5 1.
NS (3-1, 1-0) 852 17 — 23
MA (2-1, 0-1) 200 00 — 2
E — North Schuylkill 2, Mahanoy Area 7
DP — None
LOB — North Schuylkill 9, Mahanoy Area 4
2B — Frie, Jones, Holmes, Croker, Capone, Poslosky, Kowalick
3B — Monahan, Holmes
SB — Holmes, Selgrade
SF — Selgrade
North Schuylkill
IP H R ER BB K
Flynn W,1-1 5 5 2 1 0 6
Mahanoy Area
IP H R ER BB K
Poslosky L,0-1 .1 4 8 8 3 0
Carl 4.2 9 15 4 7 2
HBP — by Poslosky (Flynn), by Carl (Meskunas). WP — Poslosky 2. PB — Brouse. T — 1:36.
Tamaqua 10, Pottsville 2
TAMAQUA — Molly Evans went 3-for-3 with two doubles, three runs scored and three RBIs as Tamaqua knocked off Pottsville in a Division I game.
Leading 5-2, the Blue Raiders broke the game open with a five-run sixth inning.
Other top hitters for Tamaqua included Nico Conahan, 2-for-4 with two runs; Kolbe Robb, 2-for-2 with a run and an RBI; Leah Crowley, 2-for-3 with a double, a run and an RBI; and Victoria Scott, 2-for-4 with one run and one RBI.
Winning pitcher Naomi Knitter went the distance, allowing four hits while striking out seven and walking none.
Jes Siminitus tripled, scored a run and knocked in a run for Pottsville.
Potts (2-2, 0-1) 000 002 0 — 2 4 2
Tam (2-2, 1-0) 211 015 x — 10 12 0
Eckert and Wessner; Knitter and Krall. W— Knitter (1-1). L — Eckert (2-2).
HITS: Pottsville — Siminitus, Yost, Ketner, Kunstek. Tamaqua — Conahan 2, Robb 2, Evans 3, Crowley 2, Scottr 2, Knitter.
2B — Crowley, Evans 2. 3B — Siminitus.
Blue Mountain 15, Panther Valley 0
ORWIGSBURG — Chloe Brown pitched a no-hitter with five strikeouts and one walk to lead Blue Mountain to a Division I win at Patton Field.
Addison Fishburn sparked the offense by going 3-f0r-3 with three stolen bases, three runs scored and two RBIs. Avery Hudock went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs for the Eagles, who scored 10 runs in the first inning.
Anna Borden, Brown and Aryana Reilly added two hits apiece for Blue Mountain.
PV (0-1, 0-1) 0 0 0 — 0 0 7
BM (3-1, 1-0) (10)5x — 15 15 0
Prudente and Mika; Brown and Cavadini. W— Brown (3-0). L — Prudente (0-1).
HITS: Panther Valley — None. Blue Mountain — Fishburn 3, Hudock 2, Borden 2, Peel, Cavadini, Boyer, Koch, Brown 2, Reilly 2.
Pine Grove 19, Lourdes 0
MOUNT CARMEL — Chelcy Clark hurled a one-hit shutout for Pine Grove in a three-inning, Division I victory over Lourdes. Clark struck out eight and walked none.
At the plate, Callee Leffler went 2-for-3 with two triples, three runs scored and three RBIs. Hannah Aungst added a double, three runs and three RBIs for the Cardinals.
Other top hitters for Pine Grove included Madison Shiffer, 2-for-4 with a double, four RBIs and two runs scored; Jamie Dinger, 2-for-2 with two doubles, two runs and one RBI; and Meadow Umbenhauer, 2-for-2 with three runs and one RBI.
PG (2-0, 1-0) 973 — 19 13 1
Lou (0-1, 0-1) 000 — 0 1 7
Clark and Bohr; Barcavage, Adams (3) and Adams. W— Clark (1-0). L — Barcavage (0-1).
HITS: Pine Grove — Leffler 2, Aungst, Shiffer 2, Zimmerman, Dinger 2, Flynn, Clark, Bohr, Umbenhauer 2. Lourdes — Fuller.
2B — Aungst, Dinger 2, Shiffer. 3B — Leffler 2.
Tri-Valley 18, Minersville 2
MINERSVILLE — Mady Schwalm went 2-for-3 with two doubles, three runs and three RBIs as Tri-Valley scored in every inning to defeat Minersville in a Division II game at Ken Schneck Field.
Olivia Witmer went 3-for-4 with a double, three RBIs and a run scored for the Bulldogs, while Alina Leonard went 3-for-4 with a double, three runs and two RBIs. Mia Artz added a 2-for-2 day with a triple, three runs and one RBI for Tri-Valley.
Rilynn Brennan tripled and knocked in a run for Minersville.
