HS Softball: Pottsville shuts out Tamaqua in Division I battle
Pottsville's Peyton Eckert pitches to Tamaqua's Nico Colahan during Thursday's Schuylkill League Division I game at the CACL Complex., Pottsville won 3-0. (Photo by Bob Lipsky)
POTTSVILLE — Pottsville’s softball team has struggled all season to find consistency, inning to inning, game to game.
For one day at least, the Crimson Tide put all phases of the game together at the same time.
Backed by spectacular defense, right-hander Peyton Eckert hurled a three-hit shutout, and Pottsville took advantage of some miscues to defeat Tamaqua 3-0 on Thursday in a Schuylkill League Division I game at the CACL Complex.
Eckert went the distance in the circle, striking out five and walking one. She needed just 74 pitches (57 strikes) to complete seven innings.
The Tide’s defense helped Eckert by making more than a half-dozen highlight reel plays. A sampling: Shortstop Aubrey Scanlan made two brilliant backhanded snags of hard ground balls and threw across for outs; second baseman Lana Cromyak made a diving stop and flip to first base to take a hit away from Megan Linkhorst leading off the fifth inning; right fielder Izzy Kunstek handled a few tough chances for outs; third baseman Jo Barnhart made a leaping grab of a high hopper, later charged a slow roller and made two strong throws for outs; and first baseman Reese Ketner picked a screaming line drive off the bat of Ceanna Gormley for an out.
Pottsville (6-5, 3-3 D-I) had baserunners in the first five innings and pressed the action until Tamaqua’s defense broke. All three runs the Blue Raiders allowed were unearned.
“That was a long time coming,” Pottsville coach Chuck Rinaldo said. “That was absolutely a total team effort. We finally put it together on both sides of the ball. You’ve got to give Tamaqua credit. Their pitcher’s tough, but we manufactured some runs and got some key hits at key times.
“Along with that, we really played great defense,” Rinaldo added. “And Peyton Eckert, kudos to her.”
The Tide got on the board in the third inning when Jes Siminitus sent a line drive to center field that curved away for a two-out triple. Megan Yost then hit a fly ball that was dropped for an error, allowing Siminitus to cross the plate. Eckert followed with an RBI single to left field for a 2-0 Pottsville lead.
In the fourth, the Tide added an insurance run. Scanlan legged out a bunt single and stole second base. Two outs later, Kunstek reached on an error, allowing Scanlan to score.
Pottsville’s win split the season series with the Blue Raiders (7-4, 4-2), who took the first meeting 10-2. The result boosted Pottsville’s hopes of making the District 11 Class 5A playoff field, ended Tamaqua’s five-game winning streak and dimmed the hopes of the Blue Raiders qualifying for the Schuylkill League playoffs.
“Hopefully we can build on this,” Rinaldo said. “We have Blue Mountain coming in here on Monday, so hopefully we can keep on riding the tide.”
NOTES: Prior to the game, Pottsville honored the memory of longtime scorekeeper and statistician Brian Spotts, who passed away last week. In comments made during the ceremony, Mike Kiehner called Spotts “an indispensable member of the Tide family” and an “integral part of Crimson Tide softball, basketball and soccer. He was a friend to all.” Everyone in attendance then observed a moment of silence.
Spotts served as a longtime statistician for Pottsville softball, girls’ basketball and girls’ soccer and as a clock operator for various Crimson Tide events. In his memory, Pottsville set up Spotts’ folding chair, adorned with a Tide jacket, cap and flowers, in the dugout.
