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TUNKHANNOCK — The one-run deficit entering the seventh inning Friday wasn’t a big deal to Nanticoke’s Cassie Novakowski.

What mattered was who was responsible initially to erase it. Kiera Brown, then Novakowski and then Morgan Briggs — all seniors.

“We had a lot of confidence,” Novakowski said. “It’s started out with Kee Brown and she’s a senior. I said to Kee, ‘This is our last year playing on this field. We got to make a name for ourselves. We can’t come out here and lose our last time here. It goes me, you and Morgan — three seniors up to bat. We’ve got to step up and do this for our team.’”

All three seniors got on base and all three scored as Nanticoke used a five-run seventh to take the lead and then held on for a 6-5 victory in a key Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 softball game.

Nanticoke (7-0) continued to build on its first-place position in the division. Defending champion Tunkhannock fell to 3-3, with two of the losses by one run to Nanticoke 10 days apart.

“We really don’t reflect on too much during the game,” Nanticoke coach Ryan Stetz said. “We’re just having fun and not so much worrying about the outcome. As game went on, we put some good swings on the ball so we were getting more confident.”

Nanticoke had just three hits on Tunkhannock pitcher Hope Jones entering the seventh and was down 2-1. Brown opened the inning with a single to right and Novakowski followed with a towering double to left. Brown scored on an error on Briggs’ grounder and Novakowski moved to third.

Then came the play that had many Tunkhannock fans howling at the home plate umpire. Nanticoke’s Jilann Baron attempted to bunt and the ball ricocheted off catcher Danielle Krispin’s right shoulder, allowing Novakowski to score. The Tunkhannock fans began arguing the ball hit Baron’s bat, and based on Krispin’s reaction it might have.

But neither the home plate umpire nor base umpire saw it that way and Nanticoke was ahead 3-2. An error, an RBI single by Brinley Sobeck and a sac fly by Miranda Bohn made it 6-1.

Tunkhannock did not go quietly. Hope Jones and Faith Jones opened the bottom of the seventh with singles. Jenna Simmons then blasted a three-run homer to left, moving the Tigers within 6-5 with no outs. Bohn, who pitched a perfect game a day earlier against Coughlin, ended the threat with three groundballs for out.

“I thought we played a great game,” Tunkhannock coach Bob Hegedty said, “but we just didn’t close it out again. We’re hitting well. We didn’t get some timely hits later in the game when we had kids on.”

Simmons put Tunkhannock up 1-0 in the first with an RBI double to center. After Nanticoke tied the game in the top of the second on Megan Murphy’s run-scoring single, Tunkhannock regained the lead in the bottom of the frame on Hope Jones’ RBI single.

Nanticoke 6, Tunkhannock 5

Nanticoke`AB`R`H`BI

Lipowski 3b`3`0`1`0

O’Connor pr`0`0`0`0

Sobeck lf`3`0`1`1

Bohn p`4`0`0`0

Brown cf`3`2`1`0

Novakowski 2b`3`1`1`0

Briggs c`3`0`0`1

Baron 1b`2`0`0`0

Murphy rf`3`1`1`2

Rakowski ss`2`1`0`0

Totals`26`6`5`5

Tunk`AB`R`H`BI

HJones p`4`2`3`1

FJones ss`3`1`1`0

Simmons 3b`4`1`2`4

Schultz 1b`4`0`1`0

Faux pr`0`0`0`0

Krispin c`4`0`0`0

Mokychic cf`3`0`0`0

Traver lf`3`1`1`0

Dunn rf`3`0`1`0

Bulford 2b`3`0`0`0

Totals`31`5`10`5

2B — Simmons, Schultz. HR — Simmons.

Nanticoke`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Bohn (W)`7.0`10`5`5`1`3

Tunk`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

HJones (L)`7.0`5`6`1`3`3

Nanticoke pitcher Miranda Bohn followed up a perfect game against Coughlin on Thursday with another pitching victory on Friday against Tunkhannock.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_Tunkhannock-Nanticoke-GSB-1.jpg.optimal.jpgNanticoke pitcher Miranda Bohn followed up a perfect game against Coughlin on Thursday with another pitching victory on Friday against Tunkhannock. Tony Callaio | For Times Leader

Nanticoke third baseman Jenna Lipowski collects an infield pop fly against Tunkhannock in the fifth inning.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_Tunkhannock-Nanticoke-GSB-2.jpg.optimal.jpgNanticoke third baseman Jenna Lipowski collects an infield pop fly against Tunkhannock in the fifth inning. Tony Callaio | For Times Leader

Tunkhannock catcher Danielle Krispin holds up the ball as the umpire calls out Nanticoke’s Cassie Novakowski in the second inning.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_Tunkhannock-Nanticoke-GSB-4.jpg.optimal.jpgTunkhannock catcher Danielle Krispin holds up the ball as the umpire calls out Nanticoke’s Cassie Novakowski in the second inning. Tony Callaio | For Times Leader

Kendra Schultz (11) is safe at second base for Tunkhannock Area after hitting a double. Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_Tunkhannock-Nanticoke-GSB-5.jpg.optimal.jpgKendra Schultz (11) is safe at second base for Tunkhannock Area after hitting a double. Tony Callaio | For Times LeaderTony Callaio | For Times Leader

Nanticoke’s Cassie Novakowski safely slides into third base in the Trojanettes’ five-run seventh inning.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_Tunkhannock-Nanticoke-GSB-3.jpg.optimal.jpgNanticoke’s Cassie Novakowski safely slides into third base in the Trojanettes’ five-run seventh inning. Tony Callaio | For Times Leader

By John Erzar

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Reach John Erzar at 570-991-6394 or on Twitter @TLJohnErzar