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EDWARDSVILLE — The way Tunkhannock’s Hope Jones and Kendra Schultz have been pitching, the Tigers haven’t needed many scoring opportunities in the postseason.
Shikellamy, though, gave them more than enough Monday in a PIAA Class 4A state softball first-round game at Wilkes University.
Making the most of those chances, Tunkhannock scored in all but one inning on the way to a 7-0 victory.
District 2 champion Tunkhannock (15-4) advanced to the state quarterfinals for the first time and will play D3 runner-up Eastern York (17-5) on Thursday. The program’s only other state appearance was in 1999 and ended in a first-round loss.
Jones and Schultz haven’t allowed a run in four postseason contests, which includes three 3-0 shutouts in the District 2 tournament. Jones allowed one hit through five innings. Schultz gave up one in two innings of relief. Neither hit left the infield as the District 4 champion Braves managed to get just two balls to the outfield.
“They’re just throwing really well,” Tunkhannock coach Bob Hegedty said. “They’re working hard on our off days practicing and working on their pitching. And the defense is backing them up.”
So is the offense, which took small opportunities and capitalized to score one run in each of the first four innings.
The second and third innings in particular showed how Tunkhannock took advantage.
Sarah Traver opened the second with a single to left. Hailey Farr followed with a sacrifice bunt, but Traver didn’t stop at second. Instead, she drew a bad throw to third and was able to score for a 2-0 lead.
In the third, Hope Jones singled and her sister, Faith Jones, bunted her to second. Paige Mokychic singled and got herself in a rundown between first and second, allowing Hope Jones to score.
“We were trying to get some bunts down early and see how their defense was and we were able to score some runs off their mistakes,” Hegedty said.
Tunkhannock increased its lead to 4-0 in the fourth on Jenn Bulford’s double that should have been a single. Bulford blooped the ball into short left-center and noticing no one covering second she never stopped running.
Offense, said Bulford, is a little easier knowing the Jones-Schultz tandem has been so strong. Shikellamy had just one runner in scoring position all game.
“It makes us more relaxed,” Bulford said. “It take a lot of pressure off. Even if they’re is pressure, we attack when we get in there every pitch we can. We just play the game.”
Bulford added a sacrifice fly for her second RBI in the sixth before Tunkhannock added two more runs. Pinch runner Rae Anne Carpenter and Farr scored on Hope Jones’ single that initially didn’t get out of the infield. The hit died just over the pitching circle, but as Shikellamy shortstop Kayleigh Lenner raced in she inadvertently kicked the ball into right field.
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PIAA Class 4A First Round
Tunkhannock 7, Shikellamy 0
Shikellamy`AB`R`H`BI
Lenner ss`3`0`0`0
Folk cf`3`0`0`0
Long 1b`3`0`0`0
KLeeser lf`3`0`1`0
Harmon c`3`0`1`0
BLeeser p`2`0`0`0
Kratzer 3b`3`0`0`0
Heller rf`1`0`0`0
Troupe dp`0`0`0`0
Zellars 2b`1`0`0`0
Totals`22`0`2`0
Tunkhannock`AB`R`H`BI
HJones p`3`2`2`1
FJones ss`3`0`0`0
Mokychic cf`3`0`1`0
Simmons 3b`3`0`1`1
Schultz dp`3`0`1`0
Walsh cr`0`1`0`0
Traver lf`2`1`1`0
Carpenter pr`0`1`0`0
Farr 1b`1`1`0`0
Krispin c`2`1`0`0
Bulford 2b`2`0`1`2
Dunn rf`0`0`0`0
Totals`22`7`7`4
Shikellamy`000`000`0`—`0
Tunkhannock`111`103`x`—`7
E: Shikellamy 2. DP: Tunkhannock 1. LOB: Shikellamy 4, Tunkhannock 7. 2B: Bulford. SB: Kratzer, HJones. SAC: Harmon, Farr, SJones.
Shikellamy`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
BLeeser (L)`6`7`7`5`3`3
Tunkhannock`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
HJones (W)`5`1`0`0`2`4
Schultz`2`1`0`0`0`3
HBP: Troupe (by HJones)
