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Nanticoke-Newport wins nail-biter over West Point
Nanticoke-Newport’s Katie Kowalski steals third base as the throw goes between, West Point’s Katie Hickey’s legs during a Championship game in Dallas Tuesday evening.
S. JOHN WILKIN/The Times Leader
DALLAS – At a time when it was needed the most, the Nanticoke-Newport defense played its best.
Nanticoke-Newport used a flawless defense, the pitching of Hannah Rubasky, and a first-inning run to capture the Pennsylvania Junior League Softball state championship with a 1-0 win against West Point on Tuesday night at W.W. Kubis Memorial Field.
The team comprised of incoming high school freshmen and sophomores advances to the Eastern Regionals in West Haven, Conn., where it will play an undetermined opponent Friday at a time to be determined.
From a diving catch by left fielder Katie Kowalski in the first inning to a catch on the warning track by center fielder Lizzy Dougherty in the final inning, the Nanticoke-Newport team made every play it needed to against West Point.
“All week we had a couple of muffs,” said Nanticoke-Newport manager Bill Rubasky, referring to his defense. “Tonight, we outdid ourselves. It was the time we needed it to happen. Our defense made some very good plays.”
And the manager’s daughter made some very good pitches.
Hannah Rubasky threw a two-hitter in going the distance. The right-hander struck out six and walked just one. Both hits came off the bat of West Point leadoff hitter Justine Falbo.
Nanticoke-Newport – which captured the District 16 and Section 5 championships to get to the state tournament – got the only run it would need in the first inning. Sammy Gow led off the game with a single and went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Ari Grabowski. Kowalski followed by smashing a double to right field, allowing Gow to score.
The single run was a far cry from the offensive output by Nanticoke-Newport in a 15-2 semifinal win against Warrior Run earlier in the day. West Point, which is based out of Greensburg in the western part of the state, advanced with a 7-6 win against Radnor in the other semifinal. Most of the West Point players attend high school in the Hempfield School District.
West Point pitcher Hope Pehrson kept Nanticoke-Newport off balance with a good curve ball and a fastball that painted the outside part of the plate. Pehrson allowed just four hits in six innings while striking out seven.
“I wish we could have saved a few of those runs from the earlier game,” joked Bill Rubasky. “Give (Pehrson) credit. She threw a good curve ball and we couldn’t get the meat of the bat on the ball.”
The West Point pitcher almost tied the game with one swing of the bat in the bottom of the seventh, and final, inning.
With one out – following an outstanding defensive play by Nanticoke-Newport third baseman Maggie Gola – Pehrson hit a towering fly ball to deep center field. Dougherty drifted back to the warning track before making the catch less than three feet in front of the fence.
West Point manger Ed Diorio thought the ball might be going over the fence when it left the bat.
“I was praying, I was begging,” he said. “At the least, I wanted it to hit off the fence. I can’t believe (Dougherty) was playing that deep to be in position to make the catch.”
In addition to her game-winning RBI, Kowalski made a pair of outstanding catches in left field. With Falbo on second base and two outs in the first inning, Kowalski made a diving catch of an Alyssa Bates line drive. She later made a sliding catch of a fly ball off the bat of Caitlin Tobin in the bottom of the fifth inning.
“(Kowalski) was like Superwoman out there,” said Bill Rubasky. “She made some great catches.”
NORMAN “RAB” ABRECHT 8-9 TOURNAMENT Plains 19, S. Wilkes-Barre 18
Darryn Marek drew a bases-loaded walk to break a 14-14 tie in the fifth inning of a darkness-shortened game, as Plains went on to win.
Alex Gulitus (four RBI) and Geoffrey Walton (three RBI) headed the Plains attack. Kyle Williams picked up the win on the mound.
Luke Richards and Matt Manfre led the offense for South Wilkes-Barre.
TOMMY’S PIZZA CORNER 9-10 TOURNAMENT Hanover 6, Back Mountain National 5, 8 inn
Chad Wasickanin had a a pair of hits including the game-winning single in the eighth inning to lead Hanover to victory over Back Mountain National. Starter Kyle Windt struck out seven, while Anthony Vitale notched the win in relief.