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WILKES-BARRE — Holy Redeemer made sure early Thursday that nothing was going to interrupt a showdown to start next week.
The Royals banged out three singles, two doubles and a triple in the first inning to score seven times on the way to a 10-0 victory over Wyoming Area in a Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 softball game.
Abby Williams ended the game with a two-run double — her third double of the game — as Redeemer improved to 5-1 in the division and 8-2 overall. Up next is a home game against Lake-Lehman (5-0 Div. 2, 9-2) on Monday.
Lehman defeated Redeemer 14-3 on April 3.
“They came in to practice and started working harder,” Redeemer coach Jerry Paulukonis said. “Adjusted like they needed to and the results show.”
Based on how the season has played out and is expected to the rest of the way, a Lehman win likely will result in a division title. A Redeemer win will probably mean the teams will be tied when the regular season concludes.
The Royals have outscored six opponents 87-11 since the loss.
“We’ve been doing very well communicating and we’ve grown together,” Williams said.
Wyoming Area (4-2 Div. 2, 4-6) had a chance to disrupt the division this week, but losses to Lehman and Redeemer on consecutive days hurt any opportunity to get in the race.
Redeemer opened the game with four consecutive hits — singles by Kendra Santuk and Lauren Whitman and doubles by Olivia Paulukonis and Williams. Paulukonis brought in two runs while Williams knocked in one.
Lauren Hayden hit a two-run triple into the right field corner to plate two more runs. Bella Boylan followed with an RBI single and later scored on an error for the Royals’ seventh run.
Consecutive doubles by Williams and Payton Parker made it 8-0 in the second inning.
The score stuck there until the sixth when Santuk doubled, Whitman dropped down a bunt single and Paulukonis walked to load the bases. Williams ripped a two-run double to the right-center gap to end the game via the 10-run rule.
Wyoming Area’s best scoring chance came in the second when Alexa Gacek doubled and Cassandra Scripkunas singled to put runners on the corners with no outs. Redeemer pitcher Anne Carter retired the next three batters and strung together eight consecutive outs until Scripkunas singled in the fifth.
Holy Redeemer 10, Wyoming Area 0 (6 inn.)
Wyoming Area`AB`R`H`BI
Wisnewski lf`2`0`0`0
Slusser 1b`1`0`0`0
Leo 3b`3`0`1`0
J.Williams cf`3`0`1`0
Gasek p`3`0`1`0
Scripkunis c`2`0`2`0
Gula cr`0`0`0`0
Janeski 1b-lf`2`0`0`0
Allen ss`2`0`1`0
Haddock 2b`2`0`0`0
Gaylord rf`2`0`0`0
Totals`21`0`5`0
Redeemer`AB`R`H`BI
Santuk c`4`2`3`0
Whitman cf`4`2`3`0
Paulukonis lf`3`1`1`2
A.Williams ss`4`2`3`4
Parker 2b`3`0`1`1
Gryboski 1b`2`1`0`0
Carter p`3`0`0`0
Hayden rf`3`1`1`2
Lombardi rf`0`0`0`0
Boylan 3b`3`1`1`1
Totals`29`10`13`10
Wyoming Area`000`000 — 0
Holy Redeemer`710`002 — 10
2B — Gasek, Santuk 2, Paulukonis, A.Williams 3, Parker. 3B — Hayden.
Wyoming Area`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Gasek (L)`5`13`10`9`1`2
Redeemer`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Carter (W)`6`5`0`0`0`3