Mountain Top third baseman Brianna Petzold fields a bunt and gets ready to throw to first to put out Hanover’s Ella Grillz in the third inning.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Mountain Top
finds rhythm,
beats Hanover
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Hanover shortstop Jillian Weidner makes the throw to first in the second inning put out Mountain Top’s Ella Mikhalkov.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Mountain Top third baseman Brianna Petzold waits for the ball as Hanovers Ayla Schappert is safe in the third inning.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Mountain Top second baseman Reagan Gagliardi makes a throw to first to put Hanover’s Stella Styczen in the fourth inning.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Mountain Top’s Hailey Coltrane slides into third safely in the fifth inning.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
WRIGHT TWP. — After a couple of low-scoring outings at the plate to wrap up pool play, the Mountain Top bats came ready to work on Tuesday night, sending them through to the district championship game.
A five-run sixth inning was the cherry on top as Mountain Top defeated Hanover 9-1 in the District 16 Major Softball semifinals, locking up a spot in the District 16 title game on Friday.
The nine runs were more than Mountain Top had scored in its previous three games combined, one of which was a 2-1 win on June 21 over this very same Hanover team.
“We had some of the girls that haven’t been putting the bat on the ball hit tonight. … I told them from the beginning, if we get girls on base, it’ll happen,” Mountain Top manager Janet Stavish said. “All season long, our girls have battled right to the end. … These girls just keep swinging.”
Mountain Top took the lead for good in the top of the fourth, breaking open a 1-1 tie with three runs on four base hits. Raegan Gagliardi led off with a single, and after Hanover was able to get the next two outs, Alexx Fromm ripped a base hit to bring Gagliardi around to score.
RBI base hits from Kat Brozowski and Ella Mikhalkov followed after, and by the time Hanover was able to escape the inning, Mountain Top had taken a 4-1 lead.
Fromm and Mikhalkov would come around to score again in the sixth inning, as Mountain Top took advantage of some defensive miscues to score five more runs, making it a 9-1 ballgame.
Gagliardi started it off again for Mountain Top, reaching on error to open the inning. Fallon Stavish was up next, and ripped a base hit into right field that got through the Hanover right fielder, allowing both Gagliardi and Stavish to score.
Two more runs came across after an attempt to catch Kayla Sinavage stealing third led to the ball being thrown into left field, scoring both Sinavage and Fromm, who started the play on first and ended it in the dugout with a run.
Mikhalkov reached on catcher’s interference, and came around to score on a base hit from Brianna Petzold to score Mountain Top’s final run of the game.
Stavish earned the win with an excellent performance for Mountain Top, allowing just one unearned run over six innings, striking out nine.
Her line held up despite Hanover hitters reaching to start five out of six innings, with just Ayla Schappert scoring on a sacrifice bunt from Ella Grillz.
“(Fallon’s) been solid on the mound for the past two years … nothing bothers her,” Janet Stavish said of her pitcher. “She’s probably the most grounded pitcher I know in the league right now.”
Mountain Top will advance to Friday night’s District 16 Major Softball championship game, taking on Pittston at 7:30 p.m. at Nanticoke Area High School.
District 16 Major Softball Semifinals
Mountain Top 9, Hanover 1
Mountain Top`AB`R`H`BI
Gagliardi 2b`3`2`1`0
Stavish p`3`2`2`1
Sinavage ss`3`1`2`1
Fromm c`3`2`1`1
Brozowski rf`2`1`1`1
Mikhalkov cf`3`1`1`1
Weiss 1b`3`0`1`0
Petzold 3b`3`0`1`1
Ricko eh`3`0`0`0
Coltrane lf`1`0`0`0
Radjavitch eh`2`0`0`0
Totals`29`9`10`6
Hanover`AB`R`H`BI
Wellington c`2`0`1`0
Weidner ss`2`0`1`0
Martin 3b`2`0`0`0
Noss 1b`2`0`0`0
Styczen p`2`0`1`0
Romanowski rf`2`0`0`0
Richards lf`2`0`0`0
Hilwski cf`2`0`0`0
Schappert eh`2`1`1`0
Valenzuela eh`1`0`0`0
Gurns eh`2`0`0`0
Grillz 2b`1`0`0`1
Totals`12`1`4`1
Mountain Top`100`305 – 9
Hanover`001`000 – 1
2B – Stavish, Sinavage
Mountain Top`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Stavish`6`4`1`0`1`9
Hanover`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Styczen`6`10`9`6`2`6