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JENKINS TWP. — The Pittston major softball all-stars weren’t as dominant Tuesday as in some pool play games.
They did, though, accomplish their mission of advancing to the District 16 championship game.
Ava Thomas threw a no-hitter with 10 strikeouts and Giovanna Bobbouine put the offense in motion with a two-run triple as Pittston defeated Plains 7-0 in a semifinal game.
“She was on tonight,” Pittston Area manager Bill Kroski said. “When she hits her spots, she’s really effective. She just locates her pitches so well. Tonight was one of those nights where she maybe didn’t have her best velocity, but her control was there.”
Pittston will play Mountain Top, a 9-1 winner over Hanover, for the championship at 7:35 p.m. Friday at the Nanticoke Area High School field.
Pittston entered the game outscoring its four previous opponents 61-4. And while the offense didn’t produce as much punch, it didn’t matter. Thomas retired the 10 of the last 11 batters, getting her 10th strikeout to end the game.
“This is our third year together,” Kroski said. “We probably have 10 girls from last year’s district championship team. These girls have probably played over 75 games together with travel in the offseason. It’s like clockwork. We’re lucky as coaches. They come to the field and we get done what we have to get done. We just kind of monitor them. They are an amazing group of girls.”
Pittston took a 1-0 lead in the first as Lydia Luvender reached on a error and went from first to third on a groundout by Ainsley Lear. She scored on a wild pitch.
The lead opened to 4-0 in the third. Liv Distasio and Sophia Landato drew one-out walks. Bobbouine brought them both home with a towering triple to deep left field.
Bobbouine slid under the tag at third and that helped produce another run. Izzie Kroski was hit by a pitch and then got in a rundown between first and second, allowing Bobbouine to score.
Pittston scored its final three runs in the fourth. Thomas started the inning with a walk and Sara Basile followed with a high single to shallow center field. Thomas eventually scored on an error and Basile on a bunt by Distasio. Distasio scored on a wild pitch for Pittston’s seventh run.
Plains had three base runners all game. Donna Urbanas reached on an error in the third and Alivia Moska walked with two outs. Thomas then retired nine in a row before Sierra Rosengrant drew a walk with two outs in the sixth.
District 16 Major Softball Semifinals
Pittston 7, Plains 0
Plains`AB`R`H`BI
Fernandes ss`2`0`0`0
M.Farrell 3b`2`0`0`0
Gilmore p`2`0`0`0
Tua c`2`0`0`0
Dudick 2b`2`0`0`0
Brown 1b`2`0`0`0
Urbanas cf`2`0`0`0
P.Farrell rf`1`0`0`0
Rosengrant lf`1`0`0`0
Moska eh`1`0`0`0
Luton eh`1`0`0`0
Totals`18`0`0`0
Pittston`AB`R`H`BI
Kroski c`1`0`0`0
Luvender 2b`2`1`0`0
Lear 1b`2`0`0`0
Pesotini eh`3`0`0`0
McAndrew ss`2`0`0`0
Thomas p`1`1`1`0
Basile 3b`2`1`1`0
Budzak rf`1`0`0`0
Fediw lf`2`0`0`0
Distasio eh`1`2`0`1
Landato cf`0`1`0`0
Bobbouine eh`2`1`1`2
Totals`19`7`3`3
Plains`000`000 — 0
Pittston`103`30x — 7
3B — Bobbouine.
Plains`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Gilmore (L)`5`3`7`4`7`2
Pittston`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Thomas (W)`6`0`0`0`2`10