Nanticoke Area celebrates its 11-inning victory over Philipsburg-Osceola for the PIAA Class 2A state softball championship in 2010.
Times Leader file photo
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The Nanticoke Area Trojanettes brought home their second state softball championship – and the second for the Wyoming Valley Conference – in 2010. It was sort of the reverse of what happened when they won the championship in 2003.
Back in 2003, Nanticoke Area battled through numerous extra-inning games, including a 20-inning marathon over two days, before a convincing 4-0 victory over Center for the title.
There were no extra-inning games in 2010 until the finals, where the Trojanettes defeated Philipsburg-Osceola 3-1 in 11 innings for their second Class 2A crown.
“To win the first one was really great, but this one is unbelievable,” Nanticoke Area coach Gary Williams said.
The game was 0-0 after seven innings as Nanticoke Area’s Sarah Bertoni and Philipsburg-Osceola’s Chelsea Rex were locked in a pitching duel.
Nanticoke finally got on the board in the top of the ninth when Bertoni singled to center to score Sammi Gow from second base. Philipsburg-Osceola, though, tied the score in the bottom of the inning on an RBI double.
Maggie Gola then hit a two-run double into the right-center gap, and just out of the reach of the Philipsburg-Osceola center fielder, in the 11th.
“I was just thinking, ‘I hope she doesn’t catch it,’ ” Gola said. “I was just praying it would go in the gap, and it did. It felt so great.”
There was no rally in the bottom of the inning. Bertoni set down Philipsburg-Osceola in order to end one of the longest softball title games in PIAA history.
Bertoni pitched all 11 innings, surrendering five hits and striking out seven.
1970
The Wilkes-Barre Recreation Board announced 10 rules for its four pools that were opening the following week. One rule – no one is allowed in without wearing a bathing suit.
1979
The South defeated the North 14-8 in the inaugural Kiwanis All-Star Softball Game at the Back Mountain Little League.
Lake-Lehman’s Lisa Allardyce had two doubles for the South. Dallas’ Leslie Wolfe and Bishop O’Reilly’s Ruth Ducey each had a double.
The South was coached by Lake-Lehman’s Flossie Finn. The North was coached by Wyoming Valley West’s Marge Kelly.
2000
The NASCAR Cup Series Pocono 500 was postponed because of rain and fog. It was rescheduled for 10 a.m. the following day.
NASCAR officials postponed the event over two hours after the scheduled 1 p.m. start. Rain and fog were prevalent throughout the morning and it seemed inevitable the race wouldn’t be run.
There was consideration of moving the race to next open weekend because the teams had to travel to California the following week. That option would have given Pocono races on consecutive weekends.
2001
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins were pleased when the AHL announced its new divisional alignments for the upcoming season.
The Pens would be in the Western Conference South Division with Hershey, Philadelphia and Norfolk. The previous season they were in the Western Conference Empire Division with Albany, Hamilton, Rochester and Syracuse. Hershey and Philadelphia were in a division with Cincinnati, Kentucky and Louisville.
2002
Crestwood grad Martin Bibla signed a three-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons. Bibla, who played guard at Miami, was drafted in the fourth round – 116th overall – by the Falcons in the NFL draft in April.