PHOTO: Kat Davis, pictured in last year’s playoffs, was 4-for-4 with three runs scored.
DUNMORE – Mid Valley threatened as much as it scored in the three-inning Wednesday portion of the weather-interrupted District 2 Class 3A softball championship game.
When play resumed Thursday, the Spartanettes scored in each of three at-bats, producing just enough offense to hold off an inspired rally by Lake-Lehman to win their third straight title, 7-6, at Marywood University.
Mid Valley dominated the fourth inning – getting three straight strikeouts from Maranda Runco, who also came out sharper Thursday than she was Wednesday, and scoring three times in the bottom of the inning for a 5-3 lead.
Mid Valley built a 7-3 lead, then watched Jillian Ulozas create a scare with the bases loaded in the top of the seventh.
Ulozas, who hit a seventh-inning home run to lift third-seeded Lake-Lehman over second seed and Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 champion Holy Redeemer in the semifinals, came inches from a grand slam. Her shot to the top of the fence in right field resulted in a three-run triple, putting the tying run 60 feet from home with one out in the top of the seventh.
Runco responded with a strikeout and groundout to end the game.
Kat Davis went 4-for-4 with three runs scored for Mid Valley.
When the game resumed with the Spartanettes trailing, 3-2, Davis provided the RBI single to force a tie. A throwing error on the play left Mid Valley with two runners in scoring position and Chiara Zavislak followed with the go-ahead, two-run single.
Mid Valley added one run each in the fifth and sixth innings.
Just as they had in the second inning Wednesday, Kaylee Terranella and Emma Kobylanski ripped back-to-back doubles with two out in the fifth to make it 6-3.
Davis led off with a triple and, after Runco was intentionally walked for the fourth time in the game with one out, Courtney Rebar responded with a run-scoring single.
Hailey Kline, Krista Scoblick and Kirsten Finarelli all had singles to load the bases for Ulozas with one out in the seventh.
Zavislak had two hits for Lackawanna League Division 3 champion Mid Valley.
Ulozas finished with four RBI.
Mid Valley, a state finalist last season, advances to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class 3A tournament, which begins Monday. The Spartanettes (19-2) will open close to home against District 3 runner-up Susquenita (19-4).
Lake-Lehman finished 13-7.
Mid Valley is the top-ranked Small School team in the Riverfront Sports Super Six Power Rankings of District 2 teams. Lake-Lehman is No. 4 in those rankings, which are for Class 3A, 2A and A teams combined.
MORE COVERAGE
Quarterfinal and semifinal roundup in Class 3A: https://nepasportsnation.com/softball-mid-valley-seeking-third-straight-title-in-class-3a/.
