FILE PHOTO: Tunkhannock’s Kaya Hannon.
Kaya Hannon threw a one-hitter and scored both Tunkhannock runs Monday night as the Lady Tigers returned to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class 4A softball quarterfinals with a 2-1 victory over District 4 champion Shamokin in a first-round game at Central Columbia High School.
District 2 had two softball teams and one baseball team make the 2021 state finals, then return to this year’s PIAA tournaments with district title defenses.
Earlier Monday, Mid Valley was eliminated from the Class 3A softball tournament and Wyoming Area was knocked out of the Class 4A baseball tourney, leaving the Lady Tigers as the last team pursuing a return to the finals.
Hannon struck out seven and walked two to get the pitching win.
Tunkhannock trailed after the first inning and went into the top of the sixth in a 1-1 tie.
Hannon’s baserunning put pressure on Shamokin.
Annie Hornberger struck out 12 in a four-hitter, but struggled fielding her position.
Hannon reached on an error by the pitcher with one out in the sixth. She stole second, took third on a passed ball and scored when Hornberger mishandled a comebacker by Sydney Huff.
Huff stole second and went to third on an Erin Van Ness sacrifice before being stranded there.
Shamokin had scored an unearned run in the bottom of the first with a leadoff walk, sacrifice and an error. The Indians got their only hit in the second inning.
Tunkhannock overcame an error to start the bottom of the sixth.
Following the error, Hannon struck out four of the last six batters.
James tracked down a deep flyball in center field for the second out of the sixth. Hannon then struck out the next three Shamokin batters before the final groundball went off third baseman Huff’s glove and was handled by shortstop Schultz, who threw to Wood at first for the out.
Tunkhannock tied the game in the fourth.
Hannon singled with one out and went all the way to third on an error. She then scored on a two-out single to right field by Van Ness.
Tunkhannock’s Paige Marabell doubled for the game’s only extra-base hit. In four postseason games, she is 6-for-11 with 4 homers, 2 doubles, 10 RBI and 4 runs scored.
MORE CLASS 4A SOFTBALL
Tunkhannock-Valley View District 2 final game story: https://nepasportsnation.com/marabell-homers-three-times-in-final/.
District 2 quarterfinals, semifinals: https://nepasportsnation.com/softball-pitching-defense-lead-tunkhannock-valley-view-into-final/.
