Pictured above: Old Forge softball players received their District 2 gold medals Thursday in the outfield in front of their fans.
By Tom Robinson, NEPASportsNation.com
Already the District 2 champion, Old Forge added another title Wednesday and, in doing so, secured a spot in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class A state softball tournament.
The Lady Devils opened a 10-run lead in the first 1½ innings on the way to a 15-1, five-inning rout of Halifax in the District 2-3 Class A Subregional championship game at Messiah College.
Karen Sickle tossed a one-hitter with eight strikeouts and one walk in the victory.
Mazzie Musgrave and Ava Arnold led the offense with three hits each while Cat Liskosky drove in four runs and Talia Piragas drove in three.
Old Forge scored four times in the first inning and six in the second.
The Lady Devils stretched the lead to 12-0 in the fourth before Abigail Mace tripled and scored for Halifax in the bottom of the inning.
Old Forge scored three more times in the fifth and ended the game on the 10-run rule by getting through the bottom of the inning without allowing another run.
Arnold, who was 3-for-3, and Musgrave each scored twice and drove in a run.
In addition to their 12 hits, the Lady Devils received 9 walks and reached base 4 times on hit batters.
Liskosky tripled in her only at-bat, was hit by pitches twice and walked once.
Piragas doubled twice and scored twice.
Meghan Marianelli had two hits and scored twice. Kate O’Hearn singled and drove in two runs.
Old Forge takes a 17-5 record into state play.
A look back at the rest of the games involving District 2 teams in the District 2-3 Subregional:
DISTRICT 2 FINAL
Old Forge 3, Forest City 1
OLD FORGE – Meghan Marianelli went 3-for-3 and drove in the game’s first two runs, then Karen Sickle worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh with her 14th strikeout Thursday night when Old Forge won the District 2 title by beating visiting Forest City.
The District 2 championship game also served as the District 2-3 Subregional semifinal.
Marianelli’s RBI singles gave Old Forge 1-0 and 2-1 leads in the third and fifth innings.
After Old Forge increased the lead to 3-1, Forest City (8-12) loaded the bases in the top of the seventh.
Riley Bossick created a scare when she pulled a pitch high off the scoreboard in foul territory deep down the left-field line. Sickle came back with a change-up and got the game-ending strikeout.
Sickle got each of the first two scoring innings started. She singled and was replaced by courtesy runner, Arianna Davitt, who scored on Marianelli’s hit both times.
Katie O’Hearn, who had another hit earlier, singled up the middle with two out in the sixth. She scored when pinch hitter Julia DeStefano followed with a double off the left-field fence.
Forest City tied the game with its only run in the fourth inning when Vanessa Hodges led off with a single and eventually scored on an Olivia Casper single.
DISTRICT 2 SEMIFINAL
Forest City 3, Mountain View 1
Forest City batters received five straight walks to begin the May 22 district semifinal and subregional quarterfinal.
The walks produced two runs and sent Forest City on its way to victory.
Ashley Bossick singled and scored.
Riley Bossick earned the pitching win.
