Updates from the Class 5A state softball championship game between Pittston Area and Armstrong:
By Tom Robinson, NEPASportsNation.com
SIXTH UPDATE: 7:24 p.m.
UNIVERSITY PARK – While the team bus makes its way back from Penn State, a celebration is being planned for the unbeaten Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association state Class 5A softball champion Lady Patriots.
The team is expected to arrive in the area around 8 p.m.
The community is asked to come out and show its support as local police and fire departments lead the team from Interstate 81, down 315 to the high school, through Main Street in Pittston toward the Primary Center in Hughestown where the team’s home field is located.
The school is celebrating its first state team championship in any sport.
Information about earlier individual state champions from Pittston Area is among the details to be found in the pregame item posted at: https://nepasportsnation.com/pittston-area-by-the-numbers/.
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FIFTH UPDATE: 5:59 p.m.
UNIVERSITY PARK — Sage Weidlich, Bella Giardina, Maura Mihalka and winning pitcher Gianna Adams all had two hits to lead Pittston Area’s 11-hit attack in a 4-0 shutout of Armstrong Thursday afternoon in the PIAA Class 5A state softball final at Penn State’s Beard Field.
Weidlich scored twice.
Giardina drove in two runs with the game’s biggest hit.
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FOURTH UPDATE: 5:28 p.m.
UNIVERSITY PARK – Pittston Area won its first state title in any team sport with a 4-0 victory over Armstrong.
Gianna Adams tossed a two-hitter with 10 strikeouts. She also went 2-for-3 and drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.
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THIRD UPDATE: 5:03 p.m.
UNIVERSITY PARK – Pittston Area doubled its lead to 4-0 in the fourth.
Skylar Borthwick and Maura Mihalka started the inning with singles.
Kallie Booth reached on a fielder’s choice that could have been ruled an infield single.
Bella Giardina singled in two runs.
SECOND UPDATE: 4:39 p.m.
UNIVERSITY PARK – Pittston Area added a run to its lead and Armstrong managed its first hit during the third inning, which ended with the Lady Patriots leading, 3-0.
Sage Weidlich and Tori Para singled to center field to start the inning.
Ava Callahan’s infield single with one out loaded the bases.
Gianna Adams drove in Weidlich with a sacrifice fly.
Bella Atherton singled to left field to put Armstrong runners on first and second with none out.
Adams got a strikeout, shortstop Para threw to third for a forceout and third baseman Skylar Borthwick caught a line drive to end the inning.
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FIRST UPDATE: 4:18 p.m.
UNIVERSITY PARK – Pittston Area needed just three batters to jump in front of Armstrong, 1-0, without the benefit of a hit.
Kallie Booth reached base on an error by the pitcher to start the game.
Sage Weidlich grounded into a fielder’s choice, erasing Booth.
Tori Para then grounded to shortstop. The throw across the diamond was wild and another throw to try to get Para at second allowed Weidlich, who had started the play at first base, to come all the way around and score.
The game remained 1-0 through two innings.
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INITIAL POST: 3:58 p.m.
UNIVERSITY PARK – Pittston Area and Armstrong got the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class 5A state softball championship game started at 3:35 p.m. Thursday.
The game was originally scheduled for 4 p.m., but the PIAA decided Wednesday to move up the Thursday softball starting times, aiming to get the Class 5A game, the third of the tripleheader, started at 2:30.
The first two games, however, took too long for that plan and the third was started as soon as possible, following warm-ups and introductions. Montgomery defeated DuBois Central Catholic, 5-1, in Class A and Avonworth downed Lewisburg, 7-2, in Class 3A in the first two games.
The weather the PIAA is trying to avoid appears to be more threatening if the game runs long.
