Pictured above: Mid Valley’s Jordan Carroll, who provided the game-ending hit in the district championship game. (Tim Drewes Photo)
After both District 2 Class 3A softball semifinals needed an extra inning to be settled, Mid Valley’s slugging offense broke loose to bring an early end to the district final.
The top-seeded Spartanettes won their fourth straight title, beating third-seeded Holy Redeemer, which had taken out second-seeded Lake-Lehman in the semifinals.
A look at the last two rounds of the district tournament:
MAY 31 FINAL
Mid Valley 12, Holy Redeemer 2
Courtney Rebar led a 13-hit attack for Mid Valley, which ended the game on the 10-run rule by scoring six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning of the championship game at Marywood University.
Rebar went 3-for-4 with a home run, double, two RBI and two runs scored.
The Spartanettes pounded out 13 hits, including 4 for extra bases.
Rebar led off the four-run bottom of the second with a home run to create a 1-1 tie. Audrey Hasenzahl, who finished with four RBI, added a two-run triple to put Mid Valley ahead to stay.
Jordan Carroll, who drove in two runs, ended the game with an RBI single with two out in the sixth.
Krista Cortazar went 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored.
Madison Kizer, who scored twice, and Kat Davis each had two hits.
Maranda Runco threw a four-hitter. She struck out seven and did not walk a batter.
MAY 25 SEMIFINALS
Mid Valley 2, Riverside 1
Kizer lined a single to center field with two out in the bottom of the eighth inning to drive in Hasenzahl with the game-winning run.
Hasenzahl led off with a single, then moved to second on a Davis sacrifice bunt, leading to a walk of Runco.
Riverside’s Lexi Kostoff got a strikeout before Kizer delivered the game-winner.
The Lady Vikes handed the Spartanettes their only loss in Lackawanna League Division 3, then proceeded to give them a playoff test.
Riverside scored in the top of the first and Mid Valley tied the game in the fifth as Runco and Kostoff matched four-hitters.
Runco struck out 12 while issuing just a single walk. Kostoff struck out seven and walked three.
Kostoff was the only player with two hits.
Krista Cortazar had the only extra-base hit. She led off the seventh with a double, but Kostoff stranded her.
Riverside had two of its hits in the top of the first.
Zoey Zimorowicz led off with a single and scored on a Kyleah Edwards sacrifice fly.
Mid Valley’s Mackenzie Adolfson walked to lead off the fifth. She took second on a passed ball, stole third and scored on Hasenzahl’s sacrifice fly.
Holy Redeemer 6, Lake-Lehman 5
Holy Redeemer trailed early and survived a wild finish late to get past host Lake-Lehman in eight innings and avenge two punishing losses in the regular season.
Lake-Lehman’s Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 season included wins of 14-3 and 10-1 over Holy Redeemer.
The Lady Knights led 2-0 until the Lady Royals scored three times in the fourth and once in the fifth.
Holy Redeemer took a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the seventh when Lake-Lehman scored twice to force extra innings.
The Lady Royals scored twice in the top of the eighth, but the Lady Knights came back to get one in the bottom of the inning before Holy Redeemer closed out the victory.
Winning pitcher Anne Carter drove in what proved to be the deciding run in the top of the eighth, then worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the inning to seal the victory.
Carter had two hits and drove in two runs.
Abby Williams, who drove in the first run of the eighth inning, also had two hits for Holy Redeemer.
Hannah Chipego had two hits and scored twice for Lake-Lehman. Ava Hudak drove in two runs.
Kirsten Finarelli homered in the second for the game’s first run, then was walked intentionally in the bottom of the eighth, loading the bases before Carter got the final out.
MORE COVERAGE
Riverside-Mid Valley semifinal photo gallery: Riverside at Mid Valley Softball Photo Gallery – NEPA Sports Nation.8
District 2 Class 3A quarterfinal roundup: ROUNDUP: Pfeiffer, Kostoff lead Lady Vikes into Class 3A semifinals – NEPA Sports Nation.
