DISTRICT 2 SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
(Presented by Center City Print)
MARANDA RUNCO, Mid Valley senior pitcher
Time period: April 3-9
Game One: Runco threw a one-hitter with 12 strikeouts and a walk in a 4-0 victory over Old Forge April 3. She was 0-for-1 at the plate with three walks and a run scored.
Game Two: Runco was 2-for-2 with a home run, a walk, two runs and two RBI while throwing a four-inning perfect game in a 15-0 rout of Dunmore Wednesday. She struck out 11 of the 12 batters she faced.
Season batting: Runco is 10-for-12 with three doubles, three home runs, six walks, 10 runs and 12 RBI. She has an .833 batting average, .889 on-base percentage and 1.833 slugging percentage.
Season pitching: Runco has allowed just one run, which was earned, in 24 innings. She is 5-0 with a 0.29 earned run average while striking out 47 and yielding just 7 hits and 5 walks.
About Maranda: Runco has signed a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Letter of Intent to play at Villanova University. … Runco was selected by Pennsylvania Sports Writers as the state Class 3A Player of the Year in 2021 after leading Mid Valley to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association championship game. She hit 19 home runs that season despite being intentionally walked in more than two-thirds of her postseason plate appearances, including at times when the bases were loaded. … Runco repeated as a first-team, all-state pitcher last season.
About the Spartanettes: Mid Valley has won the last three District 2 Class 3A titles that were decided. There was not a 2020 spring season because of COVID. … The Spartanettes won Lackawanna League Division 3 last season, but are now part of Division 2 after the league realigned from four divisions to three. … Mid Valley is 5-0 overall, by a combined margin of 58-1, and leads in the playoff ratings race for top seed in the District 2 Class 3A Tournament. … The Spartanettes are 2-0 and tied with Riverside for first place in Lackawanna Division 2.
