BERWICK – If the Pittston Area all-stars are going to win the Little League Junior Softball state tournament, it will be a long road there.
And if Friday night was any indication, they’re not going to exit states quietly.
Pittston Area battled until its final out before falling 3-2 to St. Mary’s at the Berwick Little League in a winners bracket semifinal.
Now for that road. Section 5 champion Pittston Area drops to the elimination bracket and plays at 1 p.m. Saturday against Section 7 champ Caln. A win at 1 p.m. means another elimination game Saturday at 7 p.m.
“Our team has never said die,” Pittston Area manager Mike Callahan said. “We’ve been down before and come back and taken advantage of it. Tonight we came up short, but I’m confident we will probably see (St. Mary’s) again. We come back tomorrow at one o’clock against another tough team, but our girls are pumped.
“This isn’t the end of the road for them and they know that.”
Pittston Area trailed 3-1 with two outs in the top of the seventh. Tori Para kept the game alive with a single to right. Then Sage Weidlich singled to center and Gianna Adams singled to right to score Para. Even the final out was a hard lineout to shortstop.
St. Mary’s struck first with a run in the bottom of the first. Kara Hanslovan singled to left with one out and scored on Julia Jones’ double, which one-hopped off the left field fence.
Pittston Area had a threat in the second when Ava Callahan opened with a double to deep center and moved to third when Kallie Booth’s grounder was booted. Booth moved to second, but the girls were stranded there as St. Mary’s pitcher Kendall Young recorded two consecutive outs.
St. Mary’s made it 2-0 in the second as Sidney Alexander opened the inning with a single, moved to third on an error and scored on a 6-3-5 double play.
Pittston Area got a run back in the third. Isabella Gardina and Para led off the inning with infield singles. Both moved up a bag on a groundout, and Gardina scored on a wild pitch.
Pittston Area was able to keep the deficit at 2-1 entering the fourth thanks to an excellent catch by right fielder Cassie Hintze. Hintze made an over-the-shoulder catch that Pittston Area turned into a double play to end the third. Weidlich, the center fielder, was impressive throughout with her range running down flyballs.
Still, the offensive frustration continued for Pittston Area. It was retired in order in the fourth and pinch hitter Sophia Vanesko led off the fifth with a single, but a pair of fielder’s choices and a groundout ended the threat.
It was more of the same in the sixth as Callahan led off with a single and became the seventh Pittston Area runner left on base.
St. Mary’s added a run in the bottom of the fifth to push the advantage to 3-1. Rosa Deprater singled and made it all the way to third on a sacrifice bunt. She scored on a groundout.
St. Mary’s will play Morrisville at 5 p.m. Saturday in the winners bracket finals. Fairchance and Clinton play at 3 p.m. in the other elimination game.
