Lake-Lehman third baseman Haylee Makarewicz throws to first base on a grounder by Holy Redeemer’s Zoe Pecuch. Pecuch was safe on the play.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Holy Redeemer right fielder Lauren Hayden gets under a flyball hit by Lake-Lehman’s Kaitlyn Brudnicki in the first inning.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Holy Redeemer’s Anne Carter struck out 10 against Lake-Lehman.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Lake-Lehman’s Hannah Chipego threw a two-hitter in a 9-1 victory over Holy Redeemer.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
WILKES-BARRE — The landscape of Division 2 in Wyoming Valley Conference softball changed significantly this week.
Wednesday’s outcome between frontrunners Lake-Lehman and Holy Redeemer played a major part.
Penn State commit Kirsten Finarelli and Kaitlyn Brudnicki hit consecutive home runs in the third inning as Lehman knocked off Redeemer 9-1 to take sole possession of first place.
Winning pitcher Hannah Chipego and Brooke Reilly each had two-run singles as Lehman improved to 5-1 in the division and 10-1 overall. The Black Knights had 13 hits after recording five in a 3-2 loss to Redeemer on April 1.
“I think the girls think Holy Redeemer and mentally just struggle right off the bat,” Lehman coach Nicole Chipego said. “But they are just another team and I told them last night that’s how we have to look at it. Just another game, have fun out there.”
A rough week became rougher for Redeemer (4-2 Div. 2, 5-3), which lost 8-6 to Wyoming Area on Monday. The Royals dropped from first-place into a third-place tie with Berwick in 72 hours.
“Wyoming Area gave us a little gift,” Nicole Chipego said, “and they said ‘Hey, if they can do it, we can do it too.’”
Redeemer also hit into plenty of bad luck. The Royals lined out into three double plays, and Lehman recorded four in all. They had just two hits. Abby Williams singled in the first for her 100th career hit and Katie Genovese doubled in their only run in the third.
“We were hitting the ball to somebody or into a double play,” Redeemer coach Jerry Paulukonis said. “What you going do? But no excuses.”
Chipego gave Lehman a 2-0 lead in the second with a two-run single. Finarelli led off the third with a towering homer to center. Brudnicki followed with a liner over the left-field fence.
Lehman increased the lead to 5-0 in the third when Reilly and Hayley Wallace hit consecutive singles and moved up a base on a sacrifice bunt by Alexis Shotwell. Reilly scored on a groundout by Jordyn Shorts.
Reilly rolled a two-run single to right in the sixth for a 7-1 lead. Gracie James singled in a run in the seventh and an error on the play allowed Lehman’s ninth run to score.
Berwick 11, Hanover Area 6
Ashlyn Klahold had three doubles and three RBI as Berwick defeated Hanover Area.
Makayla Brown was 3-f0r-3 with two runs scored for Berwick. Morgan Drauschnak had a double and scored two runs. Morgan Siegel was 3-f0r-4 with a double and an RBI.
Roxy Brandolino homered and had three RBI for Hanover Area. Caitlyn Vigorito doubled and had three RBI.
Elk Lake 8, Wyoming Area 6
Elk Lake scored five runs in the fifth inning and two more in the seventh to defeat Wyoming Area in a non-conference game.
Alexa Gasek was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI for Wyoming Area. Marissa Giardina was 2-for-3 with two RBI. Josie Kivak had two hits and scored three runs. Addison Gaylord had two hits.
Lake-Lehman 9, Holy Redeemer 1
Lehman`AB`R`H`BI
Chipego p`5`2`2`2
James rf`5`0`1`1
Finarelli c`1`2`1`1
Brudnicki 2b`4`1`3`1
Reilly lf`4`1`2`2
Wallace ss`4`1`2`0
Shotwell cf`3`0`1`0
Shorts 1b`4`1`1`1
Makarewicz 3b`2`1`0`0
Totals`32`9`13`8
Redeemer`AB`R`H`BI
Pecuch 1b`1`1`0`0
Genovese c`3`0`1`1
Williams ss`3`0`1`0
Boylan cf`3`0`0`0
A.Carter p`0`0`0`0
C.Carter cr`0`0`0`0
Hayden rf`3`0`0`0
Stetz-Madden 3b`2`0`0`0
Brill dp`2`0`0`0
Grandzol pr`0`0`0`0
Lombardi lf`3`0`0`0
H.Pius 2b`0`0`0`0
Totals`20`1`2`1
Lake-Lehman`023`002`2 — 9
Holy Redeemer`001`000`0 — 1
2B — Genovese. HR — Finarelli, Brudnicki.
Lehman`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Chipego (W)`7`2`1`1`6`7
Redeemer`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
A.Carter (L)`7`13`9`8`2`10
Berwick 11, Hanover Area 6
Hanover Area`AB`R`H`BI
Malacarne 1b`4`1`0`0
Weidner 2b`4`1`0`0
Ponko ss`4`1`1`0
Vigorito p`4`1`2`3
Siene c`4`1`1`0
Brandolino cf`3`1`1`3
Gianelli 3b`1`0`0`0
Shreve 3b`2`0`0`0
Mihalchak lf`1`0`0`0
Brown lf`2`0`0`0
Place rf`3`0`1`0
Totals`32`6`6`6
Berwick`AB`R`H`BI
Klahold ss`4`1`3`3
Hunter 2b`3`1`1`0
Weaver 2b`0`0`0`0
Brown cf`3`2`3`1
Welsh c`4`0`0`0
Rivas rf`4`1`0`1
Drauschak 3b`4`2`2`1
Ashworth lf`4`0`1`0
Bankes 1b`4`1`0`0
Siegel p`4`2`3`1
Levan cr`0`1`0`0
Schnerr cr`0`0`0`0
Totals`34`11`13`7
Hanover Area`000`420`0 — 6
Berwick`062`210`0 — 11
2B — Vigorito, Siegel, Drauschak, Klahold 3.
Hanover Area`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Vigorito (L)`6`13`11`2`2`3
Berwick`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Siegel (W)`4`4`6`5`0`5
Brown (S)`3`2`0`0`0`6
