The Pittston Area 9-11-year-old softball team captured a Section title and advanced to state tournament play where it lost its first-round game Friday in Fairchance.
Pittston Area swept a scheduled best-of-three championship series with Greater Wyoming Area to land a spot in the field for the six-team, double-elimination state event, being played near the West Virginia border, south of Pittsburgh.
STATE TOURNAMENT
Nittany Valley rallied over the final three innings Friday afternoon to spoil Pittston Area’s state opener with an 11-6 victory.
Pittston Area scored five times in the bottom of the second and carried a 5-1 lead into the fourth inning. Nittany Valley tied the game with four runs in the fourth, moved ahead with two in the fifth and broke the game open with four in the sixth.
Nittany Valley scored once in the top of the first before Pittston Area moved in front with its big inning.
“We had a couple of key singles and the girls were very aggressive on the bases,” Pittston Area manager Joe Mihalka said of the five-run inning. “We advanced by stealing and on a couple of passed balls.”
Serenity Lostrick had two hits. Abigail Nowakowski doubled for the team’s only extra-base hit. Each scored during the big inning.
SECTION 5 CHAMPIONSHIP
Katie Wywoda threw a one-hitter July 22 when Pittston Area defeated Greater Wyoming Area in four innings for the second straight day, wrapping up the section title with a 15-4 win.
Wywoda, who also had a hit, struck out seven.
Maura Mihalka led the offense with three hits, including a triple.
Olivia Walter and Natalia Soto each added two hits.
Christine Vogel had the GWA hit.
Pittston Area had won the opener, 10-0.