HS Softball: Nativity rallies past Weatherly in Division II clash
Nativity players and head coach Steve Kleeman, left, celebrate Friday's 8-7 victory over Weatherly in a Schuylkill League Division II game atop Lawton's Hill. (Photo by Bob Lipsky)
POTTSVILLE — Down but never out, Nativity stunned Weatherly 8-7 in a Schuylkill League Division II softball game Friday afternoon atop Lawton’s Hill.
Trailing 7-1 after five innings, Nativity erupted for five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, then rallied again for two runs in the seventh to win it. Erin Talmadge’s RBI single through a drawn-in infield drove home Addison Rickard with the winning run.
“That was clutch,” first-year Nativity coach Steve Kleeman said. “… She stayed composed. She didn’t get rattled. That was a great hit.”
Nativity (2-5, 1-3 D-II) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when winning pitcher Chloe Covell tripled to right-center and scored on a wild pitch.
Things stayed that way until the third when Weatherly (2-5, 1-4) sent 10 batters to the plate in a six-run outburst that seemingly gave the Wreckers control of the game. Olivia Marasco belted a two-run triple, and Courtney Snyder clubbed an RBI triple in the inning. Abby Weston and Rebecca Caldwell added RBI singles for Weatherly.
The Wreckers tacked on an insurance run in the fifth on Snyder’s RBI single for a 7-1 advantage.
Held to two hits by Caldwell over the first five innings, Nativity batted around in the sixth to cut the deficit to 7-6. Lauren Clark knocked in a run with a fielder’s choice, while Talmadge and Chloe Zulick delivered RBI singles. Finley McNamara contributed an RBI groundout.
Back at the top of the order in the seventh, Macie Rushannon worked a leadoff walk and took second on a passed ball. One out later, Addison Rickard walked. Clark then hit a high fly ball to left field that was misplayed for an error, and Rushannon raced home with the tying run. After Carleigh Palmieri received an intentional walk to load the bases, Talmadge slapped a single between the first baseman and second baseman into right field, and Rickard scored the winning run. Talmadge finished the day 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored.
“It’s incredible,” Kleeman said. “This team, they really came together the last couple weeks. We’re very young, very inexperienced. They put a lot of hard work in, and it shows. They held it together. Even in games where we were down, they didn’t give up. They kept fighting. This was a complete game for us today. … They did excellent. I’m very proud of them. I couldn’t be more proud of this team.”
In the circle, Covell threw strikes (80-of-113), fanning seven and walking three.
Nativity, which has just two seniors on its roster, started one senior, three juniors, four sophomores and one freshman.
“This is instrumental in moving the program forward. … It’s a big confidence booster. This was huge,” Kleeman said.
Wea (2-5, 1-4) 006 010 0 — 7 12 1
Nat (2-5, 1-3) 100 005 2 — 8 6 2
Caldwell and Marasco; Covell and Clark. W— Covell (2-4). L — Caldwell (2-4).
HITS: Weatherly — Weston 2, Marasco 2, Zuberi, Sahaida, Snyder 2, Caldwell, Kislan, Mac. Rhodes, Homan. Nativity — Rushannon, Covell, Talmadge 3, Zulick.
3B — Marasco, Snyder, Covell.
Tri-Valley 14, Halifax 1
HALIFAX — Kora Rodichok pitched a two-hitter, struck out seven and walked none as Tri-Valley routed Halifax in a non-league game.
Rodichok helped herself by going 2-for-3 at the plate.
Cassi Snyder and Olivia Witmer powered the offense. Snyder went 2-for-3 with two doubles, two runs scored and two RBIs; Witmer went 2-for-3 with a double, a home run, three RBIs and two runs scored. Myah Schwalm went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored for the Dawgs.
TV (4-2) 260 33 — 14 17 1
Hal (3-4) 000 10 — 1 2 2
K. Rodichok and L. Rodichok; Roland, Readinger (3) and Barcavage. W— K. Rodichok (2-1). L — Roland.
HITS: Tri-Valley — C. Snyder 2, Tobin, Artz, Stehr, Ma. Schwalm, Gerber, Witmer 2, A. Snyder, My. Schwalm 2, L. Rodichok, K. Rodichok 2, Stiely, Leonard. Halifax — Roland, Readinger.
2B — Stiely, K. Rodichok, Leonard, Ma. Schwalm, Witmer, C. Snyder 2, Tobin. HR — Witmer, Roland.
Mahanoy Area 15, Shenandoah Valley 0
MAHANOY CITY — Lilly Carl and Olivia Kennedy combined on a three-inning no-hitter as Mahanoy Area downed Shenandoah Valley in a non-league game.
Carl tossed the first two innings, while Kennedy came on in the third.
Urijah Fazio sparked the offense by going 2-for-3 with two doubles, three RBIs and two runs scored. Ella Connolly added a double and two RBIs for the Golden Bears. Ella Brode and Cadance Poslosky rapped two hits apiece for Mahanoy Area.
SV (2-5) 000 — 0 0 5
MA (3-4) 825 — 15 12 0
Zulkowski and Labosky; Carl, Kennedy (3) and Mroczka. W— Carl (3-1). L — Zulkowski (2-2).
HITS: Shenandoah Valley — None. Mahanoy Area — Mroczka, Brode 2, Poslosky 2, Kowalick, Connolly, Carl, Fazio 2, Killian, Kennedy.
2B — Kennedy, Connolly, Fazio 2, Carl.
Tamaqua 13, Lehighton 1
LEHIGHTON — Peyton Faust hurled a three-hitter and struck out seven to lead Tamaqua to a non-league victory over Lehighton.
Molly Evans held the big bat for the Blue Raiders, going 2-for-4 with two doubles, three RBIs and two runs scored. Other top hitters for Tamaqua included Kolbe Robb, 2-for-4, a double and three runs scored; Megan Linkhorst, 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored; and Leah Crowley, 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
Tamaqua, which scored in every inning, has won three of its last four games.
Tam (4-3) 312 43 — 13 12 1
Leh (2-5) 000 01 — 1 3 4
Faust and Krall; Nothstein and Wise. W— Faust (2-1). L — Nothstein.
HITS: Tamaqua — Robb 2, Gormley, Evans 2, Linkhorst 2, Knitter, Crowley 2, Scott, Faust. Lehighton — Myers, Snyder, Nothstein.
2B — Scott, Evans 2, Robb, Nothstein.
Panther Valley 16, Lincoln Leadership 1
ALLENTOWN — Janessa Prudente, Danika Blazosky and Paige Goida combined on a three-inning no-hitter as Panther Valley climbed back to .500 with a non-league thumping of Lincoln Leadership.
Prudente went the first two innings, striking out five and walking one.
