HS Softball: Mahanoy Area rallies past Panther Valley

Mahanoy Area's Lilly Carl pitches to Panther Valley's Kyla McQuillen during Saturday's Schuylkill League Division I game at North Schuylkill's Dot Seidel Field. Catching for the Golden Bears is Hailey Mroczka. (Photo by Bob Lipsky)

FOUNTAIN SPRINGS — Mahanoy Area boosted its District 11 Class AA playoff hopes.

Panther Valley’s District 11 Class 4A prospects dimmed a bit.

The Golden Bears rallied from an early deficit, then held on late to defeat the Panthers 7-6 on Saturday in a Schuylkill League Division I softball game moved to North Schuylkill’s artificial turf at Dot Seidel Field due to the heavy rain that hit the area this week.

In the latest District 11 rankings, Mahanoy Area (7-12, 3-10 D-I) solidified its hold on the No. 4 seed in Class AA over No. 5 Executive Education (5-8). The top four qualify for districts.

Meanwhile, Panther Valley (8-10, 3-10) slipped to ninth in the Class 4A standings. The top eight qualify for districts.

The Panthers, the home team on the scoreboard, jumped out early. They capitalized on three errors and a walk to score two runs in the first inning. In the second, Morgan O’Brien launched her fifth home run of the season, a solo shot well over the left-field fence, to make it 3-0.

Mahanoy Area got a run back in the fourth inning when Allison Killian tripled to deep right and scored on Olivia Kennedy’s RBI groundout.

The Bears then bunched two hits, two errors, three walks, a hit batsman and a wild pitch to bat around plus two and post a six-spot in the fifth inning. Naomi Kowalick (2-for-4) and Hailey Mroczka (2-for-4) capped the rally with back-to-back RBI singles as Mahanoy Area built a 7-3 lead.

Panther Valley chipped away in the later innings, but winning pitcher Lilly Carl limited the damage in each frame to lock up the victory. She helped herself at the plate with a single and a double.

In a complete game, Carl allowed seven hits and three earned runs while striking out four and walking two.

“Lilly Carl has been outstanding as a freshman,” Mahanoy Area coach Mick Connolly said. “We had a couple errors in the first couple of innings, got down 3-0. I just love the way they came back and they fought back to get this win. It was a big win for us and a just team effort. (I liked) the way they played as a team, but the way they came back being down 3-0 early, and how they fought and didn’t give up.”

Panther Valley got a run back in the fifth inning on Janessa Prudente’s RBI single. In the sixth, Caroline Breslin rapped an RBI single, but a baserunning error that led to a double play earlier in the inning prevented the Panthers from putting together a big inning.

In the seventh, Isabella D’Ancona slugged a two-out, solo homer over the fence in left-center field to make it 7-6. It was the third home run of the season for D’Ancona, who doubled earlier in the game.

Carl, though, got the next batter to ground out to end the game and clinch Mahanoy Area’s third straight victory.

Mah (7-12, 3-10)               000      160   0 — 7        10       6      

PV (8-10, 3-10)             210       011    1 — 6          7        3

Carl and Mroczka; Goida, Prudente (5) and McQuillen. W— Carl (7-5). L — Goida (1-2).

HITS: Mahanoy Area — Brode, Carl 2, Kowalick 2, Mroczka 2, Killian, Fazio, Kramer. Panther Valley — Breslin, Prudente, D’Ancona 2, Alabovitz, Krapf, Mo. O’Brien.

2B — Carl, D’Ancona. 3B — Killian. HR — Mo. O’Brien, D’Ancona.