D2 SOFTBALL: Holy Redeemer captures 2A crown

SCRANTON — Holy Redeemer never got frustrated. Not when it missed several scoring opportunities in the early innings. Not when it fell behind by three runs.

The Royals finally broke through in the final three innings and rallied for an 8-4 victory over Elk Lake in the District 2 Class 2A softball final Tuesday afternoon at Marywood University.

Mary Lombardi led a 15-hit attack with four hits and Addie Brill added three for Holy Redeemer (15-6), which advances to the PIAA tournament and will face the District 4 champion, either South Williamsport or Troy, in the first round Monday at a site and time to be determined.

“We were on their pitcher the first four innings,” Holy Redeemer pitcher Anne Carter said. “So we just kept saying that it’s going to happen. We just had to be patient and let the game come.”

Elk Lake (17-5) was seeking its fifth straight district title, but had its 17-game winning streak and its season end.

“My assistant coach said there were a lot of base runners out there early and we got away with it. Not sure if we’re going to get away with it in the later innings,” Elk Lake coach Tony Blaisure said. “They had some kids come up in the right spots at the right time and hit the ball hard.”

Still, the Lady Warriors snapped a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth.

Brynn Warriner led off with a triple and Madelyn Ely walked. Celeste Clark then beat out a bunt single that scored Warriner. When Ely tried advancing to third, Holy Redeemer made two throwing errors enabling Ely to score. Two batters later, another Royals error brought home Clark to make it 3-0.

However, Holy Redeemer answered in the top of the fifth.

With one out, Abby Williams singled and Isabella Boylan reached on an error, putting runners at second and third. Carter then hit a two-run single. One out later, Brill rocked a double to right to score Carter and tie the game at 3.

“That was huge. You want to do your best to take away their momentum,” Holy Redeemer coach Jerry Paulukonis said. “The girls stepped up, they knew the game wasn’t over. They came off the field (after the fourth inning) saying, ‘We got this. Let’s go out and hit the ball hard.’”

In the bottom of the fifth, Elk Lake had a chance to reclaim the lead, putting runners at first and third with no outs on a leadoff walk to Leah Traver and a strikeout/wild pitch to Warriner. The Lady Warriors tried to play small ball, but bunted into a pair of outs — including one at home plate. Carter then got a strikeout on another failed bunt attempt to end the inning and keep it tied.

“They had made a couple of mistakes with my 5 and 6 hitters (earlier). I thought maybe we could get them to make a couple more mistakes with my 3 and 4 hitters,” Blaisure said. “I felt more comfortable doing that at that time. But they made a great play on Leah when she was coming into home to get her out. That could have been the turning point in the game.”

It didn’t stay tied for long, however.

Lombardi opened the top of the sixth with a single. After Zoe Pecuch walked, Katie Genovese drilled a two-run triple to give the Lady Royals a 5-3 lead. Williams’ sacrifice fly plated Genovese to make it 6-3.

Marissa Horn had a two-out RBI double in the bottom of the sixth to pull the Lady Warriors within 6-4. But three consecutive two-out singles in the top of the seventh by Grace Stetz-Madden, Lombardi and Pecuch — the latter scoring two runs — gave Holy Redeemer some insurance.

Both teams had early scoring chances, especially Holy Redeemer. But the Royals stranded eight through the first four innings.

Lombardi led off the game with a double and moved to third on a groundout. But Horn got a strikeout and a groundout to end the inning.

In the bottom of the first, Leah Traver tripled to right field. But Carter struck out the next two batters to strand her at third base.

Horn opened the top of the second inning with a strikeout, her second of the game and 500th of her career.

“It’s an amazing feeling. I’ve worked so hard to get to this point in my career,” Horn said. “Having 500 strikeouts means so much to me.

“Holy Redeemer is a good team, a great hitting team. They have a lot of power and aggressiveness. We didn’t play how we should have played today. But that’s how it goes sometimes. That’s just part of softball.”

Carter followed with a single and Addie Brill doubled with two outs to put runners at second and third. But Horn got a strikeout to halt the threat.

With two outs in the top of the third, the Royals loaded the bases on singles by Katie Genovese and Abby Williams and a hit by pitch to Isabella Boylan. Carter then fouled off numerous pitches before Horn finally won the battle, getting her to ground out to second for the final out.

Again, Holy Redeemer put two runners on in the top of the fourth with two outs. But again, Horn got an inning-ending groundout.