Lauren Stalica
Tom Robinson | For Abington Journal
CLARKS SUMMIT — Abington Heights avoided being the latest Pittston Area blowout victim and, by the time the District 2-4 Class 5A Subregional softball game was over, the Comets were applying pressure in the closest game out of 20 played by the unbeaten Lady Patriots.
Pittston Area pitcher Gianna Adams shook off a home run by Lauren Stalica from Abington Heights to retire 12 of the last 13 batters and hold on for a 5-3 road victory.
Colleen Cole singled with two out in the bottom of the seventh to bring the tying run to the plate, but Adams got the final out to send Pittston Area to the final.
“The team that wins this bracket is going to be ready to make a long run,” Abington Heights coach John Kelly said. “ … Whoever moves on is going to be battle-tested.”
Pittston Area advanced to face defending champion West Scranton in the subregional final. Depending on the outcome of that game, Abington Heights and West Scranton may meet June 3 to break their tie for the Lackawanna League Division 1 title. That playoff could be delayed or canceled if West Scranton keeps advancing.
Pittston Area had outscored its last 12 opponents, 134-13, and had not allowed any team to come closer than three runs this season.
That is, until running into the Comets.
The Lady Patriots batted around in the top of the first, but wound up stranding five runners in the first two innings as Stalica’s pitching and some timely defense kept Pittston Area from breaking the game open.
“We had a rough first inning, then we calmed down and played really well,” Kelly said. “It would have been real easy to fall apart.”
The way the Comets battled impressed Pittston Area coach Frank Parente, who described the Comets as a great opponent.
“We haven’t had many close games and I was proud of my girls for not being nervous at all in a close game,” he said.
Pittston Area led 3-0 in the top of the first and had the bases loaded before Abington Heights second baseman Lindsey Tasker dove to her left to snag a hard-hit Adams grounder and throw to first for the third out.
“Their second baseman was fantastic,” Parente said. “That was a huge play in the first inning.
“We had the bases loaded and probably would have scored two more runs, but she saved them.”
Abington Heights then scored two runs in the bottom of the first.
When Pittston Area opened a three-run lead again, Stalica lined the first pitch of the fourth over the fence in left-center.
Megan Heard was 2-for-3 with a run scored and Riley Marshall doubled for Abington Heights.
Stalica retired 10 in a row at one point. She struck out eight and walked one.
Abington Heights opened the subregional with a 5-0 win over Shikellamy.
Stalica struck out eight and scattered seven hits in the shutout.
Heard, Bryn Stiles, Tasker and Renee McDonald each had two hits in the top four spots in the order. Stiles scored twice.
LACKAWANNA TRAIL
Lackawanna Trail advanced to the District 2 Class A final where it was scheduled to face Old Forge in the June 1 final.
The Lady Lions edged Forest City, 4-3, in the semifinals.
