DISTRICT 2 SOFTBALL: Mid Valley rolls to fourth straight 3A title
May 31—SCRANTON — Most of Mid Valley's recent softball attention has centered around Villanova recruit Maranda Runco.
Holy Redeemer found out there's a lot more to the Spartanettes' lineup.
Courtney Rebar ripped three hits, Audrey Hasenzahl drove in three runs and every Mid Valley player scored or had a hit in a 12-2 win over the Royals in Wednesday's District 2 Class 3A softball championship game at Marywood University.
"It was everybody," Hasenzahl said. "It's so much fun because everybody has each other's backs all the time. We all just work together. If somebody gets out, the next person will do their job so we just keep going."
A four-run second and six-run sixth assured Mid Valley (19-2) of its fourth straight district title.
"Team effort," Mid Valley coach Mike Piercy said. "We had that motto a few years ago when we made our playoff run, it was a new hero every game, and we had so many kids from one to nine step up today in key spots."
It started with Rebar, but not until Holy Redeemer(15-8) had a 1-0 lead.
Payton Parker hit a hard shot up the middle that Runco got a tiny piece of in the pitcher's circle. A passed ball moved her to second, and losing pitcher Anne Carter stroked a high changeup into left field for an early edge.
"It's super important," Holy Redeemer head coach Jerry Paulukonis said of the quick lead. "It gets up your intensity. If we didn't give up the runs the next inning, it's a totally different ballgame. They're intense, they're hitting the ball. It would be interesting.
"I know (Mid Valley) can hit well. Maranda pitches fantastic. So one run definitely isn't enough to win a game like this."
The lead lasted one pitch.
Rebar unleashed a long, majestic homer that easily carried the 220-foot left-centerfield fence.
"It felt like an 0-0 game again," Rebar said. "Even after they scored it was 0-0. I knew we could come back and get it.
"It was right in the middle of the plate and I hit it and I saw my dad out there, thumbs up and everything."
The blast landed atop her father's canopy, just her second homer of the season.
"She has dynamite in her bat," Piercy said. "I've been waiting for that power to come out. This is a big field and that went a long way over. She buckled down and got the big hit early when we needed it, gave us a little confidence and put us in a good spot."
So did the players behind her.
Krista Cortazar hooked a double down the left-field line, Mackenzie Adolfson worked back from an 0-2 count to draw a walk, and Hasenzahl rifled a ball to the gap in left-center, her two-run triple making it 3-1.
"I went up to the plate and I heard that the first pitch was right down the middle so I was ready for it and I took it straight to left center," Hasenzahl said. "I wasn't nervous. I let the bat do the work for me.
"It felt super good to do that."
Piercy was pleased to see the sophomore come through in a big spot.
"Another kid who's hitting the ball well," Piercy said. "To keep winning games in the state playoffs, you need everybody to step up."
Jordan Carroll capped the rally with an RBI grounder.
Runco did her part, too, whiffing seven over the first three innings.
"We knew we had to come out and do what we had to do," Runco said. "I knew we could do that, so I was just very proud of us scoring 12 runs.
"Knowing that Audrey could do that, it just helps us to know that we have people behind us who could do the things they do."
Holy Redeemer got one back on an unusual play in the fourth. Singles by Kaylee Gryboski and Carter put runners on the corners, but Lauren Hayden's wicked shot to third was scooped by Madison Kizer, who checked Gryboski back to third and fired across the diamond to Rebar, who in turn had courtesy runner Grace Stetz-Madden hung up between first and second.
A tag play provided the second out, and Gryboski knocked the ball loose from Adolfson at the plate to prevent it from turning into a triple play, cutting the lead to 4-2.
Again, the Spartanettes had the answer.
Runco and Kizer led off the bottom of the inning with singles and Rebar narrowly missed another homer. Center fielder Lauren Whitman got a glove on Rebar's double that made it 5-2. Cortazar made it four hits in a row with her RBI single.
Runco's sacrifice fly started the game-ending rally. Kizer added an RBI single, Adolfson walked with the bases loaded, Hasenzahl's grounder plated two more, and Carroll singled home courtesy runner Abigail Mackey to close out the 10-run rule victory.
"It's so surreal," Runco said as she and her teammates posed for pictures in front of the scoreboard. "After the third one, I had the same feeling I did the first time we won. I know that everyone here who's taking pictures of us, they're all proud of us. I just love having that feeling."
Mid Valley moves on to the PIAA tournament Monday against District 4 runner-up Warrior Run.
"It never gets old," Piercy said. "I've had a knot in my stomach since last night. No matter how many (titles) you have, this is what you prepare for the whole year for, late May, early June. And this is what we live for."
Mid Valley 12, Holy Redeemer 2
Holy Redeemer 010 010 — 2
Mid Valley 040 026 — 12
Game ended with 2 outs in 5th — 10-run rule
WP: Maranda Runco 6IP, 5H, 2R, 0ER, 0BB, 7SO
LP: Anne Carter 5 1/3IP, 11H, 10R, 8ER, 1BB, 3SO
2B: Courtney Rebar (MV), Krista Cortazar (MV).
3B: Audrey Hasenzahl (MV).
HR: Courtney Rebar (MV).
Records: HR 15-8, MV 19-2
Contact the writer:
570-348-9100, ext. 5437
@mmyersTT on Twitter
