HUGHESTOWN — Gabby Gorzkowski from Pittston Area doesn’t think she is a fast runner.
“No, to be honest,” Gorzkowski said. “If you asked anybody, they’d be like, ‘I don’t know. She kind of just jogs around the bases.’ I knew I had to kick it in. I felt the dirt kicking up off my cleats and I was like, ‘I’m going all the way.’ ”
Gorzkowski completed a two-out, inside-the-park homer in the eighth inning to help Pittston Area win 4-3 against South Williamsport in a non-conference softball game.
Pittston Area's overall record improved to 7-0 while South Williamsport, a Class 2A state semifinalist last year, dropped to 8-2.
Gorzkowski’s hit to right field reached the fence, and she kept running all the way home as the relay throw went off line, leading to a rally from a sixth-inning 3-1 deficit.
“I told them it was the best game I’ve ever been a part of,” said Pittston Area coach Frank Parente, whose team won the 2022 Class 5A state title. “I was so proud of watching them play. Obviously, we had bigger games. It was just a great game to watch.”
Even if it might have been tough for the Pittston Area fans to watch at times.
After an RBI single by Marina Antal in the first inning, South Williamsport, coached by former Major League player Tom O’Malley, used proficient infield defense to keep Pittston Area scoreless for the next four innings.
South Williamsport also showed its ability to hit against Pittston Area ace Gianna Adams, who had four no-hitters and allowed just two hits in five games. Consecutive triples by Abigail Lorson and Kendall Cardone along with a wild pitch gave the Mounties a 2-1 lead in the fourth.
Another triple by Gianna Goodman followed by a bunt increased the lead to 3-1 in favor of South Williamsport in the fifth.
Adams stopped the Mounties for the rest of the game. She struck out seven of South Williamsport’s final nine batters. She gave up another triple in the eighth but got her 14th strikeout to end the threat. She conceded four hits — all triples.
Pittston Area tied the score 3-3 in the sixth. Julia Mehal and Antal started with singles and both advanced to scoring position due to an error on Antal’s hit. Mehal scored on Gorzkowski’s groundout and Antal scored on Tori Stephenson’s single up the middle.
“I loved they came down to play us,” Parente said. “They were who wanted to play this game for two years and I think we’re both better for the game.”
Pittston Area 4, South Williamsport 3 (8 inn.)
South Will.`AB`R`H`BI
Goodman ss`4`1`1`0
Hills cf`3`0`0`1
Schuler p`4`0`1`0
S.Lorson rf`3`0`0`0
Reidy c`3`0`0`0
A.Lorson 1b`2`1`1`0
Cardone 3b`3`1`1`1
Pinkerton lf`3`0`0`0
Holtzapple dp`2`0`0`0
McLaughlin 2b`1`0`0`0
Totals`28`3`4`2
Pittston Area`AB`R`H`BI
Adams p`3`0`0`0
Ta.Stephenson cr`0`1`0`0
Mehal dp`3`1`1`0
Antal lf`4`1`2`1
Herbert ss`4`0`0`0
Gorzkowski 2b`4`1`1`2
To.Stephenson 3b`3`0`3`1
Cocco c`3`0`0`0
Haas cr`0`0`0`0
Hinzte cf`2`0`1`0
Long 2b`0`0`0`0
Totals`30`4`7`4
South Williamsport`000`210`00 — 3
Pittston Area`100`002`01 — 4
3B — Goodman, A.Lorson, Cardone, Schuler. HR — Gorzkowski.
So. Williamsport`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Schuler (L)`7.2`7`4`2`2`1
Pittston Area`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Adams (W)`8`4`3`3`1`14
