North Penn advanced to Monday’s PIAA 6A state semifinal round while Upper Dublin saw its postseason run come to an end. North Penn/Hazleton photos provided courtesy of Kadi Schenk. Check back for a gallery of photos: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f983803863
District 1 6A Quarterfinal
#1-1 NORTH PENN 18, #2-1 HAZLETON 0 (5 innings)
It’s a strategy Sarah Sabocsik had seen before.
With two outs and the Knights holding just a 1-0 lead, Hazleton coach Bob Bertoni opted to walk the dangerous Julia Shearer to load the bases, taking his chances instead with Sabocsik at the plate.
“It wasn’t the first time a team has done that,” the Knights’ senior catcher said. “I know what I have to do – stay calm, stay within myself and swing at good pitches.”
Sabocsik did just that, ripping a fullcount pitch down the third baseline for a bases-clearing double that opened the floodgates. By the time the second inning was over, the Knights led 6-0.
“I was just trying to swing at good pitches – nothing above my head and nothing too low,” Sabocsik said. “The pitch I hit was toward the outside corner, and I was waiting for it and just going with it.
“Scoring those runs definitely allowed us to calm down and not be so stressed hitting since the last couple of games we only got a couple of runs. Getting a lot of runs at the beginning of the game definitely helped. It gave us the breathing room just to go out and play. The whole lineup was hitting. We were productive one through nine. Everyone’s doing their part.”
In fairness to Hazleton, it was pretty much a pick your poison scenario – Shearer is hitting at a .638 clip while Sabocsik is batting .479.
Hits – and runs – came in bunches the rest of the way, erasing any concerns
some had after the Knights’ potent lineup had been unusually quiet in recent outings.
This was the lineup opposing pitchers feared. And with very good reason.
Everyone – one through nine – can and did hit. In addition to Sabocsik’s screaming double in the second inning, Shearer, after a rare 0-for-2 to open the game, smashed a two-run home run to straightaway center field in her third official at-bat and later drove in a pair with a double. Sophia Orth had a pair of hits, including a leadoff double in a three-run third inning. Casey Sokol continued her impressive production out of the eight hole, collecting three hits – including a two-run triple to right field in the third inning – and four RBIs.
For good measure, Lexi Nyce, Tallie Smink and Jackie Diaz all came off the bench to collect hits – Smink’s a two-run triple to left field.
“I’m just extremely happy to see everybody – one through nine – hit the ball today,” NP coach Rick Torresani said. “The umpire came up to me and said, ‘I’ve never seen this before – you had three subs, and all three subs got hits.’”
In the six-run second that gave the Knights control of the game, Gianna Cimino drew a leadoff walk, and it was safe all around when the Cougars committed an error on Orth’s grounder back to the circle. Both runners advanced on Bella Nunn’s sacrifice bunt, and a run that turned out to be the game-winner crossed the plate when Sokol lined a single to right.
With two outs, Shearer was walked to load the bases, setting the stage for Sabocsik’s double that marked the beginning of the end for the Cougars.
“That was huge,” Torresani said. “I understand why they would walk Julia – they know her average, they know what’s going on, but they got to look at Sarah, and she’s batting close to .500, and she came through and that’s what got us going.
“The bats were on today. This is what this team can do when the bats are on.”
The Knights scored three runs in the third to make it a 9-0 game. Orth led off with a single, and after Nunn drew a walk, Sokol lined a two-run triple to right field. A third run crossed the plate on an error.
“I feel like we really came together today,” Orth said. “Especially on the bus. Everything was different. We always feel like we’re together, but I felt so supported by my teammates because I’ve been struggling hitting recently.
“A lot of people have been struggling with the high pitches, and I think today we really saw a change where we were really disciplined in the box and really supportive of each other and not scared at the plate. We were going after pitches we knew were a strike.”
In the fourth, back-to-back singles by Nyce and Sokol set the stage for Tallie Smink’s two-run triple to left field. Shearer followed and smashed a two-run blast to center field that put the Knights on top 13-0.
The fifth inning was highlighted by Shearer’s two-run double as well as RBI singles by Cimino and Orth for the 18-0 final.
“It just feels so good going up to the box knowing you can follow through for your teammates,” Orth said. “Especially playing with players like Sarah and Julia – they always support us so much, so just watching them be who they are and do what they do just brings everybody up.”
Sokol’s 3-for-4 included a triple, three RBIs and three runs scored.
“She’s been coming through when we moved her to DP,” Torresani said of Sokol, who is hitting 420. “We said, ‘Just concentrate on your hitting,’ and ever since then, she’s over .400, she’s getting key RBIs, key fly balls, giving herself up. She’s doing all the right things.”
In the circle, Shearer allowed two hits – neither left the infield – and struck out eight. She did not walk a batter.
“Hazleton got the early bunt single,” Torresani said of the Cougars’ leadoff single. “Then Julia shut them down as she’s been doing all year.”
“She’s so supportive of everybody,” Orth said of the Knights’ ace. “We know we’re there to back her up, and she knows that too. Just the trust we have with her and between everyone on the team. I think that’s what pulls us together and helps us succeed.
North Penn (26-0, 16-0 SOL) will face District 3’s third place team, Chambersburg, in a PIAA 6A semifinal contest on Monday at a time and location to be determined.
North Penn 063 45 18-16-0
Hazleton 000 00 0-2-3
District 1 5A Quarterfinal
#3-1 NORTHERN YORK 10, #1-2 UPPER DUBLIN 0 (6 innings)
In a contest that was a whole lot more competitive than the final score suggests, Northern York scored four runs in the first inning, and that 4-0 scored stood until the sixth when the Polar Bears’ bats came alive, and they scored six runs.
“I’m very proud of this team and the strides they have made this season,” UD coach Heather Boyer said. “Just one year ago, we were 5-15. There was a lot of hard work in the offseason, and that commitment set the standard that helped to turn the tide.
“Our seniors did a great job as teammates, leaders and role models, and we will miss them tremendously. However, we are excited about the future and what that offers us since we will have nine players returning next year.”
After putting up four first-inning runs, the Polar Bears had just three baserunners over the next four innings but erupted for a two-out rally in the sixth.
Kyla Garrison and Kaelin Penna accounted for UD’s two hits – both were both 1-for-3. Kaitlyn Small drew a walk, and no other UD player reached base against Sammi Magee, who struck out 10 and walked one.
Garrison allowed 10 hits while walking five and striking out five.
Upper Dublin – which had the deepest postseason run in program history – closed out its season with a 17-8 record overall. The Cardinals were 12-4 in the SOL.
Upper Dublin 000 000 0-2-1
Northern York 400 006 10-10-0
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