Sports

SCRANTON – Montrose earned its first trip to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association state softball tournament in 32 years Wednesday when it defeated Dunmore, 6-2, Wednesday at the University of Scranton’s Magis Field.

Kyleise Kublo had two hits, scored twice, drove in the game-winning run and was a big part of a strong defensive effort by the Lady Meteors.

Montrose, the Lackawanna League Division 3 champion, improved to 18-2 overall. The Lady Meteors won their 13th straight, avenging one of their two losses when they fell, 5-4, to Dunmore in an April 18 non-league game before starting their current streak.

“We had a lot of people doubting us,” Lady Meteors coach Madelynn Guinane said. “…These girls love proving people wrong.”

The Lady Meteors won their first district title since becoming a full-time member of District 2. They won District 12 Class 2A in 1979, took the 1985 District 2 Class 3A title when they did not have competition within District 12 and won District 12 Class 3A in 1994.

Kublo hustled into the gap in left-center field to throw out leadoff hitter Aubrey Mizenko at second base when the game was still scoreless in the third inning. Mizenko had the first of two straight hits, but Kublo’s play helped keep the Lady Bucks from threatening.

“On the bases and in center field, she is one of the fastest runners I have ever seen and I wouldn’t want to play against her,” Guinane said. “She covers a lot of ground. She has a great glove and her arm is unbelievable, an absolute cannon from the fence to home.

“She has saved us a lot of runs.”

Myckenna Kublo followed her sister in the order and also scored twice. She singled in Kyleise for the game’s first run in the fourth inning, then came around to score for a 2-0 lead. The catcher walked and scored in the four-run fifth after Dunmore had tied the game.

“They’re unbelievable,” Guinane said. “…They’re fantastic leaders, unbelievable hitters and as teammates, they are wonderful, too.”

Libby Bush singled in two runs in the fifth.

Anna Evans had a triple and Cara Evans had a double for the team’s two extra-base hits.

Freshman Alayna Mott struck out four, all over the final 3 1/3 innings, to surpass 100 for the season. She gave up nine hits, but walked just two.

“She’s never been in this stressful a situation before and she just locked it down,” Guinane said. “…From the start of this year until now, she has just improved so very much.”

Mott and Ally Legg singled to start the bottom of the fifth when Montrose batted around to take control of the game.

Shortstop Isabella Owen handled five straight outs early in the game and made the plays that ended each of the first three innings as well as the game.

The Lady Meteors feature six freshmen, including four in the starting lineup.

WEEK IN REVIEW

Susquehanna and Elk Lak8e each lost in District 2 baseball championship games.

MMI Prep rallied past Susquehanna, 5-4, in a Class A game at Wilkes University May 26.

Wyoming Seminary routed Elk Lake, 21-4, in Class 2A at the University of Scranton Friday.

The Sabers led the Preppers, 4-0, after 3½ innings.

MMI Prep scored once in the fourth and twice each in the fifth and sixth innings to pull out the win.

Owen Cook drove in two runs for Susquehanna with a pair of sacrifice flies. He also had a hit in his only official at-bat and was hit by a pitch.

Gabe Maby had a hit, a run and two stolen bases.

Drew Hennessy had the other hit for the Sabers.

Caedon Stone was hit by a pitch and scored. He was the starting pitcher, holding the Preppers to two runs (one earned) on four hits and a walk while striking out two in four-plus innings.

Wyoming Seminary scored five runs in the top of the first inning, but Elk Lake recovered and closed within 7-4 after four innings.

The Blue Knights then scored three runs in the fifth and two in the sixth before breaking things open with nine runs in the seventh.

Wyoming Seminary took advantage of 21 walks by Warriors pitchers, including nine in the seventh inning.

Stephen Newhart had two RBI for Elk Lake. Newhart, Matt Parr, Aiden Felker, Brayden Miller and Lucas Benscoter had the team’s hits.

Lackawanna League teams won titles in Class 4A and 3A where Mid Valley and Dunmore came out on top. Hazleton Area (6A) and Pittston Area (5A) joined Wyoming Seminary and MMI to give the Wyoming Valley Conference four champions.

In softball, the Lackawanna League swept all six district titles, shutting out the WVC. From Class A through 5A, the champions were: Holy Cross, Montrose, Mid Valley, Valley View and Abington Heights. West Scranton was the district champion in Class 6A, but lost to District 4’s Williamsport in the District 2-4 Class 6A Subregional final.

In track and field, Mountain View’s Jacob Ficarro was named Boys Field Athlete of the Meet in the WVC vs. LTC Senior All-Star Meet at Mid Valley Sunday.

Ficarro won the triple jump with 43-9¾ and finished second with a long jump of 20-5½ to help the Lackawanna Track Conference to a 101-47 victory in the boys’ meet.

LOOKING BACK

SHIPPENSBURG – Elk Lake’s Kendel Jones put a fitting cap on a highly successful running career with three medals while leading the Warriors to a fifth-place finish in the Class 2A boys’ standings in the PIAA Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University May 22-23.

Jones finished second in the 3200-meter run in 9:17.54 and fourth in both the 1600 run in 4:14.76 and as the anchor of the 3200 relay team that finished in 8:04.43.

Montrose’s Sadie Jones, Elk Lake’s Cody Adams and Dunmore’s Weston Yannone, a former Susquehanna athlete, also earned multiple state medals.

Brody Crisman, Trevor Upright and Parker Upright also contributed points as Elk Lake scored 24 in the Class 2A boys’ team standings race where teams from District 10, the Erie area, finished first, second and tied for third.

Quaker Valley won the title with 47 points. Fort LeBouef had 39. Corry tied Danville for third with 24.

Crisman was fourth in the high jump, clearing 6-4.

Adams and the Uprights ran the relay before Kendel Jones.

The top eight in each event earned team points and state medals.

Adams took the last medal in the 1600 in 4:17.81 and missed by one place in the 3200 where he was ninth in 9:30.93.

Kendel Jones was also 16th in the 800 in 1:59.30.

Trevor Upright was 26th in the 800, Brent Drost was 28th in the 400 and the Elk Lake 1600 relay team placed 34th.

Yannone helped Dunmore finish eighth in the state with 20½ points.

The former Saber was second in the 110 high hurdles in 14.30 after also being second during qualifying with a time of 14.42 seconds. He was seventh in the 300 hurdles in 40.11 after qualifying fourth in 39.28. Yannone anchored the 11th-place 1600 relay and placed 19th in the 100 dash.

Blue Ridge was 45th with the five points scored by Chance Davis.

Davis was fourth in the long jump with 21-10 and 13th in the high jump with 6-2.

Susquehanna’s Maxx Kelly placed 12th in the 800 and 20th in the 1600.

Montrose’s Nicolo Christian was 15th in the 400, 22nd in the 200 and 13th as part of the 400 relay.

The Montrose girls were 31st with eight points, all from Sadie Jones, who just missed scoring in a third event.

Sadie Jones was third in the javelin with a throw of 126-0, seventh in the triple jump with 37-1¼ and ninth in the long jump with 17-9¾. She was also part of a 16th-place relay team.

Avery Kerr took 16th in the 1600. Anna Tillotson was 19th in the shot put and Addison Stephens placed 23rd in the 3200.

Elk Lake’s Kendyl Weisgold finished 13th in the 800 and 24th in the 1600.

Shenango outscored Hughesville, 40-39, for the title.

Mid Valley. led by freshman Olivia Thomas, who won the triple jump as District 2’s only gold medalist, was tied for seventh with 26 points.

In softball, Montrose defeated Elk Lake, 11-1, in five innings May 22 in the District 2 Class 2A semifinal.

Kyleise Kublo’s three-run, inside-the-park home run highlighted a six-run third inning for the Lady Meteors.

Bush went 3-for-3 and scored three times.

Mott did not allow a walk or earned run while striking out five in a four-hitter.

Kyleise Kublo and Cara Evans each had two hits. Legg doubled and drove in two runs.

In baseball, Elk Lake reached the Class 2A final with an 8-2 victory over Lackawanna Trail May 22.

Miller struck out 10 while holding the Lions to three hits for six innings and not allowing a walk or earned run. He also led the way at the plate, going 2-for-2 with four RBI.

Felker was 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Benscoter drove in two runs and Newhart had a double and RBI.

THE WEEK AHEAD

The PIAA state baseball and softball tournaments continue with quarterfinals Thursday and semifinals set for Monday, June 8.

If Montrose got past unbeaten District 4 champion Northwest Monday, the Lady Meteors would face the winner of the game between District 6 champion Bellwood-Antis and Chartiers-Houston.

TOM ROBINSON writes a weekly local sports column for the Susquehanna County Transcript. He can be reached online at RobbyTR@aol.com or followed on Twitter at @tomjrobinson.