PLAINS TWP. — With another crack at the team that handed them their only loss in pool play, the Mountain Top majors softball team flipped the script and earned themselves a District 16 title.
A balanced offensive attack and a solid performance on the mound by Kendall Mendrzycki added up to championship gold for Mountain Top, as they beat Plains Township on their own home field 7-3 to win the District 16 major softball championship Tuesday night.
Mountain Top head coach Tom Mendrzycki was all smiles after watching his team run the banner around the bases in celebration of their victory.
“These girls have been doing it for years,” Mendrzycki said. “They play as a team, they win as a team. … Everything is about the team.”
In a rematch of last Tuesday’s pool play game won by Plains 12-2, the Mountain Top girls were able to keep the red-hot Plains bats in check for the most part, holding them to their lowest run total of the District 16 tournament.
At the plate, Mountain Top scored at least one run in all but one of their trips to the plate, keeping Plains on their heels and trying to play catch up right from the very first inning.
In the top half of the first, Alekzandria Dutko got the ball rolling for Mountain Top with a one-out double, and would later come around to score after a hard liner into left field was misplayed.
Plains, who had yet to drop a game in District 16 tournament action before Tuesday, was able to answer in the home half of the first thanks in large part to Jordan Prushinski, who singled, stole two bases and was driven in by teammate Daria Clarke.
That brief 1-1 tie was as close as Plains could get to surging ahead in this one, however; Mountain Top went out and tacked on two runs in the second, and kept their opponents at arms’ length essentially the rest of the way.
Among several productive performances at the plate was Kendall Mendryzcki, who had two hits, one RBI and one run scored batting leadoff for Mountain Top.
She also took the ball and got the win for her team on the mound, turning in a complete game effort, scattering five hits, giving up three runs and striking out six.
Helping her out was a defense that played a largely clean and crisp game, keeping errors limited and making a number of plays to strand Plains Township runners on the basepaths.
“We practiced and said ‘try to limit the errors’,” Coach Mendrzycki said. “Keep it simple, we practice fundamentals.”
For Plains Township, Clarke had two hits and a RBI. The pitching was handled by Jordan Prushinski, who tossed a complete game of her own with six strikeouts.
“When you have a team like that, a powerhouse like Plains…I’m so proud of both teams, they did a great job.”
With the win, Mountain Top has punched their ticket to the Section 5 major softball tournament, to be held July 5-9 at North Pocono. They’ll face off with the winners from Districts 17, 31 and 32.
They’ll look to keep their season rolling at sectionals, but Mendrzycki was equally concerned with one thing: making sure his team was having fun out there.
“We wanted the kids to be happy, and have fun,” he said. “It’s Little League…I’m so proud of them.”
