ASHLEY — Mountain Top had four runners in scoring position in the first two innings Sunday afternoon and came up empty.
Everything changed in the third inning.
Mountain Top had its first eight batters reach base, scored nine runs and used the big inning to defeat Greater Pittston Area 10-6 for the District 16 8-10 Softball championship.
Mountain Top will host the Section 5 tournament starting Saturday. It will be joined by District 31 champion Back Mountain and two champions from the Scranton area.
Mountain Top sent 14 batters to the plate starting with Brianna Metrick, who was hitting in the final spot in the batting order. She walked and then the top of the order took over. Ryleigh Guzenski, Ella Smith, Lauren Sterowski and Madison Toole hit consecutive singles. Smith brought home one run and Sterowski sent home two more.
Kenzie Dohman and Kenzlee Witner followed with walks. Lane Myers reached on a fielder’s choice, scoring another run. Arianna Giampetro knocked in a run with a groundout and Kendall Werkeiser later singled and scored.
Just like that, a 3-0 deficit turned into a 9-3 advantage. Giampetro had an RBI single in the fifth to score the 10th run.
“You never know,” Mountain Top manager Danielle Petros said. “We have big hitters, but again the bottom of the lineup put the bats on the ball.”
Sterowski pitched a strong game, striking out 14 and surrendering three hits. She strung together five strikeouts at one point and struck out the side to end the game.
GPA used some aggressive baserunning from Emily Morreale and Grace Whitling to score two runs in the first. Emma Enslin did the same in the second for a 3-0 lead.
GPA didn’t get its first hit until one out in the fourth inning, but it was a big one. Sadie Bomber sent a liner down the right-field line and circled the bases for an inside-the-park home run.
Enslin and Natalie Lambert each had a single for the other GPA hits.
District 16 8-10 Championship
Mountain Top 10, Greater Pittston Area 6
Mountain Top`AB`R`H`BI
Guzinski 1b`4`1`2`0
Smith cf`4`1`2`
Sterowski p`4`1`2`2
Toole c`3`1`2`0
Dohman rf`2`1`0`0
Witner ss`2`1`0`0
Myers 2b`3`2`2`1
Petros 3b`3`0`0`0
Giampetro lf`3`0`1`2
Werkeiser eh`3`1`1`0
Metrick eh`1`1`0`0
Totals`32`10`12`6
Greater Pittston`AB`R`H`BI
Morreale cf`1`2`0`0
Whitling ss`2`1`0`0
Bomber c`2`1`1`1
Lambert 3b`2`0`1`0
Sciandra p`2`0`0`0
Enslin 1b`1`2`1`0
Kroski rf`2`0`0`0
Stuchkus 2b`1`0`0`0
Buckler rf`2`0`0`0
Hunsinger lf`2`0`0`0
McGowan eh`2`0`0`0
Beekman eh`1`0`0`0
Totals`20`6`3`1
Mountain Top`009`010 — 10
Greater Pittston`210`210 — 6
HR — Bomber.
Mountain Top`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Sterowski (W)`6`3`6`5`3`14
Greater Pittston`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Sciandra (L)`6`12`10`8`4`6
