HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL: COWANESQUE VALLEY KNOCKED OUT OF DISTRICTS BY LEAGUE-FOE NORTHEAST BRADFORD (2023-05-23)
Northern Tier West Sports ReportWESTFIELD — Cowanesque Valley scored first in their rubber match with Northeast Bradford here Tuesday, but the No. 6 seed Lady Panthers pulled off the upset and topped the third-seeded Lady Indians 5-2 in the first round of the Class AA playoffs.
Northeast Bradford won the first game between the two this season, 18-8, while Cowanesque Valley rebounded from the loss and earned the NTL-II Championship, and a 12-2 win over the Lady Panthers in the second match-up.
After two and a half scoreless innings here Tuesday, CV’s Zeraya Wilson delivered a one-out single and Ruby Sherman drove a deep fly ball to center that NEB got a glove on but couldn’t come up with, allowing Wilson to score from first.
NEB came up with a one-out double in the fourth inning, followed by a walk and a three-run home run, giving them a 3-1 lead.
The Lady Indians had a chance for a run in the fourth, as Katie Adams hit a one-out triple, but was thrown out at home after an Ella Churchill fly ball and a great throw to the plate by the Panther right fielder.
Northeast Bradford scored two more runs in the top of the sixth inning and would take the 5-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh.
Adams led off the seventh with a double, one of her three base hits in the game. Keyana Thomas hit a deep ball to left-centerfield that the NEB left fielder made a great play on, but Adams was able to tag and score all the way from second.
Up 5-2 with one out, the Panthers would get the next CV batter to pop out to the catcher and used a strikeout to end the game.
CV and NEB each had five hits in the game. Adams had a triple, a double, a single and scored a run and Wilson had two base hits and scored a run for the Lady Indians. Sherman and Thomas each had an RBI.
Sherman started for the Lady Indians and went six innings, allowing five runs on five hits and two walks with eight strikeouts. Laynie LaBarron threw the final inning and had one strikeout.
Cowanesque Valley finishes their season with an overall record of 16-4, a 12-2 league mark and an NTL small-school championship.
PHOTOS: Lance Larcom
