Palisades wins 1-0 in nine innings to advance to Colonial League final

Jackie Gubler’s one-out double in the bottom of the ninth inning drove home courtesy runner Laurel Coffman with the winning run as Palisades nipped Pen Argyl 1-0 in a classic Colonial League semifinal game at Pates Park.



The Pirates (17-4) will go for their second straight league title at 5 tonight against Northern Lehigh, a 3-1 winner over Southern Lehigh in the other Colonial semi Wednesday night.



Palisades junior star Krista Morrone and Pen Argyl’s Deleila Schriner put nothing but zeroes on the board through the regulation seven innings and both worked out of trouble in the eighth.



But in the ninth, Taylor Rundatz, who had three of her team’s nine hits, singled to left-center. Morrone followed with a bloop hit to right.



Coffman replaced Morrone on the bases as a courtesy runner. Mary Beth Sadow hit into a fielder’s choice before Gubler spanked a 1-2 pitch over the head of the Pen Argyl right fielder, allowing Coffman to score easily.



Morrone struck out seven, giving her 242 strikeouts on the season and issued one walk – just her fifth free pass of the season.



After allowing a single to Lindsay Ashworth in the third, Morrone retired the next 16 batters before Kassy Beckage doubled to left with two out in the eighth.



Pen Argyl 000 000 000 -- 0 3 1

Palisades 000 000 001 – 1 9 2

Schriner and Stem; Morrone and Sadow



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(posted as the game was going on)

Palisades pitcher Krista Morrone and her Pen Argyl counterpart Deleila Schriner are both tossing shutouts through eight innings of the second Colonial League semifinal on Wednesday night at Pates Park.

Both teams left two runners on base in the eighth inning, but both squads have had few offensive chances.

Palisdes (16-4) is the defending league champ. Pen Argyl (13-7) is seeking its first crown since 2007.

The winner will face Northern Lehigh, a 3-1 winner over Southern Lehigh earlier tonight, at 5 p.m. Thursday for the Colonial League title.

FROM KEITH GROLLER