Southern Lehigh, Pen Argyl to meet in Colonial League softball finals

FROM KEITH GROLLER

I am at the Lehigh Valley Conference semis at Parkland, but Tim Shoemaker gave me this report on both games of the Colonial League semis at Pates Park.

Game 1

Katie Tankred pitched a four-hit shutout and Cory Ozanne hit a home run to lead off the third inning to lead Southern Lehigh to a 1-0 win over Notre Dame in the Colonial League softball semifinals Saturday morning at Patriots Park.

Solehi will meet Pen Argyl in the finals after the Green Knights rallied to beat top-seeded Saucon, 3-2.

The Colonial League finals are set for 4 p.m. today, the second game of a championship doubleheader at Pates Park.


Notre Dame pitcher Ericka Esposito pitched out of three jams to keep her team close. Southern Lehigh had runners on second and third in the second, third and fifth innings, but failed to get an insurance run.


Jamie Pohl and Liz Saraceno singled in the top of the seventh for Notre Dame, but but Tankred got the last two outs -- including catching a liner herself to end the game.

It was Southern Lehigh's third shutout win of the season over Notre Dame (13-8). The Spartans (16-5) will go for their 26th league title.

Game 2

Deleila Schriner pitched a three-hitter and allowed no runs over the final five innings to lead Pen Argyl to a 3-2 win over Saucon Valley.


Pen Argyl (14-6), the fourth seed, will play second-seeded Southern Lehigh (16-5) in the championship at 4 p.m. Sunday at Pates Park.

After each team scored a run in the first, Saucon (!7-2), the top seed, went up 2-1 when Courtney Laub scored on a throwing error on a ball hit by Lorrie Werkheiser.


Pen Argyl scored twice in the fourth to take the lead at 3-2. Saucon pitcher Stephanie Rusu nearly pitched out of a bases-loaded jam, but courtesy runner Hailey Kemmerer and Brittany LaBadie scored on a play on which the Panthers made two of their four errors.

Given the lead, Schriner retired 14 of the final16 batters she faced. The game ended on a double play -- Second baseman Kassy Beckage caught a line drive off the bat of Werkheiser and threw to shortstop Mallory Oyer to double up pinch runner Sam Laub.


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