Mountain View pieces together victory

BY MARTY MYERS
Times-Shamrock Writer

Three weeks ago, Makenna Whitaker was Mountain View’s shortstop, Sam Krisa was pitching and Hannah Phillips was at first base.

Since then, Mountain View has lost four starters to a succession of injuries that left those three as the only holdovers in their original position.

And it left the top seed in the Class A softball tournament shuffling players in new spots to patch together a lineup.

At least for a day, the Lady Eagles found it.

Rapping 10 hits including three triples, Mountain View advanced to its first District 2 title game, blanking visiting Old Forge, 10-0, in 4½ innings.

And it wasn’t just the offense. After Old Forge dropped two bunt singles in the first inning, Lucy Adams, playing her first game at third base, went 7 for 7 in fielding chances.

“I was really nervous coming into today,” said Adams, who drove in two with a triple in a six-run third. “But after the first couple innings, I made a couple plays and I was ready to be there.”

Thanks to more than just a little resiliency, the Lady Eagles earned a spot in Tuesday’s championship game against Lackawanna Trail at Mid Valley High School at 5 p.m.

“It’s a fantastic job by the girls of overcoming adversity and getting us where now they have the chance to play for a district title,” Mountain View coach Tom Rudzinski said. “That’s a credit to them.

“Lucy never played third before today. The kid is just a phenomenal athlete for a freshman. She’s mature beyond her years. What she did today after the first two bunts, they couldn’t get anything down or anything by her. I’ve played her at every infield position and she’s excelled at every one.”

Old Forge threatened in the first when Alex Nocera and Kierstyn Breig beat out bunt singles, but Krisa got a pair of popups to work out of a bases-loaded jam.

“That sets the tone for the entire game,” said Krisa, who allowed only one more hit. “If we work out of that, we’re on top.”

When Krisa rocketed a double to dead center, Samantha Jones, who set the table for the offense with three hits and scored twice, raced home to make it 1-0. Adams’ single, an infield out and a two-run error bumped the lead to 3-0.

Jones made it 4-0 in the second when she lined a triple and alertly stole home as Old Forge’s defense turned its back on her.

“She’s a strong girl and very quick,” Rudzinski said.

Two errors started a six-run third. Rebekah Tiffany got the inning’s first big blow, a two-run triple to deep left.

“I was listening to coach, who said get up in the batter’s box,” said Tiffany, a former outfielder who is now catching. “Before I stepped in I just took a deep breath and it was just a perfect pitch. I looked up and saw the left fielder running to get it. That’s when I knew it was a good solid hit.”

Tiffany scored on a throw to second after an infield single, and Alexis Diaz came around on Krisa’s third hit.

“We really came together as a team,” Krisa said. “We faced a lot of injuries and a lot of girls had to step up, and they’ve been doing an awesome job hitting. It’s finally starting to come together for us.

“We’ve just got to trust that they step up, and they did.”

Adams made it 10-0 when she whistled her triple into the right-center field gap to score two more.
“If they’re playing shallow, we’re going to show them we can hit it over their heads,” Adams said.