Martz sisters come through as Franklin Regional earns softball win over Latrobe
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Friday, April 4, 2025 | 8:34 PM
Franklin Regional’s Toryn Fulton celebrates with C.C. Copeland as Copeland snags a low pop up and doubles off Latrobe’s Natalia Scekeres on Friday.
Franklin Regional’s Ciara Camacho celebrates with C.C. Copeland after scoring against Latrobe on Friday.
Franklin Regional’s Isabella Salas hauls in the throw for a force out of Latrobe’s Gabi Cunningham on Friday.
Latrobe’s Jules Bulebosh receives the throw for a force out on Franklin Regional’s Olivia Cowell on Friday.
Franklin Regional’s Ciara Camacho gets her fourth hit of the day against Latrobe on Friday.
Franklin Regional’s Adrianna Martz hits a two-run single against Latrobe on Friday.
Latrobe starting pitcher Mya McHugh throws against Franklin Regional on Friday.
Franklin Regional’s Ciara Camacho steals second base behind Latrobe’s Natalia Scekeres on Friday.
Franklin Regional starting pitcher Mia Martz throws against Latrobe on Friday.
Franklin Regional’s Toryn Fulton tags out Latrobe’s Sophie Drojevich at second base Friday.
Adrianna Martz isn’t going to play softball past high school because of a back issue, so the Franklin Regional junior is making the most of her prep career, one clutch hit at a time.
“I have two discs in my back,” Martz said. “I did 12 weeks of physical therapy, and they said I could have surgery, but I don’t want to do that. It doesn’t look like I will be able to play, so this is it.”
When Latrobe intentionally walked Toryn Fulton for a second time Friday, Martz came up with the bases loaded and ripped a two-run single to right center to give the Panthers the lead for good in a 4-3 victory in a Section 2-5A softball game at Graham-Sobota Field.
Fulton, the Panthers’ standout shortstop and South Florida commit, walked all four times she batted, but Franklin Regional (6-2, 3-0) won its fifth straight game in spite of it.
“We’re used to it by now,” Martz said. “Every team does that. Toryn is on a different level. I just wanted to come up and get the ball in play.”
Senior catcher and Kent State commit Ciara Camacho went 4 for 4 with two doubles, and sophomore Ava Rhoten added two hits for the Panthers, who got a complete game from freshman pitcher Mia Martz.
The younger Martz allowed seven hits, all singles, struck out four and walked four.
“It was the Martz sisters. (Adrianna) Martz can do that for us,” Panthers coach Jim Armstrong said. “It is important for her to come up and do that, make it hurt. Mia pitched well today.”
Latrobe (4-3, 1-1), which had a three-game winning streak stopped, was headed for a potential walk-off in the bottom of the seventh, but a reversed call hampered a last-ditch threat.
Senior Mya McHugh led off with a single and was replaced by courtesy runner Sophia Drnjevich. Junior Sara Blossey stepped in and worked a 3-1 count against Martz.
What was initially called ball four was changed to a strike, and the count went full. Drnjevich had taken off for second and was thrown out by Camacho, wiping the bases clear.
If the walk had stood, Latrobe would have had two on with one out. Instead, Blossey flew out to right, and, despite an error that allowed junior Miley Williams to reach, sophomore Madi Balko flew out to end it.
“I felt she offered on the bunt,” Armstrong said. “It was a 3-1 count. I appealed, and they got it right.”
Latrobe coach Bob Kovalcin argued the call and was not infuriated by it.
“It didn’t come down to that. If you’re going to blame a game on one call, on the umpires, then you have bigger problems,” Kovalcin said. “We should have had more hits. Our at-bats were not as good today.”
Kovalcin was more ardent about walking Fulton. Armstrong was displeased and said he would not issue multiple intentional walks if the shoe was on the other foot, even to a player of Fulton’s caliber.
“I know they didn’t like it, but I’d do it again,” Kovalcin said. “Next time, get ready for it. The only time we’re pitching to her is if there are two outs and there is nobody on. If she hits it 400 feet, it’s only one run.”
Mia Martz forced Latrobe to hit the ball in the air, and the Panthers made plays. Her change-up had a lot to do with that.
“We hit too many pop-ups,” Kovalcin said.
An error in the first inning allowed the Panthers to score the first run. Fulton scored after stealing second and racing home in the miscue.
Latrobe tied it in the first on a run-scoring single by Williams with the bases loaded.
The Wildcats went ahead 2-1 in the fourth after junior Maddie Munchinski was hit by a pitch and scored on freshman Natalia Scekeres’ single.
Martz’s two-run single gave the Panthers a 3-2 edge in the fifth, and Rhoten knocked in another run with an infield single.
The fourth run also was somewhat contentious. After Rhoten singled with the bases loaded, sophomore second baseman Jules Bulebash made a move for a force out at second, and it appeared to be in time. But the umpire ruled her foot came off the bag, and instead of the third out, it was 4-2.
It was 4-3 after back-to-back errors by Fulton allowed a run to cross in the fifth.
With Scekeres at first, Panthers’ third baseman C.C. Copeland made a highlight play. She charged and snagged a line-drive bunt by junior Gabbi Cunningham, then fired to first for the inning-ending double play.
“Toryn and Ciara are great players, but we had other kids come through,” Armstrong said. “I am happy with them. They all work hard for it. We’re going to get better and better.”
McHugh went 3 for 4, and Scekeres had two hits for the Wildcats.
Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.
Tags: Franklin Regional, Latrobe
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