North Hills overwhelms Armstrong, wins school’s 1st WPIAL softball title in 21 years
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Wednesday, June 2, 2021 | 8:08 PM
North Hills players mob Hanna Murphy after Murphy drove in the game-ending run to beat Armstrong in the WPIAL Class 5A softball championship game Wednesday, June 2, 2021 at Cal U’s Lilley Field.
North Hills players mob Hanna Murphy after Murphy drove in the game-ending run to beat Armstrong in the WPIAL Class 5A softball championship game Wednesday, June 2, 2021 at Cal U’s Lilley Field.
North Hills’ Melanie Taylor celebrates with Kassidy Wittig after Wittig scored in the third inning against Armstrong in the WPIAL Class 5A softball championship game Wednesday, June 2, 2021 at Cal U’s Lilley Field.
North Hill players mob Hanna Murphy after Murphy drove in the game-ending run to beat Armstrong in the WPIAL Class 5A softball championship game Wednesday, June 2, 2021 at Cal U’s Lilley Field.
North Hills players celebrate with the trophy after beating Armstrong in the WPIAL Class 5A softball championship game Wednesday, June 2, 2021 at Cal U’s Lilley Field.
North Hills’ Brenna Westwood drives in a run against Armstrong in the third inning of the WPIAL Class 5A softball championship game Wednesday, June 2, 2021 at Cal U’s Lilley Field.
North Hills’ Maria Chutko scores against Armstrong in the third inning of the WPIAL Class 5A softball championship game Wednesday, June 2, 2021 at Cal U’s Lilley Field.
North Hills’ Hanna Murphy drives in the game-ending run against Armstrong in the fifth inning of the WPIAL Class 5A softball championship game Wednesday, June 2, 2021 at Cal U’s Lilley Field.
North Hills’ Maria Chutko drives in two runs against Armstrong in the third inning of the WPIAL Class 5A softball championship game Wednesday, June 2, 2021 at Cal U’s Lilley Field.
North Hills’ Sophia Roncone throws a complete game against Armstrong in the WPIAL Class 5A softball championship game Wednesday, June 2, 2021 at Cal U’s Lilley Field.
North Hills’ Kassidy Wittig celebrates at second base after driving in a run against Armstrong in the third inning of the WPIAL Class 5A softball championship game Wednesday, June 2, 2021 at Cal U’s Lilley Field.
North Hills softball coach Libby Gasior said pitcher Sophia Roncone doesn’t necessarily like much attention focused on her.
But holding a team that has scored at least nine runs in 13 of its games to just a pair of first-inning runs is sure to bring attention to her effort.
Roncone held Armstrong to just two hits — both in the first inning — as the Indians rolled to the school’s sixth WPIAL softball title with a 12-2 victory Wednesday at Cal U’s Lilley Field.
Down 2-0 in the bottom of the third, North Hills erupted for seven runs and sent 13 batters to the plate as it took control of the contest.
“Armstrong came out ready to hit. We knew they would. We read about it all week,” Gasior said. “We’ve been down through the course of the season, we’ve been tested, we’ve gotten our butts kicked, we’ve gotten our hearts broken, but we knew we can battle through any situation.”
The Indians scored three more times in the fourth and added two more in the fifth to terminate the game once the advantage got to 10 runs.
North Hills (15-5) will battle Fox Chapel, the WPIAL’s No. 4 team, to open the PIAA playoffs Monday at a site and time to be determined. Armstrong (15-5), which was seeking its first softball crown in the school’s six-year history, will have a long road trip Monday to face the loser of Thursday’s District 3 title game between Twin Valley and Lampeter-Strasburg.
“We came out of the gates and put up two,” said River Hawks coach Doug Flanders. “We were real excited. We had the momentum. Then we just had one of those innings that we haven’t had for a while. We made mistakes, and they’re a great hitting team.”
A single by Jesse Pugh in the first and a grounder to short by Jenna Clontz scored Emma Smerick and Mackenzie Egley, respectively, for the River Hawks.
Armstrong starter Cameryn Sparankle gave up a lead-off double to Maria Chutko, but she was stranded at third to keep the River Hawks in front, 2-0.
Kyra Blauth, the No. 9 hitter in the Indians lineup, led off the pivotal third with a double. Kassidy Wittig followed with another double, and Brenna Westland singled home Wittig to tie the game, and it was all North Hills after that. The first seven North Hills batters in the inning scored to chase Sprankle.
Roncone struck out just four, but her fielders caught virtually everything hit their way.
“I struggled a little bit in the first inning, but my team really picked me up,” Roncone said. “I didn’t have too many strikeouts today, but my teammates really made the plays behind me.”
“She’s not the typical pitcher,” Gaisor said. “She doesn’t want the attention. She doesn’t want the focus. She just wants to go out there and play with her teammates, and that’s what she got to do on the biggest stage.”
For Gasior, it was a notable victory since she was on the last North Hills team to bring home WPIAL gold in 2000.
Said Gasior: “This is all about our community, all about the red and white, and most importantly, all about this team. There have been some distractions, but they made it all about themselves.”
Hannah Murphy had three hits for the Indians, including a single in the fifth to score Melanie Taylor and end the game — her third RBI of the afternoon.
Watch an archived video stream broadcast of this game on Trib HSSN.
Tags: Armstrong, North Hills
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