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Dominic Hockenbury running for gold at PIAA Class 2A Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University

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Crestwood holds off Dallas for District 2 boys lacrosse title

HAZLETON &#8212; Delaware Valley&#8217;s final swing of the softball season sent a sizzling line drive at Hazleton Area pitcher Celine Podlesney.Catch. Easy throw to first. Double play. The epitome of Thursday&#8217;s District 2-4 Class 4A semifinal game.Hazleton Area made the plays when needed and DelVal didn&#8217;t as the Cougars posted a 5-1 victory to head to the championship game for a fourth consecutive year.Second-seeded Hazleton Area (14-2) will play the same team &#8212; District 4&#8217;s Williamsport (15-4) &#8212; it played the previous three times on Tuesday for the title. Like those three past meetings, Tuesday&#8217;s championship game will be at Wilkes University at 4 p.m. Top-seeded Williamsport defeated Wallenpaupack 4-0 in its semifinal.Podlesney&#8217;s snag and throw to first to double off DelVal&#8217;s Lexi Lambert was the second double play by Hazleton Area.&#8220;Well, I was like it either hits me in the face or I catch it,&#8221; Podlesney said.The catch by Hazleton Area right fielder Abby Sachse in the fourth was more adventurous. With Stef O&#8217;Grady on second and Hazleton Area leading 3-1, DelVal&#8217;s Katie Dube hit a rocket at Sachse. Sachse backpedaled and jumped in the air to spear the ball. She then threw to second to double off O&#8217;Grady and end the inning.&#8220;When I saw it was hit to me, I was a little nervous,&#8221; Sachse said. &#8220;I took a first step in, which you&#8217;re not suppose to do. But I knew I had a good read on the ball and I knew I had to get the ball or they were going to score. So I jumped and caught it.&#8221;DelVal&#8217;s defense wasn&#8217;t as crisp.Jessica Bernotas, running for Podlesney in the third, scored all the way from first on a throwing error on Mikaela Browdy&#8217;s grounder. DelVal first baseman Dube made a strong throw home to catcher Nikki Cuccio. But because Cuccio is left-handed, she couldn&#8217;t make a swipe tag and had to reach across her body. That was just enough for Bernotas to slide in safely.Hazleton Area made it 3-0 in the third. Maria Trivelpiece opened with a single and moved to third an out later on Lexi Wolk&#8217;s bloop double to right. Megan Trivelpiece then hit a grounder and the throw home hit her sister as she slid across the plate. The ricochet allowed Wolk to also score.The Cougars added two more runs in the sixth on a RBI single by Podlesney and and RBI double by Kasey Biever.&#8220;Defense wins and keeps us in every single game,&#8221; Hazleton Area coach Adrienne Rebarchak said. &#8220;The defense was awesome everywhere from the infield to the outfield. Our defense has been our brightest point all season.&#8221;Hazleton Area 5, Delaware Valley 1DelVal`AB`R`H`BICuccio c`3`0`2`0Quinn 2b`2`1`1`0O&#8217;Grady ss`3`0`1`1Lambert 3b`3`0`1`0Dube 1b`3`0`0`0C.Cavallero rf`2`0`0`0M.Cavallero ph`1`0`0`0Fortuin dp`2`0`0`0Powell p`2`0`0`0Papalone cf`2`0`0`0Buckley lf`0`0`0`0Totals`23`1`5`1Haz Area`AB`R`H`BIMa.Trivelpiece 2b`4`1`2`0Yori 3b`2`0`0`0Wolf cf`3`1`2`0Me.Trivelpiece 1b`3`0`0`1Sachse rf`3`1`1`0Podlesney p`3`0`2`1J.Bernotas cr`0`2`0`0Kinney c`3`0`0`0Browdy ss`3`0`0`0Biever dp`3`0`1`1V.Bernotas lf`0`0`0`0Totals`27`5`8`3Delaware Valley`000`100`0`&#8212;`1Hazleton Area`012`002`x`&#8212;`52B: O&#8217;Grady, Wolk, Biever. 3B: Cuccio, Sachse.DelVal`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SOPowell (L)`7`8`5`3`0`1Haz Area`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SOPodlesney (W)`7`5`1`1`0`2

Hazleton Area advances to the District 2-4 Class 4A championship