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WEST PITTSTON &#8212; The party continues for the Pennsylvania Little League team.Morrisville kept its semifinal hopes alive with a 12-6 victory over Sharpsburg (Maryland) in the Little League 9-10 Softball East Region tournament Tuesday. West Pittston hosts the 10-team tournament that culminates Friday.Splitting its first two games of the tournament, Morrisville (Lower Bucks County) kept its chances alive for the four-team elimination bracket. The top two teams from each division advance. Pennsylvania has its final pool game Wednesday at noon against undefeated Delaware.A pair of big four-run innings proved to be the difference for Pennsylvania. In both the first and sixth, The same first three batters &#8211; Caitlyn Martell, Katey Brennan, Rowan Mulholland &#8211; reached base to set off the offensive production. In total, the top of the lineup went an outstanding 9 for 11 at the plate with seven runs scored. Each had three hits apiece.&#8220;I try to get them to practice to keep their confidence up and pick each other up,&#8221; Morrisville coach Joe Sesar said. &#8220;I call it starting the party. Everyone joined in.&#8221;After a Maryland comeback diced Pennsylvania&#8217;s lead to two, Pennsylvania posted four runs in the sixth inning to put the game out of reach.&#8220;When the beginning of the lineup hits, it sets the level for the rest of the lineup,&#8221; Sesar said. &#8220;Everyone feels comfortable once they start clicking.&#8221;Pennsylvania ignited for four runs in the top of the first. After a leadoff single by Martell, Katey Brennan launched a hit to shallow center that took a funky hop to trick the centerfielder. Brennan legged out the hit for a triple, and Hannah Hawkes drove in the second run with a fielder&#8217;s choice. Pinch hitter Payton Ferri launched a hit to deep center to drive in two runs to wrap up Pennsylvania&#8217;s offensive onslaught.Maryland put a scare into Pennsylvania in the fourth inning, slimming the deficit to two with three unearned runs. Sharpsburg failed to get more than a runner in scoreless fifth and sixth innings. Following a run-scoring Hailey Connor single in the fourth, Paige Smith sent a pitch deep over the centerfielder&#8217;s head for a two-RBI double.&#8220;It kind of flat-lined for us,&#8221; Sesar said. &#8220;It felt like we were close to our spots but just not hitting them.&#8221;Alhana Sesar nearly went the distance for Pennsylvania by allowing three earned runs and striking out five in 5 1/3 innings. Her Maryland counterpart Madison Taylor struck out eight in the same amount of work.Maryland&#8217;s Connor went 4 for 4 with two runs, an RBI and a triple.Pennsylvania catcher Mulholland picked off a leading Connor at first base &#8211; thanks to a heads-up tag by first baseman Brennan &#8211; in the bottom of the first. The defensive play prevented Maryland from reaching scoring position following an error.Morrisville continued to tack on run production in the second. Four consecutive singles commenced in a pair of RBI base hits by Mulholland and Sesar to extend Pennsylvania&#8217;s lead to six.Maryland finally posted a run to the scoreboard in the bottom of the second inning. Emily Tobery outraced the grounder to shortstop to leadoff and moved to third base on a textbook sacrifice bunt by Madison Wade. Paige Sluzalis drove in the first Sharpsburg run to cut the deficit to 6-1. Pennsylvania responded with one of their own in an error-filled third inning.Tobery made the most of Connor and Paige Smith singles with a line drive down the left field line that brought home two runs in the third, putting Maryland within four runs of the lead. Pennsylvania shortstop Martell made a huge defensive stop to end the inning, catching a deflecting off the third baseman to complete a 5-6-3 play.Morrisville&#8217;s Riley Mahony single-handedly generated a Pennsylvania run in the fourth. With two outs, Mahony reached first time via a walk before stealing second and third base on consecutive pitches and scored on a wild pitch.Following a 1 hour, 45 minute rain delay, West Pittston Little League officials and grounds crew swiftly made the field look pristine for the final game Tuesday.New Jersey defeated New York 7-4 and Maine ousted Massachusetts 4-1 in Tuesday&#8217;s other contests.Pennsylvania 12, Maryland 6Pennsylvania`AB`R`H`BIMartell ss`4`3`3`0Brennan 1b`4`2`3`1Mulholland c`3`2`3`2Sesar p`4`1`2`2Mahony cf`3`2`0`1Hawkes 3b`3`1`1`2Poland 2b`1`0`0`0Ferri 2b`2`0`1`2Fang 2b`1`0`0`0Milewski rf`2`0`0`0Crawford rf`1`0`0`0Jordan rf` 1`1`0`0Croteau lf`3`0`1`0Totals`32`12`14`10Maryland`AB`R`H`BIMentzger c`4`1`0`0Connor 3b`4`2`4`1Smith ss`4`1`2`2Taylor p`3`0`0`0Tobery 1b`3`1`3`2Files lf`1`0`0`0Davis lf`1`0`0`0Wade rf`1`0`0`0Sluzalis 2b`3`0`0`1Dixon cf`1`0`0`0Sisler cf`2`1`0`0Totals`27`6`9`6Pennsylvania` `421`104`&#8212;`12Maryland` `012`300`&#8212;`62B &#8212; Mulholland, Smith, Tobery; 3B &#8212; Brennan, ConnorPennsylvania`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SOSesar (W)`5.1`8`6`3`2`5Croteau`0.2`1`0`0`0`0Maryland`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SOTaylor (L)`5.1`13`12`10`3`8Mentzger`0.2`1`0`0`0`2<style>
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<div class="neCaption">Caitlyn Martell of Morrisville gets a high-five from teammate Rowan Mulholland after scoring the first run of Tuesday&#8217;s win in West Pittston. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/web1_Pa-vs-Md-softball-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Caitlyn Martell of Morrisville gets a high-five from teammate Rowan Mulholland after scoring the first run of Tuesday&#8217;s win in West Pittston. </caption0><photoCredit0>Amanda Hrycyna | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/web1_pa-vs-md-softball-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Hannah Hawkes (7) of Morrisville slides into home before Maryland catcher Hayden Mentzer can tag her out. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/web1_pa-vs-md-softball-2.jpg</photo1><caption1>Hannah Hawkes (7) of Morrisville slides into home before Maryland catcher Hayden Mentzer can tag her out. </caption1><photoCredit1>Amanda Hrycyna | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Morrisville squad prevails in regional at West Pittston</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Jay MonahanFor Times Leader</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach Times Leader sports at 570-829-7143 or on Twitter @TLsports</shirttailMeta></div>

Pennsylvania softball squad stays alive in East Regional hosted by West Pittston