web1_hack-combine.jpg

Next level awaits for Christian Hackenberg and fellow Penn State draft hopefuls

web1_110025814-dedf19c4a38c4c5a8d54143d9550ba77.jpg

Trump goes ‘presidential’ in speech; Cruz picks early veep

KINGSTON &#8212; Speculation moved a bit closer to reality Wednesday.The Division 2 race in Wyoming Valley Conference softball looks like it won&#8217;t be sorted out for a few more weeks as expected. And, as also expected, the Division 1 race is becoming more of a runaway.Kendra Schultz had two RBI and Hope Jones pitched a two-hitter with eight strikeouts as Tunkhannock defeated Wyoming Valley West 4-0 in a battle of teams seeking titles in different divisions.Tunkhannock (5-1) kept pace with Nanticoke (6-1) in Division 2, with defending champ Wyoming Area (4-3) right behind. The trio battled to the wire last year before Wyoming Area defeated Nanticoke in a special playoff game to determine the champion.Tunkhannock coach Bob Hegedty could see the division coming right down to the final day of the season on May 18.&#8220;As long as everyone keeps playing well and I&#8217;m sure they will,&#8221; Hegedty said. &#8220;It seems like there are some good teams in the whole valley conference and I&#8217;m sure it will come down to the end.Valley West fell to 4-3 in Division 1 and into a second-place tie with idle Pittston Area. The Spartans are a win away from equalling last year&#8217;s victory total, but it will take more than that to catch first-place Hazleton Area (8-0).Hope is waning but not gone.&#8220;We definitely haven&#8217;t given up hope,&#8221; Valley West coach Jes Ras said. &#8220;And we&#8217;ll see them in districts. We would have to win out and Hazleton would have to lose twice (to other teams) because we have them again.&#8221;Hazleton Area travels to Nanticoke on Friday for a game pivotal to any chance of Valley West catching the Cougars. Of course, things would be closer if Valley West could have figured out Jones, Tunkhannock&#8217;s impressive righty.Jones allowed a single up the middle to Jaden Belles in the third inning and a single to right to Erin Gibbons in the fifth. The only other Spartans to reach base came via hit by pitch and error. She fanned at least one batter in every inning but the sixth.&#8220;She&#8217;s doing really well,&#8221; Hegedty said of Jones. &#8220;She only gave up two hits today. For a kid that young to stay focused, relaxed and mentally tough is great. She really doesn&#8217;t anything bother her. She hit a kid early in the game and went back and got the next girl.&#8221;Tunkhannock got all the runs it would need in the first, taking a 2-0 lead on an RBI single by Schultz and an RBI triple by Kailey Reposa.Consecutive doubles by Jones and her twin sister Faith started a two-run third innings. Faith knocked in a run with her double and scored on Schultz&#8217;s single to center.Hanover Area 4, Wyoming Seminary 2Mary Kate Penczkowski struck out 10 and was 3 for 4 with an RBI as Hanover Area edged Wyoming Seminary.Haley Bobos doubled and drove home two runs for Hanover Area, which scored three times in it first trip to the plate. Michelle McNair was 2 for 4 with a double.Cassidy Graham hit a solo homer for Seminary. Halle Kehl was 2 for 4 with an RBI.Crestwood 10, Berwick 7Mady Heller and Sydney Sobolewski each knocked in three runs as Crestwood topped Berwick.The Comets took control with a seven-run fourth inning.Sammi Starr and Kylie Levan had two hits each for Berwick.Holy Redeemer 20, GAR 2Abby Shorts homered and added a double for the Royals, who scored 10 in the first and nine in the third of a three-inning win.Breonna Hanahan tripled for the Grenadiers.Nanticoke 18, Coughlin 1Jenna Lipowski hit two home runs and Rachel Roccograndi added another for the Trojans, who earned a three-inning victory on the road. Leanda Ramos struck out four in the win.Tori Martin homered for the Crusaders.Northwest 8, MMI Prep 3Sarah Kozlowski and Brenna Babcock each had two hits for Northwest. Hannah Wisniewski, Nikki Cragle, Trisata Babcock and Brooke Harvey each singled. Nikki Cragle struck out seven and walked one.Gabby Kupsho, Julia Snyder, Dana Carrato and Caelyn McGran all singled for MMI. Desiree Dinko suffered the loss, striking out five and walking four.Tunkhannock 4, Wyo. Valley West 0Tunkhannock`AB`R`H`BIHJones p`3`1`1`0Straley cr`0`1`0`0FJones ss`4`1`2`1Mokychic 1b`4`0`0`0Schultz dp`3`1`2`2Reposa 2b`3`0`1`0Traver rf`3`0`0`0Faux cf`3`0`0`0Simmons lf`3`0`1`0Krispin 3b`3`0`1`0Farr c`0`0`0`0Totals`29`4`7`4WVW`AB`R`H`BIBelles ss`3`0`1`0Zawadzki 1b`3`0`0`0Welles c`3`0`0`0Klosko 3b`3`0`0`0Cwalina dp`2`0`0`0Boller 2b`3`0`0`0Blaski lf`2`0`0`0Rincavage rf`2`0`0`0Gibbons cf`2`0`1`0Raskiewicz p`0`0`0`0Ruckle p`0`0`0`0Totals`23`0`2`0Tunkhannock`202`000`0`&#8212;`4Wyo. Valley West`000`000`0`&#8212;`02B &#8212; H.Jones, F.Jones. 3B &#8212; Reposa.Tunk`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SOH.Jones (W)`7`2`0`0`0`8WVW`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SORaskiewicz (L)`2.1`5`4`3`1`2Ruckle`4.2`2`0`0`0`2Holy Redeemer 20, GAR 2 (3 inn.)Redeemer` ` `(10)19`&#8212;`20GAR` ` `200`&#8212;`2Pitching &#8212; W: Olivia Mennig 3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K. L: Lindsey Quinn 2 IP, 7 H, 10 R, 8 ER, 5 BB, 1 K; Banessa Flores 1 IP, 4 H, 10 R, 8 ER, 2 BB, 1 K.2B &#8212; HR, Tiana Wren, Morgan Luksic, Abby Shorts; 3B &#8212; GAR, Breonna Hanahan; HR &#8212; HR, ShortsTop hitters &#8212; HR, Wren 2-2, Shorts 2-4; GAR, Hanahan 1-2Nanticoke 18, Coughlin 1 (3 inn.)Nanticoke` ` `279`&#8212;`18Coughlin` ` `001`&#8212;`1Pitching &#8212; W: Leandra Ramos 3 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. L: Molly Poray, 2.2 IP, 13 H, 18 R, 13 ER, 4 BB, 0 K; Brittany Nastawa 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K.2B &#8212; NAN, Cassie Novakowski, Morgan Briggs; HR &#8212; NAN, Jenna Lipowski 2, Rachel Roccograndi; COU, Tori MartinTop hitters &#8212; NAN, Roccograndi 2-3, Lipowski 3-3; COU, Martin 1-2, Amie Baboucarr 1-2Crestwood 10, Berwick 7Berwick`202`011`1`&#8212;`7Crestwood`102`700`x`&#8212;`10Pitching &#8212; CRE, Naperkowski (W) 7 IP, 11 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 0 K; BER &#8212; Kylie Levan (L) 3.2 IP, 8 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 4 BB, 0 K; Reganne Whitmire 2.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K.2B - BER, Sammi Starr; CRE, Mady Heller; 3B &#8212; BER, Levan; CRE, Kayla Kulp.Top hitters &#8212; BER, Starr 2-4, 2 runs; Levan 2-4, 3 runs. CRE, Sydney Sobolewski 2-3, 3 RBI, run; Heler 1-2, 3 RBI; Kulp 2-4, 2 RBI; Jordan Olenginski 3-4, run.Hanover Area 4, Wyoming Seminary 2Hanvoer Area`301`000`0`&#8212;`4Wyoming Seminary`100`001`0`&#8212;`2Pitching &#8212; HA, Mary Kate Penczkowski (W) 7 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 10 K; WS, Cassidy Graham (L) 7 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K.2B &#8212; HA, Michelle McNair, Penczkowski 2. HR &#8212; WS, Graham.Top hitters &#8212; HA, McNair 2-4, 2 runs; Haley Bobos 1-4, 2 RBI, runl Penczkowski 3-4, RBI; WS, Alexus Dunn 2-4; Halle Kehl 2-4, RBI; Graham 1-3, RBI, run.Northwest 8, MMI Prep 3Northwest`005`000`3`&#8212;`8MMI Prep`000`000`3`&#8212;`3Pitching &#8212; WP &#8212; Cragle. LP &#8212; Desiree Dinko.Top hitters -- NWT, Sarah Kozlowski 2 hits, Brenna Babcock 2 hits<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By John Erzarjerzar@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach John Erzar at 570-991-6394 or on Twitter @TLJohnErzar</shirttailMeta></div>

H.S. Softball: Tunkhannock keeps divisional hope going by topping WVW