Local sports: Mike Joseph to return as Hazleton Area basketball coach

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Wilkes-Barre City Council opposes school district cuts, hears public concerns about effects

<p>HAZLETON &#8212; It was unclear to whom Hazleton Area pitcher Celine Podlesney seemed to dare in a sixth inning scenario: Scranton center fielder Juanita Wolak to take the pitch or the umpire to call what would be her eighth walk of the season.</p><p>Either way, Podlesney went all in on an exhaustive 12-pitch at-bat that proved to be a textbook display of her accuracy on the hill. Facing a three-ball count with one out, she peppered the same spot &#8211;high and inside on the corner &#8211; eight-straight times until getting a foul out.</p><p>Neither the tying or go-ahead runners on the corners touched home. Hazleton Area shut out Scranton for a 2-0 victory Thursday in the District 2-4 Class 4A Softball Subregional semifinal.</p><p>&#8220;Celine was just trying to keep the ball off the plate,&#8221; first-year coach Heather Dale said. &#8220;We made some big-time plays on defense.&#8221;</p><p>Riding a 19-game winning streak, the Cougars will contend for their fourth consecutive subregional championship Tuesday at Wilkes. Hazleton Area takes on Williamsport, 5-4 winners over Wallenpaupack, for the fifth-straight final.</p><p>Podlesney tossed a complete game shutout, allowing five hits on three strikeouts.</p><p>It was their defense, however, that stole the show from her in a nail-biting seventh inning. Scranton&#8217;s Alyvia Svetovich tried catching the Cougar defense on its heels to lead off the frame. Third baseman Jessica Bernotos tumbled over catcher Hope Kinney, who was also diving at her full speed, to catch the ball cleanly. Three batters later, center fielder Rebecca Rossi froze runners on first and second with a running catch on her knees.</p><p>Bernotos made a 1-5-3 play an inning earlier.</p><p>&#8220;Oh my God, I love my team; I&#8217;m so glad they are behind me,&#8221; Podlesney said. &#8220;I have so much confidence in them behind me, and it&#8217;s awesome to know they can make any play.&#8221;</p><p>Taylor Kost led Hazleton Area with a two-hit performance that included an RBI double. Mackenzie Yori went 2 for 3.</p><p>Rebecca Rossi started things for Hazleton Area in the first inning to generate the go-ahead run. She reached on a single and stole second. Megan Trivelpiece singled up the middle to tally an early 1-0 lead.</p><p>After Scranton came 60 feet shy of tying it in the sixth, Hazleton added insurance in the bottom half. Kinney singled to left to lead off. After a Podlesney sacrifice bunt, Kost creamed an RBI double down the left line to extend the lead to two.</p><p>&#8220;We didn&#8217;t really see the ball well,&#8221; Podlesney said. &#8220;We came to work hard, find runs. It doesn&#8217;t matter how many runs you score as long as you have more than the other team.&#8221;</p><p>Scranton&#8217;s Peyton Orzello and Kelsey Kilkeen both provided two hits.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>District 2 Class 3A </strong></p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Softball Tournament</strong></p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Hazleton Area 2, Scranton 0</strong></p><p><strong>Scranton`AB`R`H`BI</strong></p><p>Orzello ss`4`0`2`0</p><p>Kearney lf`3`0`0`0</p><p>Kerber 3b`4`0`1`0</p><p>Needham pr`0`0`0`0</p><p>Peck 2b`2`0`0`0</p><p>Kilkeen c`3`0`2`0</p><p>Wolak cf`3`0`1`0</p><p>Patterson rf`3`0`0`0</p><p>Sweditch 1b`3`0`0`0</p><p>Paszek cf`2`0`1`0</p><p><strong>Totals`27`0`5`0</strong></p><p><strong>Hazleton`AB`R`H`BI</strong></p><p>Yori ss`3`0`2`0</p><p>Rossi cf`3`1`1`0</p><p>Trivelpiece 1b`3`0`1`1</p><p>Kinney c`3`1`1`0</p><p>Podlesney p`2`0`0`0</p><p>Kost dp`3`0`2`1</p><p>Gebhardt lf`0`0`0`0</p><p>Kaschak 2b`3`0`1`0</p><p>Johnson rf`3`0`1`0</p><p>Bernotos 3b`2`0`0`0</p><p><strong>Totals`25`2`9`2</strong></p><p><strong>Scranton`000`000`0`&#8212;`0</strong></p><p><strong>Hazleton`100`001`x`&#8212;`2</strong></p><p><strong>2B</strong> &#8212; SCR, Wolak; HAZ, Kost</p><p><strong>Scranton`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO</strong></p><p>Paszek (L)`6`9`2`2`0`1</p><p><strong>Hazleton`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO</strong></p><p>Podlesney (W)`7`5`0`0`1`3</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Hazleton&#8217; s Mackenzie Yori is taged out by Scranton&#8217;s Peyton Orzello as she slides into second base in the third inning of Thursday&#8217;s District 2 Class 4A softball game. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_HSSOFT-Haz-Scranton_faa2CMYK.jpg</photo0><caption0>Hazleton&#8217; s Mackenzie Yori is taged out by Scranton&#8217;s Peyton Orzello as she slides into second base in the third inning of Thursday&#8217;s District 2 Class 4A softball game. </caption0><photoCredit0>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_HSSOFT-Haz-Scranton_faa-CMYK.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Hazleton Area second baseman Taylor Kaschak makes a catch in the second inning to retire the sides. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_HSSOFT-Haz-Scranton_faa-CMYK.jpg</photo1><caption1>Hazleton Area second baseman Taylor Kaschak makes a catch in the second inning to retire the sides. </caption1><photoCredit1>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_HSSOFT-Haz-Scranton_faa3CMYK.jpg">
<div class="neCaption"></div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_HSSOFT-Haz-Scranton_faa3CMYK.jpg</photo2><caption2></caption2><photoCredit2>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_HSSOFT-Haz-Scranton_faa4CMYK.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Hazleton Area&#8217;s Mackenzie Yori cheers for her team during their matchup against Scranton on Thursday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_HSSOFT-Haz-Scranton_faa4CMYK.jpg</photo3><caption3>Hazleton Area&#8217;s Mackenzie Yori cheers for her team during their matchup against Scranton on Thursday. </caption3><photoCredit3>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>Jay Monahan</p><p>For Times Leader</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Times Leader sports at 570-829-7143 or on Twitter @tlsports.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

DISTRICT 2 SOFTBALLCougars advance to 5th straight title game