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Beyond the Byline: Tackling the Spartan Beast

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Kingston Manor collecting necessities for local veterans

<p>EDWARDSVILLE &#8212; Apparently, the lead was big enough for one member of the crowd to leave the District 2/4 Class 6A softball championship game early Thursday.</p><p>So the groundhog hiding in Hazleton Area&#8217;s dugout decided to make a mad dash to freedom as a few players scurried in different directions.</p><p>The unexpected wildlife interruption broke up what has been a common occurrence in recent years &#8212; the Cougars defeating Williamsport for the tournament championship and a berth in the state playoffs.</p><p>The names have changed over the five seasons, but the result was once again the same as Hazleton Area topped the Millionaires 6-2 at Wilkes University.</p><p>District 2 champion Hazleton Area (19-3) advanced to the PIAA state playoffs for a fifth consecutive year, each time at the expense of District 4&#8217;s Williamsport (10-8) in the subregional title game. The Cougars will play Monday against D1 fourth-seed Coatesville (18-6), with the game most likely back at Wilkes.</p><p>And if the groundhog is back, so be it.</p><p>&#8220;It was hiding behind the garbage can and my dad thought it was a big rat,&#8221; Hazleton Area coach Heather Natt said. &#8220;They shook the garbage can it came out. We thought about keeping it, putting a shirt on it and making it our mascot.&#8221;</p><p>Hazleton Area led 3-0 thanks to an RBI groundout by Tiana Treon in the first and a two-run single by Taylor Kost in the second when the groundhog bolted in the top of the fifth inning. By the end of the inning, the Cougars were up 6-0.</p><p>Taylor Kaschak opened the fifth with an infield single. Becca Rossi reached on an error and Megan Trivelpiece followed with another infield single to load the bases. Treon brought in one run with a sacrifice fly and Hope Kinney plated two more with a double.</p><p>Williamsport made a minor dent into the deficit with consecutive RBI single for Kathryn Meale and Jessica Brooks in the sixth. The Millionaires grouped three of their six hits in the inning against Hazleton Area pitcher Erika Book, who allowed just one runner to reach third in the prior five innings.</p><p>&#8220;I was a little bit nervous,&#8221; said Book, a junior who didn&#8217;t pitch in the other championship games against Williamsport. &#8220;It&#8217;s a big field and a big game, but I have confidence in my team and I knew they had my back just like I have theirs.&#8221;</p><p>Hazleton Area has won seven in a row since a 7-0 loss to Nanticoke during the Wyoming Valley Conference season.</p><p>&#8220;We definitely refocused,&#8221; Kinney said. &#8220;They put us in our place. Nanticoke is a great team and it definitely made us focus and come together as a team.&#8221;</p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>D2/4 6A Championship</strong></p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Hazleton Area 6, Williamsport 2</strong></p><p><strong>Williamsport`AB`R`H`BI</strong></p><p>Hornberger cf`4`0`1`0</p><p>Reeder lf`4`1`1`0</p><p>Shields 3b`2`0`0`0</p><p>Cimini pr`0`1`0`0</p><p>Stone ss`3`0`1`0</p><p>Colorusso 1b`3`0`0`0</p><p>Meale dp`2`0`1`1</p><p>Brooks 3b`3`0`2`1</p><p>Maggs c`2`0`0`0</p><p>Thompson rf`2`0`0`0</p><p>Aldenderfer p`0`0`0`0</p><p><strong>Totals`25`2`6`2</strong></p><p><strong>Hazleton Area`AB`R`H`BI</strong></p><p>Kaschak 3b`4`1`1`0</p><p>Rossi cf`2`2`1`0</p><p>MeTrivelpiece 1b`3`1`2`0</p><p>Treon 3b`2`0`1`2</p><p>Kinney c`3`0`2`2</p><p>MaTrivelpiece ss`2`1`0`0</p><p>Book p`3`0`0`0</p><p>Antolick lf`3`1`1`0</p><p>Kost rf`3`0`1`2</p><p><strong>Totals`25`6`9`6</strong></p><p><strong>Williamsport`000`002`0`&#8212;`2</strong></p><p><strong>Hazleton Area`120`030`x`&#8212;`6</strong></p><p>E: Williamsport 1. LOB: Williamsport 7, Haz Area 4. 2B: Reeder, Treon, Kinney. SAC: Maggs, Rossi. SB: Rossi. CS: Hornberger.</p><p><strong>Williamsport`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO</strong></p><p>Aldenderfer (L)`6`9`6`5`0`0</p><p><strong>Haz Area`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO</strong></p><p>Book (W)`7`2`2`2`3`0</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Hazleton Area shortstop Marissa Trivelpiece catches the ball for an out in the sixth inning during the District 2/4 Class 6A championship game Thursday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_TTL060217Hazleton-Softball1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Hazleton Area shortstop Marissa Trivelpiece catches the ball for an out in the sixth inning during the District 2/4 Class 6A championship game Thursday. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_TTL060217Hazleton-Softball2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Hazleton Area&#8217;s Taylor Kaschak slides under the tag of Williamsport catcher Kalindy Maggs to score on a sacrifice fly by Tiana Treon in the sixth inning. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_TTL060217Hazleton-Softball2.jpg</photo1><caption1>Hazleton Area&#8217;s Taylor Kaschak slides under the tag of Williamsport catcher Kalindy Maggs to score on a sacrifice fly by Tiana Treon in the sixth inning. </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_TTL060217Hazleton-Softball3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Hazleton Area celebrates its win over Williamsport in the District 2/4 Class 6A championship game at Wilkes University. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_TTL060217Hazleton-Softball3.jpg</photo2><caption2>Hazleton Area celebrates its win over Williamsport in the District 2/4 Class 6A championship game at Wilkes University. </caption2><photoCredit2></photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By John Erzar</p><p>jerzar@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach John Erzar at 570-991-6394 or on Twitter @TLJohnErzar</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Hazleton Area off to state playoffs again