WILLIAMSPORT — Postseason softball is all about pitching, and Shamokin’s Annie Hornberger was on top of her game Tuesday afternoon, limiting Athens to three hits in a 6-0 win here in the semifinals of the District 4, Class 4-A playoffs at Elm Park.

Hornberger fanned 10 and walked three in seven innings of work. She allowed just one hit after the first inning.

“(Hornberger) is the best pitcher we’ve faced all season. She threw a great game,” said Athens coach Mickey Farrell.

“She was throwing mid-60s with a nasty curveball,” noted Farrell. “The girls kept coming back and saying ‘her curveball is moving like crazy.’”

“We battled though,” added Farrell. “We struck out seven times in the first three innings, but after that, we put the ball in play, (Shamokin) just made plays.”

Athens, on the other hand, committed four errors, leading to five unearned runs.

“We struggled defensively,” said Farrell. :We had a bad throw that cost us a run, and booted a couple balls that cost us runs, but that’s what happens when we have to put Caydence (Macik) on the mound.”

Junior Caydence Macik, the starting shortstop when she’s not in the pitcher’s circle was tagged with the tough-luck loss. She allowed six runs — only one earned — on nine hits, while striking out two and walking three in 5 1/3 innings of work.

“(Caydence Macik) threw a great game. Her change-up was nice, and she kept (Shamokin) off-balance. She threw strikes, and only had three walks. She did a great job.”

Sophomore Aliyah Butler walked one in 2/3 of an inning of relief.

Senior Harley Sullivan led off the game with a line-drive single into centerfield for the Lady Wildcats, and senior Audrey Hatch followed with a bunt single, but Hornberger fanned the next three batters to escape the early jam.

Shamokin worked a walk and had a pair of singles in the home half of the first, but a relay from sophomore right fielder Addy Repsher to first baseman Hatch to catcher Sullivan cut down a runner at the plate, and Macik retired the next batter to escape the inning unscathed.

Shamokin took advantage of a pair of Athens errors in the bottom of the second inning to take a 3-0 lead.

The Lady Indians tacked on a run in the fourth, and two more in the sixth to provide the final margin.

Sullivan had two hits, and Hatch added one to account for Athens’ three hits.

Farrell was pleased with his team’s effort in the loss.

“We had a great week of practice,” he said. “And we played hard, that’s the one thing I did not like against Wyalusing, but today we battled. We just got beat by a better team.”

The Lady Wildcats finish up the season with a 15-6 record.

“I told the girls after the game that they played far and above expectations,” said Farrell. “No one gave us a shot at the NTL title, but we tied for the best record … no one thought we could do it.

“It’s all because of these kids,” he noted. “They practice hard and put a lot of work into this season.”

Farrell will be looking to replace five seniors, including four starters, in 2022.

“It’s a good group. I want to cry when I talk about this group,” said Farrell.

“Carlie Simpson wasn’t a starter, but she came to everything for the three years she was with me. She never complained, and was always there for us. She’s a great kid.

“Mallory (Mummert) got hurt her sophomore season … she’s a senior, but it was her rookie year,” he said. “She did a heck of a job at third base, and hit over .300. She was a nice surprise for us.”

“Megan (Collins) was a steadying influence on the team. She hit the ball pretty well early in the year.

“Audrey (Hatch) made the move from the outfield to first base for us, and did a great job there for us,” noted Farrell. “She was only a .200 hitter two years ago, but hit well over .400 this year.

“Then, there’s Harley Sullivan,” continued Farrell. “In all my years of coaching, she is far and away the best kid I’ve ever coached. And I don’t mean her performance, but how she carries herself.

“No one has the work ethic Harley has. She kept us there late at practice every night.

“We wouldn’t trade her for the world,” added Farrell. “She’s a phenomenal young lady, and she’s going to do good thing at King’s (College).”

Looking ahead, Farrell believes 2022 could be another good season for the Lady Wildcats.

“We have all three of our starting pitchers coming back, and an 8th-grader (Savannah Persun) who will also challenge for time on the mound next year.

“Ash VanFleet will probably slide in behind the plate because that’s her natural position, and we have our entire starting outfield coming back,” said Farrell. “We need to find a first baseman, and a third baseman.

“Abby Champion will come up from the JV team and help us, and Braelynn Wood and Ciara Devine will step in somewhere for us,” noted Farrell. “And, we have a couple 8th-grader who could help us.

“We have some talent ready to step up, and having those three starting pitchers back is going to be huge,” added Farrell.

WYALUSING — After playing to a hard fought, 16-14, win over NP-Liberty on Monday, turning around and facing the red-hot Wyalusing Rams was going to be tough for the Athens Wildcats. After going down 3-0 in the first inning things just got worse, and they ultimately fell, 13-0, in five innings during NTL softball Tuesday.

“Usually, these kids are singing away on the bus, and today they slept,” said Athens coach Mickey Farrell. “And today, you could tell it was a long game last night, but I don’t know if that played any part of it.”

The Wildcats tried changing pitchers, but nothing worked to slow down the Rams. While at the plate, they couldn’t figure out Wyalusing hurler Hailey Jayne.

“Hailey pitched a great game,” said Farrell. “We just couldn’t hit her … we just told them, ‘this one’s done with, it’s over with, just forget out it, and move on.’”

Athens had five hits on the day: Harley Sullivan (1-for-3), Audrey Hatch (1-for-3), Ashlyn VanFleet (1-for-1), Addy Repsher (1-for-2), and Megan Collins (1-for-2).

Aliyah Butler started, and takes the loss, going 1 1/3-innings, allowing one walk, four hits, and five runs.

Addy Repsher came in to pitch the next 3 2/3 innings, with one strikeout, three walks, eight hits, and eight runs.

The Wildcats didn’t get a runner on base until the top of the third, and by then it was 5-0 Wyalusing, thanks in large part to a three-run home from Callie Bennett in the first inning.

It was 7-0 in the fourth when Athens was able to threaten. Hatch led off with a single, followed by Repsher getting a two-out hit. However, Wyalusing got a put-out to end the at-bat.

The Rams went on to score six runs in the bottom of the fourth — for a few hot minutes the officials called the game, thinking it was the fifth, not the fourth — which gave Athens one last chance to keep things going.

They once again threatened in the fifth as Collins, and Sullivan both had hits, putting runners on second and third with two outs.

However, Jayne induced a ground out to end the game, giving Wyalusing the season sweep over Athens.

The Rams, now on an 8-game win streak, can close out the NTL Large School title with a win over Canton Thursday.

As for Athens, they’re going to refocus, and recharge, for the playoffs.

“We’re giving them a couple days off,” said Farrell. “We said we’ll see you Friday night. We’re not sure when we’re playing next week, but we are playing Shamokin, that’s pretty set.”

ATHENS — Athens senior Harley Sullivan was voted the NTL’s “Offensive Player of the Year,” and four of her teammates were named to the NTL all-star teams — two first-team and two second-team — in recent voting by the league’s softball coaches.

Northeast Bradford sophomore Thailey Franklin was named the league’s “Player of the Year,” while Canton’s Emmi Ward was the “Defensive Player of the Year,” and Wyalusing’s Hailey Jayne was voted “Pitcher of the Year.”

North Penn-Liberty’s Megan Spohn was named the NTL “Rookie of the Year” — given to the league’s top freshman, and NEB’s Kayleigh Thoman was the “Newcomer of the Year” — given to the league’s top first-year varsity player.

The NEB coaches were named the “Coaching Staff of the Year.”

Sullivan, who is also an outstanding defensive catcher, hit .569 (37 hits in 65 at-bats) with 10 doubles, two triples, three home run, 21 RBI, 39 runs scored, and three stolen bases.

Sullivan also drew 23 walks and had a .682 on-base percentage, to go along with a .923 slugging percentage, and a1.605 OPS.

FIRST TEAM
Caydence Macik, junior, SS, Athens: A tremendous all-around athlete with a powerful swing, Macik hit .500 (27 hits in 54 ABs) with five doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 33 RBI, 27 runs scored and two stolen bases.

She also drew 11 walks for a .585 on-base percentage, to go along with a 1.018 slugging percentage, and a 1.603 OPS.

Audrey Hatch, senior, 1B / CF, Athens: A versatile defender, Hatch hit .465 (40 hits in 86 ABs) with four doubles, three home runs, 16 RBI, 39 runs scored and seven stolen bases.

She had a .477 on-base percentage and a .616 slugging percentage for a 1.093 OPS.

SECOND TEAM
Aliyah Butler, sophomore, 2B / SS, Athens: Butler, who played both middle infield spots with equal aplomb, hit .391 (27 hits in 69 ABs)  with five doubles, 15 RBI, 12 runs scored, and one stolen base.

Mallory Mummert, senior, 3B, Athens: A solid defender at the hot corner, Mummert enjoyed a very good season in her only season on varsity.

She hit .364 (24 hits in 66 ABs) with one double, one triple, two home runs, 20 RBI, 26 runs scored and two stolen bases. She also drew 10 walks for a .447 on-base percentage.

ATHENS — There are comebacks, and there are comebacks.

North Penn-Liberty scored 11 runs in the second inning to take an 11-5 lead, and led 14-9 after 4 1/2 innings, but Athens scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to pull out a wild, 16-14, win here Monday afternoon in NTL Large School Division softball action.

“Our kids never quit, we just kept chipping away,” said Athens coach Mickey Farrell, who noted his team’s defense put them in an early hole.

“We did not play well defensively in the outfield, and we had eight errors overall,” he noted.

Athens improves to 15-4 on the season. The 15 wins are believed to be a school-record .

“Before the game, we told the kids let’s get back to what’s gotten us to this record,” said Farrell. “And that is having fun.

“We had been pressing too hard because of how important these games are,” noted Farrell. “We just wanted them to play hard and have fun; whatever happens, happens.  !

“We now have the most wins in a season at 15,” added Farrell.

Athens took a quick 5-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.

Senior Harley Sullivan walked to lead off the game, and junior Audrey Hatch followed with a single. Junior Caydence Macik drove both runners home with a two-run triple, and scored on a grounder off the bat of senior Mallory Mummert.

Sophomores Addy Repsher and Aliyah Butler followed with RBI singles to cap the rally.

The Lady Mountaineers sent 15 batters to the plate in the top of the second, turning six hit, three errors, and three walks into 11 runs. Payton Chapel’s three-run home run capped the rally.

The Lady Wildcats got three runs back in the home half of the second, trimming the deficit to 11-8.

Sullivan led off the inning with a single, and Athens used a pair of walks, and outfield error and a pair of passed balls to plate their runs.

Macik led off the bottom of the fourth with a double, and scored on a one-out RBI single by Repsher to pull within two run, at 11-9.

NP-Liberty scored twice in the top of the fifth on a one-out bases-loaded single y Megan Spohn and a walk to Saige Lehman to make it 13-9, but Macik, who came on in relief in the second inning for the Lady Wildcats, registered a pair of strikeouts to avoid further damage.

Sullivan led off the home half of the fifth inning with a double, and scored on a one-out RBI single by Macik. After Macik stole second, she scored on an RBI single by Mummert to make it 13-11.

NP-L scored an unearned run in the top of the sixth to up its advantage to 14-11, but the Athens offense kept hitting.

The inning didn’t start well as the first two Lady Wildcat batters struck out. With two outs, Sullivan ripped a double, and Hatch followed with a single. After an intentional walk to Macik, Mummert and Repsher hit back-to-back two-run singles to give Athens a 15-14 lead. Butler’s RBI double provided the final margin.

In the top of the seventh, Macik retired the side in order to preserve the win.

Macik had three hits, including a tripled and a double, scored five runs, and had three RBI, while Repsher stroked three singles, scored three runs, and drove in four runs, and Sullivan belted two doubles and a triple, and scored four runs to pace Athens’ 17-hit attack.

Mummert singled twice, scored two runs, and collected four RBI in the win, while Hatch singled twice and scored two runs, Butler doubled and singled, and drove in one run, and freshman Ashlyn VanFleet and senior Carly Simpson each added a single.

Athens travels to Wyalusing Tuesday in a key battle for the NTL Large School title.

ATHENS — Danella Cornell’s two-run home run in the third inning was all the run support Hailey Jayne would need, but Wyalusing would tack on a couple of insurance runs in a 4-0 win over Athens here Wednesday afternoon in NTL Large School Division softball action.

Jayne was in control throughout, tossing a 3-hitter, while striking out 12 and walking none to earn the win. The Wyalusing defense committed just one error behind her.

Athens starter sophomore Aliyah Butler retired the first six batters she faced, but London Edwards reached base to lead off the third inning after her fly ball was dropped in the outfield.

Two pitches later, Cornell blasted a shot over the fence in left-center field to give the Lady Rams a 2-0 lead.

Wyalusing tacked on an unearned run in the fifth inning. Imogen Herbert reached base on a two-out error, then Jayne and Sydney Friedlander stroked consecutive singles to make it 3-0.

The Lady Wildcats had their best scoring opportunity of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning when senior Mallory Mummert led off with a double.

Moments later, sophomore Addy Repsher ripped a line drive up the middle, but Jayne snared it. An alert Mummert was able to get safely back to second base, but Jayne retired the next two batters to preserve the 3-0 lead.

The Lady Rams tacked on a run in the sixth inning on an RBI single by Edwards.

Mummert doubled, and senior Harley Sullivan, and junior Caydence Macik each singled to account for Athens’ three hits.

Butler was tagged with the loss. She allowed four runs — two earned — on six hits, while striking out four and walking none in 5 2/3 innings of work. Macik pitched 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief, with one walk.

Athens, now 14-4, hosts North Penn-Liberty Monday.

ATHENS — Junior Caydence Macik slugged a grand slam and collected seven RBI to lead Athens to a, 13-3, five-inning win over Wellsboro here Thursday afternoon, avenging an early-season NTL Large School softball loss.

Athens coach Mickey Farrell believes there were several factors in play for the Lady Wildcats, who dropped a 5-4 decision at Wellsboro on April 13 for their first loss of the season.

“I think the fact our kids understand more of how important these games are now. They’ve been working their tails off,” he said.

“The difference tonight was we were very aggressive at the plate. (Kerrah) Clymer pitched very well against us over there,” noted Farrell. “I think what helped us tonight was facing (Waverly’s Hali) Jenner, (Tioga’s Kindra) Wessels, and (Towanda’s Maddie) Maynard in the last three games. We’ve seen some really good pitching, and we’ve hammered all of it.

“The confidence level of these girls right now is huge,” added Farrell. “I think that made a big difference, too.”

Wellsboro took a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning, but the Lady Wildcats answered in the third inning.

Senior Mallory Mummert led off the third with a single, and ended up on third base after a two-out single by senior Audrey Hatch, and a walk to senior Harley Sullivan to load the bases.

Macik then knocked a 2-1 over the fence to give the Lady Wildcats the lead for good.

“Macik ignited everything for us,” said Farrell. “We loaded the bases, and she popped one out to put us up 4-2, and we steamrolled them from there.”

Athens added five more runs in the fourth inning in a rally that featured an RBI single by Mummert, and a two-run double by Macik to cap the scoring.

After Wellsboro plated a run in the top of the fifth, Athens scored four times in the home half of the stanza to invoke the 10-run “mercy” rule. The fourth run was scored on a bases-loaded walk to Macik.

Sophomore Aliyah Butler earned the win for the Lady Wildcats. She allowed three runs on five hits, while striking out one and walking four in a complete-game, five-inning effort.

Farrell said Athens played well in every facet of the game.

“Butler did a nice job, she pitched pretty well,” he said. “She wasn’t at her best, but she went all five innings for us.

“And, our defense played well behind her,” Farrell added.

Farrell pointed out a pair of defensive plays in the outfield — by Alli Thoman and Macie Coyle.

“We had two outstanding catches by our left fielders,” said Farrell.

“Alli Thoman jumped as high as I’ve her seen her jump, and snagged one out of the air,” he noted. “It was going for a double, maybe a triple, if she doesn’t catch it.”

“A ball was hit over (Macie Coyle’s) head … she took off and made an over-the-shoulder catch,” added Farrell. “She had her glove hand stretched out as far as it would go. That was an ESPN-highlight catch right there, it was a great catch.”

Mummert was 3-for-3 with three runs scored, and one RBI, and Macik homered — her fourth in the last three games — and doubled, scored one run, and drove in seven to lead Athens at the plate, while sophomore Addy Repsher singled twice and scored one run, and Coyle singled twice and scored two runs.

Hatch singled and scored two runs in the win, while Butler added a single, Sullivan scored two runs and drove in one run, and freshman Ashlyn VanFleet and Mackenzie Morgan each scored one run.

With the win, Athens improves to 14-3 on the season, and takes a 2-game lead over Wellsboro in he Large School standings. Wyalusing has been limited to just one divisional game.

“It’s a big win for us in the division,” said Farrell. “Wyalusing hasn’t played much at all — they have a lot of games to make up, but we have a two-game cushion over Wellsboro.

“These kids deserve this,” noted Farrell. “They know a lot of people didn’t have high expectations for them … they’ve worked really hard because they want to win badly.

“They’re having a lot of fun,” he added. “They practice hard, and they play hard; that’s all I can ask.”

Athens is scheduled to host Wyalusing Friday afternoon.

WAVERLY — Athens took advantage of fourth-inning opportunities to rally past Tioga, 10-5, here Saturday and finish the "Battle at the Border" with a 2-0 record.

Trailing, 3-2, the Wildcats parlayed back-to-back singles, two hit batters, a walk, an error and a trio of run-scoring fielder's choices into a half dozen runs to take control of the game in the top of the fourth inning.

"We've been doing that," Athens coach Mickey Farrell said of the come-from-behind victory. "We've fallen behind, but we have a lot of bats, and we score a lot of runs. The key is putting the ball in play and that's what we do best."

"We had an inning with some mental errors," Tioga coach Heather Klossner said. "I've got a lot of girls in new positions, so first time out in new positions, just some different positioning type things, and unearned runs. Errors kill you."

MacKenzie Morgan started the rally off with a single out of the 9-slot and lead-off hitter Audry Hatch followed with a base hit. After Harley Sullivan was hit by a pitch, Caydence Macik worked a walk to tie the game at three. Aliyah Butler and Addy Repsher hit into fielder's choices, each scoring a run.

With one away, Ashlyn VanFleet took one for the team to give Athens a 6-3 lead. A fielder's choice off the batt of Mallory Mummert and and an error on Morgan's second at-bat of the inning pushed the advantage to 8-3.

The Tigers kept plugging away, however, and picked up a pair of runs back in their half of the fourth. Abby Foley legged out an infield single, Olivia Ayres moved her over with a ground ball to third and Austyn Vance brought her home with a single up the middle.

Vance moved to second on the throw home trying to get Foley and Kindra Wessels smacked a double over the left fielder's head to plate Vance and close the gap to 8-5.

The Wildcats added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh on a Macik hone run. Sullivan hit the left field line, narrowly avoiding a potential shoestring catch by the outfielder, then kicked the ball out of a Tioga player's glove as she slid into second. Macik followed by hitting an 0-1 pitch out of the park.

Sullivan put Athens on the board first, walking and scoring on Aliyah Butler's single up the middle. With runners at first and second, Wessels got out of trouble by striking out the next batter.

Tioga struck quickly in its half of the inning as Ayres led off with a walk and Vance doubled to left center to tie the score. A Wessels bloop hit over the shortstop gave Tioga a 2-1 lead. She bolted toward second on the throw in from the outfield and was safe on a play at second while Vance raced home to give the Tigers a 2-1 edge.

Repsher walked MJ Thetga, Molly Bombard and Julia Bellis in succession with the base on balls to Bellis scoring Wessels for a 3-1 lead.

The Wildcats pulled within a run in the second when Mallory Mummert capitalized on two errors and two stolen bases to trim the lead to 3-2.

Macik, who contributed the homer and two runs to the offensive effort, played a key role in the circle and recorded seven strikeouts, fanning four Tigers in a row to end the game. Tioga managed to put just one runner in scoring position during that stint.

"We've done that all year long," Farrell said. "Caydence is our closer. This I think is her fourth save this year. She comes in and she nails it down for us. She's done a really good job of that.

"I use all three of them. I don't have one pitcher. I use all three (Repsher, Macik and Aliyah Butler)."

Repsher picked up the win, overcoming seven hits and five walks in the process.

Wessels went the distance for Tioga, scattering 11 hits while striking out five.

The Tiger hurler also contributed a pair of hits, as did Ayers and Vance. Thetga and Abby Foley had Tioga's other hits.

Eight Wildcats hit safely at least once while Sullivan, Macik and Morgan collected two hits apiece.

Macik's long home run and Morgan's hitting didn't go unnoticed by Farrell.

"MacKenzie Morgan, that was her first actual start at hitting," he said. "I usually let her just play the field and I believe she had two hits. The one started off a rally where we scored all those runs, so it was good to see her do that.

"Like I told the girls, it was a total team victory. This whole weekend, beating Towanda Friday night, then beating Waverly and this game. I said our total team won all three of these games."

The Tigers fell to rival Waverly earlier in the day, 7-5, while Athens downed the Wolverines, 14-3.

"Kind of what I expected," said Klossner. "I expected to see some rust, some mental errors, but I think we did some good things. Overall, I think we played two good teams pretty solid. Obviously, not the outcome we would have liked to see, but not a bad weekend to start and playing two good teams to start makes the rest of the season seem a little better. I think we did some good stuff."

On Wednesday, Athens (13-3) hosts Wellsboro, and Tioga (0-2) hosts Spencer-Van Etten.

WAVERLY — Junior Caydence Macik supplied the offense, and sophomore Aliyah Butler tossed a complete game to lead Athens to a 14-3 win over Waverly here Saturday afternoon in the second game of the “Battle at the Border” softball showcase.

Macik had three hits, including two home runs, scored three runs, and collected six RBI to lead Athens at the plate, while freshman Ashlyn VanFleet doubled and singled, scored two runs, and drove in two runs, and senior Audrey Hatch doubled and singled, scored three runs, and knocked in one run.

Butler and senior Mallory Mummert each singled twice and scored two runs in Athens’ 17-hit attack, while Braelynn Wood singled twice, senior Harley Sullivan singled scored two runs, and drove in one run, sophomore Addy Repsher singled and drove in one run, and Ciara Devine and sophomore Alli Thoman each added one single.

Butler allowed three runs on six hits, while striking out seven and walking one in complete-game effort.

The Lady Wildcats took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning on consecutive singles by Mummert, Wood, and Coyle, and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Hatch.

A pair of error put runners on first and third for the Wildcats to start the third inning, then Repsher lined an RBI single to left field to make it 2-0.

After an RBI groundout off the bat of VanFleet made it 3-0, the Lady Wildcats scored a pair of runs on a two-out error to make it 5-0.

Bella Romano put Waverly on the board in the home half of the third inning with a two-run single to trim the deficit to 5-2, but that is as close as the Lady Wolverines would get.

Hatch led off the top of the fourth inning with a double, and Sullivan reach on an error. Macik’s first home run — a line drive over the center-field fence — made it 8-2.

An RBI double by VanFleet, and an RBI single by Wood pushed the lead to 10-2.

Michaela Lauper’s RBI double in the bottom of the inning cut the lead to 10-3, but back-to-back singles by Hatch and Sullivan and Macik’s second three-run shot — a drive over the left-field fence, made it 13-3.

Athens tacked on an unearned run in the sixth inning to provide the final margin.

Sidney Tomasso singled twice and scored one run, and Romano singled and drove in two runs to pace Waverly’s six-hit attack, while Lauper doubled and drove in one run, Ennis singled and scored one run, freshman Peyton Shaw added a single, and Alyssa Sindoni scored one run.

The Lady Wildcats, now 13-3 (they topped Tioga 10-5 later in the day) hosts Wellsboro Wednesday, while Waverly (1-1) hosts Watkins Glen.

WYSOX — Athens plated three runs in the top of the fifth inning to take the lead for good on its way to a 9-5 win over Towanda here Friday afternoon in NTL Large School softball action.

Senior Audrey Hatch led off the game with a single, stole second, and eventually scored on a wild pitch to give the Lady Wildcats a quick 1-0 lead.

In the second inning, sophomore Addy Repsher walked, and freshman Ashlyn VanFleet hit a line drive to right field that eluded the outfielder, and she circled the bases for an inside-the-park home run to push the lead to 3-0.

Saige Greenland’s RBI double in the bottom of the third inning put Towanda on the board. Greenland later scored on an error to trim the deficit to 3-2.

Athena Chacona a led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a double, and scored on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Addie Maynard to tie the game at 3-3.

Athens sophomore pitcher Aliyah Butler was able to escape further damage with a strikeout, and a come-backer to the pitcher’s circle.

Senior Harley Sullivan led off the top of the fifth inning with a double. After junior Caydence Macik walked, Butler laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third.

A pair of wild pitches scored both runners, and allowed senior Mallory Mummert to reach first base on a dropped third strike. Mummert took second on a passed ball, and eventually scored on a steal of home to make it 6-3.

Athens added two runs in the sixth inning on a single by Hatch, a double by Sullivan, and a two-out, two-RBI single by Butler.

Braelynn Wood’s RBI single gave Athens a 9-3 lead after 6 1/2 innings.

Jocelyn Bennett’s two-run single in the bottom of the seventh inning provided the final margin.

VanFleet was 4-for-4 with two runs scored, two stolen bases, and one RBI, while Sullivan doubled twice, scored two runs and drove in one run, and Hatch singled and scored two runs to lead Athens’ 11-hit attack.

Butler singled and drove in two runs in the win, while Macik singled and scored one run, and Repsher and Wood each singled and drove in one run. Mummert scored one run and knocked in one run, and sophomore Alli Thoman crossed the plate once.

Butler earned the win in relief. She allowed two runs — both unearned — on six hits, while striking out two and walking none in four innings of work.

Saige Greenland, Bennett, and Chacona each had two hits to lead Towanda’s nine-hit attack.

The Lady Wildcats, now 11-3, return to action Saturday. They play at Waverly at noon., then play Tioga at Waverly at 2 p.m.

ROME — Sophomore Thailey Franklin tossed a four-hitter to lead Northeast Bradford to an 11-1 five-inning win over Athens here Wednesday afternoon in NTL softball action.

“This game is all about pitching, and (Thailey) Franklin is the best pitcher we’ve seen this season,” said Athens coach Mickey Farrell. “She made us look bad, and no one else has been able to do that.”

Northeast Bradford built a 9-0 lead through four innings, then answered Athens’ run in the top of the fifth with two in the home half to invoke the 10-run “mercy” rule.

“They really hurt us with a lot of two-strike hits, and quite a few of them were 0-2 pitches,” said Farrell.

The top two hitters in the Lady Wildcat line-up accounted for all four of their hits. Senior Aubrey Hatch doubled and singled, and scored one run, and senior Harley Sullivan doubled and singled, and drove in one run. The remainder of the Athens line-up was 0-for-13 with eight strikeouts.

Franklin struck out eight and walked one in earning the win.

Northeast Bradford took advantage of 10 base on balls, and four Athens errors.

Maisie Neuber homered and doubled, scored two runs, and drove in three runs, while Mikayla Post doubled and singled, scored one run, and drove in two runs, and Kayleigh Thoman doubled and singled, scored one run, and knocked in one run to pace NEB at the plate.

Athens, now 10-3, travels to Towanda Friday.

ATHENS — Athens erupted for 10 runs in the third inning to blow open a tie game en route to an 18-8 five-inning win over Williamson here Monday afternoon in NTL softball action.

The Lady Warriors struck for three runs in the top of the first inning, thanks in part to a pair of Athens errors, and RBI singles by Mikenna Buchanan and Skylar Smith, but the Lady Wildcats answered with three runs in the home half of the frame.

With two outs, Mallory Mummert one-hopped the right field fence for a two-RBI triple, then scored on an RBI single by Addy Repsher.

Ashlyn VanFleet drew a walk to lead off the bottom of the second, and later scored on a wild pitch to give Athens a 4-3 lead.

Skylar Smith’s RBI single in the top of the third tied the game at 4-4, but the Lady Wildcats blew the game open in the bottom of the frame.

Mummert gave Athens the lead for good with a two-run home run to make it 6-4. The rally also featured a two-run home run by Caydence Macik, a two-run double by Harley Sullivan, a two-run single by Repsher, and a run-scoring single by Megan Collins.

A solo home run by Audrey Hatch put Athens ahead 15-4 in the bottom of the fourth. Moments later, Sullivan tripled and scored on a throwing error on the play to make it 16-4.

Williamson scored four runs in the top of fifth inning to trim the deficit to 16-8, but Athens scored two runs in the bottom of the inning — on a sacrifice by Marissa Butler and an RBI single by Hatch — to close out the game via the “mercy” rule.

Hatch had four hits, including a home run, two runs scored and two RBI to lead Athens at the plate, while Repsher stroked three singles, scored two runs, and drove in three runs, and Aliyah Butler singled three times and scored one run.

Mummert homered and tripled, scored three runs, and had four RBI, and Sullivan tripled and doubled, scored three runs, and drove in two runs for the Lady Wildcats, while Macik hit a solo home run, Collins singled, scored one run, and drove in one run, VanFleet and Alli Thoman each scored two runs, and Marissa Butler drove in one run.

Repsher earned the win in relief for the Lady Wildcats. She allowed three runs — all unearned — on two hits, while striking out four and walking two.

Athens, now 10-2, travels to Wyalusing Tuesday for the first of five road games in five days.

BLOOMSBURG — Athens bounced back from an opening-round loss to Selinsgrove to top Milton in the consolation game of the Central Columbia Tournament here Saturday in non-league softball action.

Selinsgrove 14, Athens 9
Selinsgrove’s bats came alive late in a come-from-behind, 14-9, win over Athens in the opening round of the Central Columbia Tournament.

“Defensively we were terrible, and our base-running was even worse,” said Athens coach Mickey Farrell. “We didn’t deserve to win.

“The good thing is these are things we can correct,” added Farrell.

Trailing 1-0, the Lady Wildcats put together four consecutive two-out hits in the bottom of the second inning.

Mallory Mummert walked to lead off the second inning, and moved to second on a grounder off the bat of Addy Repsher.

With two outs, Carlie Simpson stroked an RBI single to tie the game at 1-1. Ashlyn VanFleet ripped an RBI double to give Athens the lead, then scored on an RBI single by Macie Coyle to make it 3-1.

Harley Sullivan capped the rally with an RBI single to plate Coyle.

Selinsgrove trimmed the deficit to 4-2 with a run in the top of the third inning, but Athens answered with two runs in the home half on a two-RBI single by Megan Collins.

The Lady Seals scored two runs in the top of the fourth to trim the lead to 6-4, but an RBI single by Mummert in the bottom of the fourth gave Athens a 7-4 lead.

Selinsgrove tied the game with three runs in the fifth inning, and took an 11-7 lead with four runs in the sixth inning.

Athens battled back with two runs in the bottom of the sixth in a rally that featured a double by Audrey Hatch, and an RBI single by Mummert, but Selinsgrove put the game away with three runs in the seventh inning.

Collins had two hits and two RBI, while Hatch doubled and singled, and scored two runs, and Coyle singled twice, scored one run, and drove in one run to lead Athens’ 12-hit attack.

Mummert singled, scored three runs, and knocked in one run for the Lady Wildcats, while VanFleet doubled, scored one run, and drove in one run, Simpson singled, scored one run, and drove in one run, Sullivan and Repsher each singled and drove in one run, and Aliyah Butler singled and scored one run.

Athens 14, Milton 4
Athens banged out 17 hits, and Aliyah Butler turned in a strong pitching performance to lead Athens to a 14-4 six-inning win over Milton in the consolation game of the Central Columbia Tournament.

“We started slow, then came on strong,” said Farrell. “Again, we were shaky on defense, but we hit well and took advantage of a lot of (Milton’s) mistakes.”

The Lady Wildcats took an early lead with three runs in the first inning in a rally featured an RBI single by Addy Repsher and and RBI double by Ashlyn VanFleet.

Athens added two more runs in the second inning, then pulled away with three runs in the fifth innings, and five runs in the sixth inning to invoke the 10-run “mercy” rule.

Audrey Hatch had four hits, including a solo home run in the fourth inning, scored three runs, and drove in one run, while Harley Sullivan singled twice, scored three runs, and had two RBI, and Coyle singled twice and scored two runs.

SAYRE — Athens pounded out 14 hits in an 18-0 three-inning win over Valley rival Sayre here Friday afternoon in NTL softball action.

The Lady Wildcats improve to 8-1 on the season, while the Lady Redskins fall to 0-7. Despite the difference, Athens coach Mickey Farrell said he told his team to disregard the records.

“Before the game, I told the girls that Sayre is not a team to take lightly, they gave Northeast (Bradford) and Towanda all they could handle,” said Farrell. So it's pedal-to-the-metal and let's not give them a chance to hang with us. They are our number one rival, so we need to bury them from the start.

“It was the loudest our dugout has been all year, they were really into it,” added Farrell. “I couldn't be prouder.”

Athens took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a two-RBI single by Mallory Mummert.

Sayre had a pair of singles (by Madison Smith and Hailey McCaig) and a walk in the home half of the inning, but had two runners wiped out on the base paths, and did not score.

The Lady Wildcats took advantage of a pair of walks and two Sayre errors to plate seven runs in the second inning to take a 9-0 lead. Macie Coyle and Aliyah Butler delivered RBI singles in the rally.

Athens scored its first three runs in the third inning scored on an outfield error with the bases loaded. They added runs on RBI singles by Aliyah Butler and Carlie Simpson, and a two-RBI double by Ashlyn VanFleet, who scored on an RBI groundout off the bat of Coyle.

Mummert singled twice, scored two runs, and had three RBI, while Audrey Hatch had two hits, three runs scored, and two RBI, and VanFleet doubled and singled, scored three runs, and drove in two runs to lead Athens at the plate.

Coyle singled twice, scored two runs, and drove in two runs in the win, while Butler singled twice and drove in one run, Simpson singled, scored two runs, and drove in one run, Harley Sullivan singled, scored three runs, and knocked in one run, Alli Thoman singled and scored two runs, Marissa Butler added a single, and Addy Repsher and Megan Collins each scored one run.

Aliyah Butler earned the win for the Lady Wildcats, allowing four hits in three shutout innings.

Smith, McCaig, Lizzy Shaw, and Olivia Corbin accounted for Sayre’s four hits.

Athens returns to action Saturday at the Central Columbia Tournament, while Sayre hosts Troy at 1 p.m.

LIBERTY — Junior Caydence Macik starred at the plate, and in the pitcher’s circle, leading Athens to a 5-3 win over North Penn-Liberty here Tuesday afternoon in NTL Large School Division softball action.

"It was a really good game, and we did just enough to pull it out," said Athens coach Mickey Farrell. "Caydence (Macik) did a great job in relief to earn the save."

Macik doubled and singled, and had three RBI to lead the Lady Wildcats at the plate, and also pitched 3 1/3 innings of shutout relief — allowing three hits, with three strikeouts — to earn the save.

Macik gave the Lady Wildcats a 1-0 lead in the top of the first with an RBI double.

After NP-L tied the game with a run in the home half of the second inning, Athens took the lead for good with two runs in the top of the third.

Senior Harley Sullivan singled and moved to third on a single by senior Audrey Hatch. After Hatch stole second base, Macik plated a run with a sacrifice fly to center field. Sophomore Aliyah Butler made it 3-1 with an RBI groundout.

Mallory Mummert led off the top of the fourth with a single, stole second, and later scored on a passed ball to extend the lead to 4-1.

The Lady Mountaineers plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth to trim the deficit to 4-3, but Macik drove in another run in the top of the fifth with an RBI single.

In the home half of the fifth, NP-L had three hits, but had a runner cut down at third base, and Macik was able to escape unscathed.

After retiring the side in order in the bottom of the sixth, Macik pitched around a one-out error in the seventh to preserve the win.

Senior Megan Collins doubled and singled for the Lady Wildcats, while Sullivan singled, stole two bases, and scored two runs, Hatch and Mummert singled and scored one run, and Butler drove in one run.

Repsher started in the circle, and picked up the win for Athens. She allowed three runs — two earned — on six hits, while striking out five and walking three in 3 2/3 innings.

Athens, now 7-1, returns to action Thursday at Sayre.

WELLSBORO — Wellsboro rallied from a three-run deficit to hand Athens its first setback of the season, 5-4, here Tuesday afternoon in NTL Large School Division softball action.

“Our defense played their best game of the year,” said Athens coach Mickey Farrell. “Wellsboro’s defense was even better than ours, and I flat out got out-coached — this loss is on me, not my kids.
 
“We played hard with a lot  of heart and desire it just wasn't meant to be,” added Farrell. “Hats off to (Wellsboro), they deserved the win. We will be better next time.”

Senior Harley Sullivan led off the game with a solo home run to give Athens a quick 1-0 lead, but they didn’t manage another hit off Wellsboro’s Kerrah Clymer until sophomore Aliyah Butler’s two-out double in the fourth inning.

Athens sophomore Addy Repsher kept Wellsboro off the scoreboard until the fourth inning when a walk and hit batter led to the Lady Green Hornets’ first run.

In the top of the sixth inning, Sullivan, senior Aubrey Hatch, and junior Caydence Macik hit consecutive singles to give Athens a 2-1 lead.

A wild pitch plated Hatch, and Butler knocked in a run with a groundout to push the lead to 4-1.

With one out in the home half of the sixth inning, Jordyn Abernathy reached and scored on a two-run home run by Klymer — Wellsboro’s first hit — to trim the deficit to 4-3.

After Clymer retired the Lady Wildcats in order in the top of the seventh, Madeline Bordas led off the home half of the inning with a double. With one out, Riley Boyce tied the game with a fielder’s choice groundout.

After a sacrifice bunt by Abbye Cavanaugh moved Boyce to second base, Abernathy delivered the walk-off RBI single.

Sullivan homered and singled, scored two runs, and drove in one to pace Athens at the plate, while Hatch singled twice and scored one run, Macik singled and drove in one run, and Butler doubled and knocked in one run.

Repsher logged 5 1/3 innings for Athens, allowing three runs on one hit, while striking out four and walking two.

Macik was tagged with the loss, allowing two runs on three hits, while striking out two in 1 2/3 innings.

Clymer earned the win for Wellsboro, allowing four runs on five hits, while striking out three and walking one in seven innings in the circle.

Athens’ game at Wyalusing on Wednesday has been postponed due to Covid protocols. The Lady Wildcats, now 6-1, return to action next Tuesday at North Penn-Mansfield.