North Penn erupts for 18 runs, rolls past Hazleton in PIAA-6A quarterfinals
ALLENTOWN >> Having already allowed a run in the top of the second inning, Hazleton opted to take the bat out of Julia Shearer’s hands, intentionally walking the state’s reigning Gatorade Player of the Year with two outs to load the bases.
Sarah Sabocsik made sure the Cougars’ decision was a regrettable one.
“I’ve been put in that position many times before so I knew what I had to do,” North Penn softball’s senior catcher said. “I had to stay within myself, swing at good pitches and just don’t do anything too big and just make contact.”
Sabocsik knocked a pitch inside the left-field foul line, clearing the bases with a three-RBI double to extend the Knights’ lead to 4-0 in Thursday’s afternoon PIAA-6A quarterfinals.
“I think people think it’s just Julia then just everyone else,” Sabocsik said. ”But it shows I can also hit.”
So can everyone else in the Knights’ lineup, as they piled up the runs at Patriots Park to roll past the District 2 champs and into the state semifinals for a third straight season.
North Penn finished the second inning up 6-0, added three more in the third, plated four in the fourth then finished its offensive eruption with a five-run fifth to claim an 18-0 victory over Hazleton in five innings.
“You definitely don’t see that and after our last couple of games only getting a couple of runs, this definitely shows everyone that we can still hit,” Sabocsik said. “And that we can still play our game and still do our thing.”
The District 1 champ Knights (26-0) racked up 16 hits, junior designated player Casey Sokol going 3-for-4 with three RBIs – driving in two with a triple in the fourth – and three runs scored while Shearer went 2-for-4 with four RBIs, belting a two-run homer in the fourth then a two-run double in the fifth.
“I don’t know, it’s just insane,” said Sokol, who posted her fourth multi-hit game this postseason. “I do think we hit well last game, our pitch selection was just way more better than last game. We hit pitches that we knew we could drive and that was the difference-maker.”
Shearer also struck out eight in pitching a two-hit shutout as North Penn advances to face District 3-3 Chambersburg –a 9-1 winner over District 11 champ Nazareth – for a spot in the state final Monday at a site and time to be announced.
“These kids are excited, they knew what they had to do today,” Knights coach Rick Torresani said. “And Julia pitched how Julia pitches and when this team hits, look out. This is what happens.”
North Penn reached the title game in 2021, beating Haverford for state gold while last season in the semis fell to eventual champ Spring-Ford.
Brie Wilmot was 2-for-4 with two RBIs, Sophia Orth went 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored while Tallie Smink, Lexi Nyce and Jaclyn Diaz all came off the bench to provide hits – Smink driving in two with a triple in the fourth.
“It’s amazing,” Sokol said. “It’s crazy that we’re in the state championship and just getting all these runs and everyone’s contributing. Everyone’s pinch-hitting, everyone’s running. It’s just so fun, I love it.”
Thursday was the 14th time in 2023 North Penn reached double-digit runs but the first since a 13-0 win over Ridley in the District 1-6A quarterfinals. The Knights edged Plymouth Whitemarsh 3-2 in 10 innings in the semis, topped Haverford 5-0 behind a Shearer perfect game in the district final then began states Tuesday with a 3-1 win over Governor Mifflin.
“When we score runs early, it’s pretty hard to beat us,” Torresani said. “But the key is – that we didn’t do the last two games – is score runs after we score early and that’s what that did today.
“We didn’t know much about Hazleton and what they had. I mean we looked stuff up the best we could do in the hitting-wise. But I feel bad for them because they’re not a bad team but I’m just blessed with a lot of great players that today proved it.”
Shearer posted her 20th shutout of the season. The left-handed Maryland commit did not give up a walk and allowed just three baserunners.
“Amazing like always,” said Sabocsik of Shearer’s performance in the circle. “She was hitting her spots, the location was good, her speed was still there. Just a good day again.”
Marissa Hoffman began the bottom of the first with a bunt single but after a strikeout, Hoffman was doubled up a first after fly out to second baseman Gianna Cimino.
Hazleton did not get another runner on until Kelsie Peters was hit by a pitch with one out in the fourth. Two batters later, Ashley Seiwell hit a two-out infield single up the middle before a groundout to first sealed North Penn’s five-inning win.
Starting pitcher Seiwell took the loss for Hazleton, which was looking to reach its first PIAA semifinal since 2019. The right-hander went two-plus innings, giving up nine runs – two earned – on six hits. She walked four and had one strikeout.
In the top of the second, Cimino drew a leadoff walk then was initially called out on a Sophia Orth fielder’s choice but the call was reversed, giving the Knights two on with no outs. Bella Nunn’s sacrifice bunt moved the runners up and Sokol followed with an RBI single to right for a 1-0 lead.
After a strikeout, Hazleton elected to give Shearer a two-out free pass to load the bases for Sabocsik, who delivered a bases-clearing double to left to put the Knights up four.
“She took that to heart,” said Torresani of Sabocsik. “OK, you’re going to walk her, I’m a .500 hitter and she proved it.”
Annabelle Smink’s RBI single to right on the next at-bat made it 5-0. A Wilmot single and an off-target throw to home allowed Annabelle Smink to score North Penn’s sixth run.
The Knights increased the margin to 9-0 in the third. Orth began the inning with a double to left center. After a Nunn walk, Sokol hit a ball down the first-base line to bring in both runners and end up a third for a two-RBI triple. Sokol came home as Reyna Doherty reached on an error.
In the top of the fourth, consecutive one-out singles by Nyce and Sokol put a pair on for Tallie Smink, who laced a two-RBI triple to left. Shearer followed by blasting a laser over the center-field fence for a two-run homer and a 13-0 lead.
“She destroyed that pitch,” Torresani said.
Shearer drove in the first two of the Knights’ five runs in the fifth when she ripped a bases-loaded double to left center. With two outs and the bases loaded, a Wilmot RBI fielder’s choice brought in a run while back-to-back RBI singles from Cimino and Orth made it 18-0.
North Penn 18, Hazleton 0 (5)
North Penn 063 45 – 18 16 0
Hazleton 000 00 – 0 2 3
WP: Julia Shearer 5 IP 2 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 8 SO 1 HB.
LP: Ashley Seiwell 2 IP 6 H 9 R 2 ER 4 BB 1 SO.
2B: NP-Shearer, Sophia Orth, Sarah Sabocsik; 3B: NP-Tallie Smink, Casey Sokol; HR: NP-Shearer.
North Penn: Orth 2-5, RBI, 2 R; Sabocsik 3 RBI; Shearer 2-4, 4 RBI, R; Smink 2 RBI; Sokol 3-4, 3 RBI, 3 R; Brie Wilmot 2-4, 2 RBI.
