Pa. Girls: Nazareth takes title in a thriller

After watching a 5-1 lead disappear in one inning, Nazareth Academy regrouped and pushed across two runs in the bottom of the seventh to capture its first PIAA District 1 softball championship with a 7-6 thriller over West Chester East in the Class AAA final yesterday at Spring-Ford.

In the seventh, Megan Codagnone reached base on an error, advanced on a sacrifice and Megan Fields' double, and scored on a close play on a ground ball by Brandy Dianno.

After Erica Cipolloni was walked to load the bases, freshman shortstop Melanie Kalesse came through with an RBI single to end the game.

Cipolloni led off the first inning with a home run and also had a triple in the game, and Kalesse was 3 for 5 at the plate.

District 1 Class AAAA. Pennsbury fashioned a three-run seventh inning and clipped Owen J. Roberts, 4-3, in the third-place game at North Penn.

D'Anna Devine lofted a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to start the scoring in the seventh. With two outs, Alyssa Shirley loaded the bases with an infield hit, and an error on Kirby Groves' ground ball allowed the last two runs to score.

Groves also drove in the tying run in the top of the sixth before the Wildcats went back in front.

District 12 Class AAAA. Melissa Robinson showed why she is the MVP of the Catholic League Northern Division this spring by striking out 13 batters and pitching St. Hubert's 14-0 no-hitter against Central in the title game at La Salle University.

Robinson (19-3), a junior, allowed one baserunner on an error and rapped a pair of hits. She was supported by Kristen Tyrrell's three hits, and two hits by Tara Robinson.

Districts 1/12 Class A. In a sub-regional game to determine the single state qualifier from Districts 1 and 12, Bristol whipped Parkway West, 22-0, at La Salle University.

Kiersten Cain threw a perfect four-inning game with eight strikeouts, while Danielle O'Reilly doubled twice and drove in three.