Pa. Girls: St. Hubert wins with less

St. Hubert made the most of the only two hits it managed in yesterday's PIAA state Class AAAA softball tournament game against Pennsbury, bunching both in a two-run third inning to win the first-round game, 2-0.

Melissa Robinson, a junior pitcher coming off a no-hitter in the District 12 championship game, allowed six hits in the shutout, but struck out five, including all three outs in the seventh inning.

In the third, Bree Kenney walked, Brittany Meehan reached base on a bunt single, and both scored on Robinson's single off Falcons pitcher Kate Schilling.

The Bambies advance to Thursday's quarterfinals against the winner of the Whitehall/Waynesboro contest.

Also in Class AAAA, District 1 champion Spring-Ford had no trouble against Chambersburg, notching a 6-0 shutout at Upper Merion on Mandi Rush's three-hit pitching with seven strikeouts.

Jess Whitmore opened the scoring with a two-run double in the fourth inning. J.P. Norris was 2 for 3 with two runs scored and two RBIs.

In the fifth, Norris singled in two runs and Prena Kqira doubled in two more.

Class AAA. Nazareth Academy converted six stolen bases, a dozen hits, and another solid effort by Lock Haven-bound pitcher Amanda Fernandez into a 10-1 triumph over Kennard-Dale at Upper Merion.

Fernandez allowed three hits. On offense, she joined teammates Alex Stermel and Alex Sawicki in rapping doubles.

"We played small ball" Nazareth coach Bob Keating said. "We bunted and used our speed to throw [losing pitcher Rhoda Narsteller's] timing off."

Also in Class AAA, Greencastle-Antrim pushed across three first-inning runs and made them stand up for a 3-0 victory over West Chester East at Shippensburg University. East pitcher Autumn Appleby settled down after the opening inning and allowed just four hits in the game.

Bethlehem Catholic, the District 11 champion, gave up just one hit as it sailed past CAPA, 15-0, in a first-round matchup at Patriots Park in Allentown.

Tonu Palmer's single was CAPA's lone hit.

Class A. Bristol needed 10 innings and Kiersten Cain's dominating pitching to get past District 11 champion Williams Valley, 4-3.

Cain struck out 17 batters and allowed five hits in her 17th win of the season.

With the international tiebreaker in effect in the 10th, Samantha Dougherty went to third base on a sacrifice and scored the winning run on Nicole Adamson's sacrifice fly to left field.

Adamson tripled in the Warriors' first two runs in the third inning and scored on an error.

2008: Hatboro-Horsham 3, Greater Latrobe 0

2007: Pennsbury 3, Greater Latrobe 2

2006: Shaler 3, Hatboro-Horsham 0

2005: Pennsbury 10, Shaler 0 (6 inn.)

2008: Susquehannock 3, Milton 1

2007: Susquehannock 3, Springfield (D) 2

2006: Donegal 3, Punxsutawaney 0

2005: Ambridge 7, Shippensburg 3

2004: Shaler 3, Chambersburg 2

2003: Neshaminy 1, North Allegheny 0 (9 inn.)

2002: North Allegheny 1, Neshaminy 0 (10 inn.)

2001: Pennsbury 5, Montour 1

2000: Emmaus 1, Warren 0

2008: Loyalsock 3, Bald Eagle Area 2 (8 inn.)

2007: Phillipsburg-Osceola 11,

Brandywine Heights 6

2006: Harbor Creek 2, Lakeland 0

2005: Bald Eagle Area 6, Brandywine Heights 0

2004: Mifflinburg 3, Bald Eagle Area 2

2003: Nanticoke 4, Center 0

2002: Kutztown 4, Bellefonte 0

2001: Fleetwood 1, Riverside 0 (14 inns.)

2008: Vincentian Academy 2, Upper Dauphin 1

2007: Curwensville 7, Upper Dauphin 3

2006: Blue Ridge 1, Iroquois 0

2005: Minersville 4, Chartier Houston 0

2004: Blue Ridge 2, Sto-Rox 0

2003: South Williamsport 11, Chartiers Houston 0

2002: Penns Valley 1, Blue Ridge 0

2001: Bishop O'Hara 3, Sto-Rox 1