HERMITAGE, Pa. – Lily Palko, Bella Ritenour, and Keeley Whitaker combined for nine hits and seven RBIs, and Breanna Hanely fired a 1-hit shutout as Sharpsville captured the District 10 Class 2A title with an 8-0 win over Seneca.
Palko homered, doubled, and drove in three runs, Ritenour had three hits and two RBIs, while Whitaker doubled and drove in a pair.
Whitaker led off the bottom of the first with a double and, one out later, Palko brought her in with a 2-run blast to center.
That would have been plenty for Hanley, who was dominant in the circle giving up just one hit while walking two and striking out nine, but the Blue Devils’ offense was far from finished.
Ritenour added an RBI single later in the inning to give Sharpsville a 3-0 lead after one.
Whitaker hit a 1-out single and after a Miah Applegarth walk, Palko hit an RBI double to score Whitaker and push the lead to 4-0. Izzie Candiotti’s sac fly brought in Applegarth to make it 5-0.
Witaker’s 2-run single in the third increased the lead to 7-0, and Ritenour added an RBI single in the sixth for the final run.
Sharpsville will face District 9 runner-up , either Curwensville/Elk County Catholic (D9 true second place game on Tuesday)in the first round of the PIAA tournament on Monday, June 5, at a time and location to be announced.
