SECTION IV SOFTBALL: STATE-RANKED SUS. VALLEY ENDS WAVERLY'S SEASON IN CLASS B SEMIFINALS (2025-05-29)

Valley Sports Report
CONKLIN, N.Y. — State-ranked Susquehanna Valley built an early 5-0 lead on its way to an 8-2 win over Waverly here Thursday afternoon in the semifinals of the Section IV, Class B softball playoffs.

The Sabers, ranked second in the State, scored one run in the first and second innings to take a 2-0 lead, then added three more runs in the third inning, and that was more than enough SV ace LilliOnna D'Introno.

"D'Introno is a dynamite pitcher, really tough," said Waverly coach Brent Doane. "Sus Valley is well-coached and well-prepared.

"We came into tonight's game looking to play our best," noted Doane. "We played hard tonight,  I was very pleased with our effort.  

"We had a couple opportunities that we didn't capitalize on, but again, their pitcher is very good," he added.

Waverly, which lost the regular-season match-up with the Sabers, 22-1, scored a pair of runs in the top of the fourth to close the gap to 5-2.

Junior Maddie Cron walked to lead off the inning, stole second, and moved to third base on a groundout off the bat of sophomore Hannah Carpenter.

Eighth-grader Taylin Gonzalez reached on a dropped infield pop fly, and Cron held at third base. After a walk to 7th-grader Paige Bubniak, Cron scored on a passed ball, and senior Makayla Esau stroked an RBI single, but D'Introno avoided further damage with a strikeout.

The Sabers answered with two runs in the home half of the fourth inning to make it 7-2, and tacked on another run in the fifth inning.

Gonzalez was tagged with the loss, allowing six earned runs on 13 hits, with five strikeouts and no walks in six innings.

I thought Taylin Gonzalez was outstanding tonight," said Doane. "She got better as the game went along.

"She didn't issue a single walk tonight and made SV earn everything," added Doane. "I am very proud of her."

Gonzalez singled and scored one run, and Esau singled and drove in one run, while 8th-grader Ayla Wheeler added a single to account for Waverly's three hits, and Cron scored one run.

"We were held to three hits and our two 8th-graders each had one of them," said Doane.

"I think our future is really bright considering we have a 7th-grader, two 8th-graders, a 9th-grader and four 10th-graders on our roster right now," he added.

The Wolverines wrap up the season at 10-10, and graduate just three seniors in Esau, Brinn Cooney, and Meghan Apgar.

"We will miss our seniors," said Doane. "They were all starters and I hope they will come back to watch us play next year at some point and be proud of seeing their young teammates trying to fill their shoes."

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IN PHOTO: Waverly's Makayla Esau. ... VSR STOCK PHOTO.

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