Valley Sports ReportATHENS — Ada Wilson doubled home Cece Shangraw in the bottom the sixth inning to lift Athens to a 6-5 win over Towanda here Thursday evening in the consolation bracket finals of the District 15 Little League Minors Division softball playoffs.
The win propels Athens into a championship-round matchup against Southern Tioga, which beat Athens 1-0, in winner's bracket finals on Saturday at 3 p.m. Athens needs two wins to win a District title, while Southern Tioga needs just one.
Towanda took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but Athens answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 2-1 lead.
Towanda rallied in the fourth inning with three runs to take a 4-2 lead.
In the home half of the fourth, Lindsay Ahern led off with a single, and scored on the next pitch when Livia Powers ripped an RBI triple to close the gap to 4-3. After a walk, Powers scored on a double play to tie the game at 4-4.
Athens ace Hadley Liechty pitched around a pair of walks in the top of the fifth inning, and Athens took the lead in the home half of the inning on consecutive two-out singles by Carly Bishop, Nora Morales, and Ava Rhodes to load the bases, and a walk to Liechty to force home a run.
Towanda tied the game on a two-out wild pitch in the top of the sixth, but Athens had a little more two-out magic in its bag.
After the first two batters were retired, Shangraw worked a walk, and stole second then scored when Wilson rifled a double into right field for the game-winner.
Morales was 3-for-3 with a run scored to pace Athens' 12-hit attack, while Power tripled, scored one run, and drove in one run, and Rhodes doubled and knocked in one run.
Liechty singled, scored one run, and drove in one run in the win, while Amelia Braunbeck singled and drove in two runs, Bishop and Ahern each singled and scored one run, Rhodes added a single, and Shangraw scored one run and drove in one run.
Liechty earned the win, allowing five runs on four hits, while striking out 14 and walking eight in six innings.
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PHOTOS BY MATT PATTON.
