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West Branch Softball Pulls Through to Win in the Quarterfinals

The Lady Warriors win 8-7 against River Valley in extra innings.
Mackenzie MacTavish stands on first base after hitting a single, waiting for the pitcher to deliver the next pitch.
Mackenzie MacTavish stands on first base after hitting a single, waiting for the pitcher to deliver the next pitch.
Image/Graphics by Kamryn MacTavish

The Lady Warriors softball team faced River Valley on May 19, 2025, in the District 6 2A quarterfinals. Due to rain and poor field conditions, the game was held at the Morrisdale softball field. It was a tight, hard-fought matchup from start to finish, with the Warriors pulling off a narrow 8–7 victory against a tough and determined River Valley team.

The Warriors got on the board early. After Makena Moore was walked, courtesy runner Bella Nelson took her place on base. Haley Woodling followed with a single that pushed Nelson to third. Although Woodling was caught stealing second, the play allowed Nelson to cross the plate and tie the score at 1–1. The game stayed locked at 1–1 until the fifth inning, when a River Valley batter crushed a grand slam, giving them a 5–1 lead. But the Warriors weren’t rattled. They regrouped quickly and were determined to stay in the fight. In the bottom of the inning, Moore delivered a clutch single, driving in Mackenzie MacTavish and Lindsey Bainey to close the gap to 5–3.

In the sixth inning, they had a two-out rally, with MacTavish, Bainey, and Layla Thompson all singling. Moore scored them with a hit, the score now 6–5, Warriors winning. Then, in the seventh inning, the same girl who hit the grand slam earlier hit a two-run home run, making the score 7–6. However, MacTavish hit another single, making the score 7–7. The game had to go into an extra inning. In the eighth, Thompson and Woodling got on base, and Bella Koleno had a blooper to right field, scoring Thompson for the win.

Junior Bella Koleno says, “It was a really good game and I was so proud of everyone on our team. Our seniors were such good leaders on our team and it really showed how strong our team is.” Moore had 18 strikeouts, and the team had 16 hits total. This was a big win for the Warriors. They are now 15–5 for the season. They go on to play West Shamokin on Thursday, May 22, in the semifinals.

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