By: Ryan Tattersall
Everything went well on Saturday May 6, as freshman Paupack pitcher Gabby Hieber helped lead the Lady Bucks to no-hit 8-3 win over Dunmore. It all started in the second inning, when Paupack got on the board first. Dakota Hubbard singled a to center. Then Clara Babyak hit a hard ground ball that was too hard to handle for the third baseman. Madison Haberstumpf would then load the bases on a blooper into left. Allie Sterner hit a ground ball to short driving in the first run of the game, and the lead for Paupack.
In the top of the third, the Lady Buckhorns continued the batting barrage. It would start with a bullet hit by Gabby Hieber that glanced off the left fielder’s glove. Josie Leighton then dropped in a single. Kailyn Kielbasa drew in a walk to load the bases. Clara Babyak hit a fly ball that was dropped by the left fielder, and the error drove in Hieber, Leighton, and Kielbasa.
In the bottom of the third, Dunmore struck back. A few mistakes were made by the Lady Buckhorn defense including an error and a wild pitch to advance Sophia Summa to second. A ground ball to short where the ball appeared to have clipped the runner’s cleats. However, no call was made, as Summa scored. Thankfully the inning ended with a pop out to Gabby Hieber, and a strikeout.
In the fourth inning, Dunmore would once again be stuffed by the Lady Buckhorn defense. Wren Fredrick was the X factor of the inning catching a fly ball, and then she robbed a potential home run by Dunmore Lady Bucks.
The fifth inning was pretty much the same. Gabby Hieber continued her impressive pitching performance with another quick three-and-out. Paupack finally got something cooking in the sixth. Allie Sterner started the inning with a fly ball that was dropped by the left fielder, and she took second. Emily Sterner then singled on a bunt to the pitcher, she and advanced her sister to third. Next, Hunter Myers loaded the bases on a hard hit ground ball and she reached on an error. Gabby Hieber would continue to punish Dunmore with another base hit that drove in Allie Sterner. Kailyn Kielbasa would then strike with a single that just got into left, driving in Emily Sterner. Dakota Hubbard hit a sacrifice fly that drove in Hunter Myers. The top of the inning ended on a tag at home plate.
In the bottom of the sixth, Dunmore batter Bella Pasko walked to start the inning. With two out in the inning, and Gabby Hieber looking for another hitless inning, Dunmore’s Morgan Quinn hit a ground ball that was booted at short, scoring Pasko. The Lady Buckhorns then made another error, and it drove in Quinn.
Unfortunately for Dunmore, any hope of coming back in the game was lost, when Clara Babyak put the dagger in their hearts with a solo home run. The win was in the bag as the Lady Buckhorns made one last defensive stop, solidifying a fantastic win for Paupack. Gabby Hieber turned into a pitching and hitting machine in this game, collecting multiple hits at the plate. Pitching wise, she pitched the whole game, striking out four, she and gave up three runs and no hits.
It was another hard-fought win for Wallenpaupack as they look ahead to their game on Monday May 8, against their arch-nemesis, NORTH POCONO! That game is going to be a battle.
