By JIM RUMBLE

After dropping two games over the past week, the Avonworth softball team now finds itself in a battle for second place in the section race and trying to make the WPIAL playoffs.

On Thursday, April 23, the Lady ‘Lopes played at OLSH and lost 5-3.

Avonworth had nine hits, all coming on three hits apiece by Ali Chambers, Molly Frew and Tracy Catanzarite.

'Lopes pitcher Julianne Hirsch recorded seven strike-outs while surrendering nine hits. She walked five batters, with two of the walks proving costly as they turned into runs that enabled the Chargers to pull out the win.

Afterwards coach Chris Knox stated, "We were flat in this game and couldn't get our offense going to build momentum. We left a lot of runners in scoring position in each of the last four innings but not able to convert into runs.”

Knox commended the OLSH pitcher, who was able to make a lot of big outs to preserve the win.

On Saturday, April 24, the Lady ‘Lopes hosted section leader Vincentian and were blanked 7-0.

It was another great game between these two rivals, with the Royals scoring a run in the first and maintaining a 1-0 lead into the sixth inning.

Hirsch struggled with control on the mound in the sixth with a couple of walks and two runs being scored on wild pitches.

Vincentian scored five runs in the sixth and added one more in the final inning.

Avonworth, who left the bases loaded in the sixth inning, was limited to three hits by Vincentian pitcher Nina Melvin, who also struck out 11 batters.

The Royals had the bases loaded early in the game with nobody out when the 'Lopes almost pulled off a triple play. It started with a line drive to second base before doubling off the runner at first for the second out. They then threw across the diamond and barely missed getting the runner at third base.

"I thought that play would get us going," Knox said later.

“We were excited about the opportunity, energized by the crowd and played hard with a lot of effort and energy but it wasn't our night."

That was evident in the fourth inning, when Natalie Zivic was robbed of a home run by a leaping catch over the fence by the Vincentian centerfielder.