By Jason Morell

Contributing writer

North East softball was firing on all cylinders at the start of their season opener with Harbor Creek High School. 

Early in the first inning a double by Madison Shafer brought in Elle Blakeslee and Delany Prather, making it 2-0 North East.  

A double play early in the first by Gia Coletta and Hannah Kemmet ignited some defensive excitement for North East. North East went up big in the top of the third inning.  

Singles by Blakeslee, Hanna Kemmet and a double by Miranda Shafer with a host of errors from Harbor Creek make the score after the top of the third 8-0 North East.  

Harbor Creek began to battle back in the bottom of the third with an error in the field and a triple by Konieczki bringing the score to 6-3.  Harbor Creek put up four more runs in the bottom of the fifth on a hit from Burkett and a double from Maura with a host of errors in the field reeling in the score to 8-7 with North East holding the lead slightly. 

In the sixth inning, North East and Harbor Creek both put up two runs apiece.  

North East’s runs where with a Blakeslee single and a two-run homer by Prather.  

Game came down to the wire in the seventh with North East adding one more run to their lead.  North East’s run came from singles by Miranda Shafer and a single by Prather for a close play at the plate with Shafer.  

Harbor Creek wasn’t finished and out of the gate led off with a double by Moshbacher who was driven in by a single from Manning making the score 11-10.  

Prather was able to close out the game with a pair of strikeouts claiming the win and left the tying run stranded on base.

North East now 1-0 sets its sights on a busy week with Girard, Fairview and Seneca next up on the schedule. North East’s first home game was on Thursday, April 8, at 4 p.m. vs. Fairview.

Prather pitched seven innings with eight strikeouts on the day.

2B: Madison Shafer, Miranda Shafer

HR: Delaney Prather