And yet no one could tell Tuesday at Montoursville. Friel continued her breakout hitting season and slammed a go-ahead, two-out, two-run, sixth-inning double which broke a tie. Cozzi produced a potentially game-saving catch in a swirling wind an inning later, leaving the bases loaded and helping Friel close out an exciting 6-4 win against Loyalsock.

Friel scattered eight hits and continues combining strong pitching with timely hitting. Cozzi moved from first base to second base and also went 2 for 3 with an RBI as Montoursville (7-4, 4-1 HAC-III) tied Loyalsock for second in the HAC-III with first place Hughesville coming to town Thursday.

“I just worked hard and it paid off,” Friel said after going 1 for 2 with two walks and two runs. “I just had a really good opportunity to hit last summer and I carried that into the season.”

“They put me there (second base) yesterday. I had fun today,” Cozzi said. “They were shuffling some stuff around in practice and they trusted me enough to play there.”

Avery Cozzi (26) of Montoursville slides safely across home plate as Easton Waller (12) of Loyalsock tries to make the play during the first inning in Montoursville Tuesday afternoon. Montoursville won 6-4. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Cozzi rewarded that trust in a huge way in the seventh inning. Loyalsock had scored three fifth inning runs to erase a 3-0 deficit and was on the verge of wiping out another three-run deficit after Shyla Fulp ignited a two-out rally with a double. Sofia Mileto followed with an RBI single before Kinsie Philips hit a pop up into the gusty winds which carried the ball away from the charging defenders and fell for an infield single. With first base open, Montoursville walked Addi Barowy.

Two pitches later, Lydia Kresock hit a ball similar to the one Phillips did. Montoursville had taken the lead a few minutes earlier in sunlight but by this point, it was gray, raining and windy. Cozzi pushed all those obstacles aside, hustled into the hole between first and second and made a snow cone catch, preventing the tying runs from scoring and clinching victory.

“Avery Cozzi has really great hands, and she’s aggressive to the ball,” Montoursville coach Makayla Arnold said. “It helps when you have multiple players who can play multiple positions.”

“I got one similar to that early in the game, so I just saw it go up and kept moving forward and said, ‘All right, I’m going to catch this one,'” Cozzi said. “With the bases loaded, it felt good getting an out like that.”

Friel experienced a similar thrill in the bottom of the sixth. After Loyalsock tied the game, Raigan Fredericks drew a lead-off walk before Jordan Chamberlain reached on an error. Two batters later, Friel delivered her biggest high school hit, staying with an outside pitch and rocketing it into the right-center field gap, easily reaching second and scoring both runners to put Montoursville up for good, 5-3.

Sophia Miller (18) of Loyalsock leaps off the ground during her delivery as she pitches to Montoursville in Montoursville Tuesday afternoon. Montoursville won 6-4. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Cozzi added an RBI single following an intentional walk to Kayleigh Sheleman (2 for 2), making it a three-run game again.

“I was just thinking we really needed to get a hit so we could get more people to score,” Friel said. “I just had to wait for my pitch, and it felt pretty good.”

Friel never hit last season but it was not because Montoursville lacked faith in her. The Warriors were replacing both their pitchers from the previous season and wanted Friel to lock in during her first varsity season pitching. She did so quite well, helping Montoursville again reach the District 4 Class AAAA final.

Now an experienced pitcher who continues excelling in the circle, Friel is free to shine offensively, too. She consistently has been reaching base and complemented her stellar pitching against Loyalsock, including taking a one-hitter into the fifth inning, with steady production, whether setting the table or clearing it.

“Last year we knew we had a young pitching staff coming in and we had the bats in the lineup that we had the ability to let them focus on pitching,” Arnold said. “We always knew that Julie had a great swing, but it was really important that we put what pieces we wanted to on the mound, so we really just wanted to focus on that. I think that deep down she was probably a little mad at me all last year, but I’ll take that.

DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette Montoursville’s Raigan Fredericks scores on a hit by teammate Julie Friel in the sixth inning against Loyalsock in Montoursville on Tuesday afternoon.

“She came out and was like, ‘I’ll show you what I can do, coach.'”

She continues doing a lot and made a three-run first inning lead hold firm until the fifth inning. Friel also ignited that first inning rally, drawing a one-out walk. Sheleman then singled and Cozzi walked before Jill Stone drilled a clutch two-run single up the middle and put Montoursville ahead, 2-0. Cozzi scored on a wild pitch, upping the advantage to three.

Unfazed, Loyalsock thundered back in the fifth inning. Sophia Miller led off with a single and Easton Waller launched an RBI double off the left-field fence. Phillips, also a freshman, then delivered one of the best hits of her young high school career, smashing a two-out, two-run triple down the right field line and tying the game, 3-3.

Loyalsock played strong defense with Waller and Miller both making snap throws to beat bunters. After moving to shortstop, Waller also made a spectacular catch, going up against the third base fence and snagging a pop up.

Montoursville shifted its defense, putting Cozzi at second base, Fredericks at first and Avery Stahl in left field, all for the first time this season. Each player was immediately tested in the first inning and all three made the plays. Doing so helped set the tone as Friel retired Loyalsock on seven pitches.

Emily George (24) of Montoursville is tagged out at home plate by Shyla Fulp (22) of Loyalsock during the second inning in Montoursville Tuesday afternoon. Montoursville won 6-4. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Some positions were new but Montoursville continued producing similar results, winning for the sixth time in seven games. After losing three early-season games in walk-off fashion, Montoursville has come roaring back and now will play for a share of first place in the HAC-III Thursday.

“I’m really happy to see us play well. Everything is starting to click,” Cozzi said. “We’re stringing hits together, we’re making our plays in the field, so I’m feeling a lot more confident in us.”

Loyalsock 000 030 1–4 8 1

Montoursville 300 003 x–6 7 1

Easton Waller and Shyla Fulp. Julie Friel, Sophia Miller (3) and Nevaeh Montoya.

Emily George (24) of Montoursville is tagged out at home plate by Shyla Fulp (22) of Loyalsock during the second inning in Montoursville Tuesday afternoon. Montoursville won 6-4. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Top Loyalsock hitters: Kinsie Phillips 2-3, 3B, BB, 2 RBIs; Sofia Mileto 2-4, RBI; Easton Waller 1-4, 2B, RBI, R; Shyla Fulp 1-3, 2B, BB, 2R; Addi Barowy 1-3; Miller 1-3, R. Top Montoursville hitters: Kayleigh Sheleman 2-2, 2 BB, R; Avery Cozzi 2-3, BB, RBI, R; Friel 1-2, 2B, 2 BB, 2 RBIs, 2R; Jill Stone 1-4, 2 RBIs; Montoya 1-3.

Records: Montoursville 7-4, 4-1 HAC-II. Loyalsock 4-4, 2-1.

Julie Friel of Montoursville pitches to Loyalsock in the first inning in Montoursville Tuesday afternoon. Montoursville won 6-4. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Julie Friel of Montoursville connects on a 2-RBI double in the 6th inning against Loyalsock in Montoursville Tuesday afternoon. Montoursville won 6-4. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Avery Cozzi (26) of Montoursville slides safely across home plate as Easton Waller (12) of Loyalsock tries to make the play during the first inning in Montoursville Tuesday afternoon. Montoursville won 6-4. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette