Agape Freedom Sports LLC

WRITTEN BY: JERIC YURKANIN

Down at John Derenick Park, home of the Riverside Lady Vikings, only a handful of fans had made their way in early on this chilly Sunday afternoon.

But as game time got closer… they came.

Cars pulled up. Doors slammed. Jackets zipped tight.

Fans walked in with hands tucked in pockets, breath visible in the air—settling into one of those early-spring softball days where winter still hasn’t fully let go.

Riverside came in looking for a response after Thursday’s loss to Pittston Area. A reset. A chance to protect home field and find some early rhythm.

Western Wayne, though… they didn’t come in searching.

They came in ready.

Fresh off a strong win over Holy Redeemer, the Lady Wildcats carried confidence—and more importantly, connection.

Freshman Rheagan Wargo had already made an impact, working a walk and scoring a run in that previous game. Hannah DeStefano added two hits and two runs. Adysen Wargo chipped in with two hits and an RBI.

And on Sunday…

That same energy showed up again.

There was something deeper behind it too.

Sisters. Teammates. Trust.

A bond you could feel from the dugout to the field.

And by the end of the afternoon… it told the story.

Shelby Lewis got the start in the circle for Riverside—and she came out sharp.

On the very first play of the game, Adysen Wargo grounded out to third, the throw across just in time. Khloe Mistishin followed with a ball to center that was handled cleanly, and Sophia Ochlan grounded out from second to first.

Three up. Three down.

Exactly the kind of start Riverside needed.

In the bottom half, the Lady Vikings looked ready to answer.

Emily Chilek went down on strikes to start the inning, but Raigan Monahan worked a walk. Then Kate Reynolds followed with one of her own.

Traffic on the bases.

A moment building.

You could feel it.

But it never broke through.

Mikayla Smith struck out. Cassidy Merrifield followed the same path.

And just like that… the chance was gone.

Western Wayne didn’t miss theirs.

In the top of the second, Hannah DeStefano stepped in and ripped a double—one of those swings that cuts through the cold air and wakes everyone up.

Then Rheagan Wargo came through.

A hit to left… DeStefano scores.

1-0 Lady Wildcats.

“I was just going up there with confidence in myself and hoping I hit the ball hard,” said Wargo. “When we’re on offense, we just have to communicate and make sure we’re all confident when we go to the plate.”

She added,

“In key moments, you just have to stay calm and remember your team is strong and can handle anything.”

From there, the game tightened.

Adysen Wargo and the Lady Wildcats defense locked in during the second.

The third inning? Clean on both sides.

No runs. No room to breathe. Just tension building pitch by pitch.

Then came the fourth.

Riverside finally found a way to crack through.

Shelby Lewis reached on an error. Caitie Beecham dropped down a bunt single. Pressure building.

Then Tierra Schiavo put the ball in play—and another miscue allowed Lewis to cross the plate.

Tie game.

1-1.

For a moment… it felt like everything might shift.

The dugout came alive. The crowd leaned in.

Riverside had answered.

But great teams don’t stay quiet for long.

And Western Wayne answered right back.

Adysen Wargo reached on an outfield error. Khloe Mistishin followed, getting on base and turning up the pressure again.

Then Sophia Ochlan delivered.

A single. A run scores.

2-1 Lady Wildcats.

And still… they weren’t done.

Hannah DeStefano stepped in once more and lifted a sacrifice fly to the outfield. Mistishin tagged and scored.

3-1.

Just like that… Western Wayne had taken control again.

“Every at-bat, I’m looking for that middle-away pitch,” said DeStefano. “First pitch, that’s exactly what she gave me, so I knew I had to take advantage of it.”

“Riverside is a good team, so I came in just looking to produce as much as I could for my team. My mindset every game is to play for the girl next to me and do everything for my team. That makes it easier to be successful on both sides of the ball.”

That inning proved to be the difference.

Riverside had chances the rest of the way. Runners on. Opportunities waiting.

Moments where one swing could’ve flipped everything.

But it never came.

And every time Riverside looked for that spark… Western Wayne shut the door.

At the center of it all was Adysen Wargo.

A complete performance in the circle.

She gave up just one run on six hits, worked through five walks—but overpowered hitters with 11 strikeouts.

“My rise ball was my go-to pitch today,” Wargo said. “I watched their swings before the game and saw they had a loop, so I wanted to keep the ball above their hands.”

“As I went through the lineup the second and third time, I mixed in some changeups and drop curves—but I stayed with the rise ball because they weren’t hitting it.”

And mentally?

She never left the moment.

“I’m always locked in and aware of what’s going on. We have a young team, and I’ve been pitching since I was a freshman, so I know what works and what doesn’t. I try to control what I can and trust myself and my defense.” Said Wargo

And that bond?

It’s real.

“It’s great playing alongside my sister,” Rheagan Wargo said. “We’ve been playing together for a long time—and even wrestling together. It’s brought us closer. We push each other and motivate each other, on and off the field.”

“Adysen is just a true athlete through and through,” added DeStefano. “She’s tough on both sides of the ball and knows exactly what needs to be done—and gets it done every time. She’s a threat on offense and defense and a great teammate all around.”

“Adysen threw really well in key moments, especially when Riverside had runners on base. Our defense stepped up too. Offensively, we just didn’t take advantage of our opportunities—we had chances to get that big hit and open the game up a bit. But it’s early in the season, and we’ll get it together.” Western Wayne Head Coach, Joe Romanowski said.

And over along the sideline…

Their mom stood bundled up—sweatshirt, coat, blanket wrapped tight against the cold.

Watching.

Cheering.

Living every pitch.

A proud moment… not just for the players on the field, but for the family behind them.

Because this wasn’t just about softball.

It was about connection.

On a cold afternoon at John Derenick Park…

When the wind cut through the field and every inning felt just a little longer…

Western Wayne didn’t just play the game.

They stayed composed.

They stayed connected.

And when it mattered most… they stayed in control.

A big road win.

Powered by pitching.

Fueled by timely hitting.

And built on something deeper than stats—

A team that plays together…

Was Like family.

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