Agape Freedom Sports LLC

WRITTEN BY: JERIC YURKANIN

To be the best at something — to be number one, to rise above everyone else in your league, your conference, your district, maybe even your state or the nation — there is always a price to pay.

Greatness does not just happen.

There are always others chasing the same dream. Some are hungrier. Some are more driven. Some want success, but do not know how to get there. Some are not being led the right way. Some do not have the culture. Some do not have the coaching. Some do not have the discipline. And some simply are not willing to sacrifice what it takes to become something special.

Because the truth is, winning is not for everybody.

A lot of teams say they want to win. A lot of players talk about wanting championships. But wanting it and being willing to do what it takes are two very different things. Some are not willing to put in the work when nobody is watching. Some are not willing to raise the standard. Some programs never build the kind of culture that can carry them through the biggest moments.

And in the end, that is often what separates one team from another.

Every season, every team starts with goals. Every program has a vision. But when the dust settles, only two teams can make a district championship game — and only one gets to hold the trophy. Only two can reach a state championship — and only one gets to walk away as the last team standing.

That is what makes the journey so hard.

And that is what makes it so meaningful.

For Abington Heights, this season did not begin with average expectations.

It began with purpose.

The Lady Comets came into this year with their eyes locked on a District 2 championship — and even more than that, with hopes of making a run all the way to a state title game. They know that kind of dream is not handed to anyone. It takes months of work, long offseason hours, commitment, belief, and the willingness to keep pushing even after heartbreak.

And heartbreak is something they know all too well.

Last season, Abington Heights came painfully close, only to fall short in the District 2 championship game by a final score of 5-4. What made it sting even more was that the Lady Comets had beaten North Pocono twice during the regular season, 5-4 and 7-3, but could not finish the job when it mattered most.

And maybe that is one of the hardest lessons in sports.

It is not just about where you start.
It is not just about where you are in the middle.
It is about where you finish.

That truth hit me while thinking about this game, and it brought to mind a couple of quotes that have stayed with me in my own life.

“And my dad drilled it in my head, you know, ‘If you want it bad enough, and you’re willing to make the sacrifices, you can do it. But first, you have to believe in yourself.’” — Jennie Finch

“Try not to get lost in comparing yourself to others. Discover your gifts and let them shine!”

— Jennie Finch

And for those who may not know, Jennie Finch is one of the biggest names the sport of softball has ever seen — an Olympic gold medalist and professional softball star who understood exactly what it takes to chase greatness.

She said it about as well as anybody could.

When Abington Heights stepped onto the field Tuesday against North Pocono — another one of the top teams in the area — it felt like a team carrying a different kind of focus. A different kind of edge. A different kind of vision.

This was not a team easing into the moment.

This was a team ready to attack it.

Abington had already gone through the fire this season, knocking off two of the top five teams from the Allentown-area conference, both in extra innings. They had already been tested. Already been pushed. Already been forced to answer pressure with poise.

And because of that, they looked ready to let their talent shine.

The Lady Comets were not hitting the brakes Tuesday.

They hit the gas.

This is a team with standards. This is a team whose players work in the offseason. This is a team that understands talent alone is never enough. There has to be discipline behind it. There has to be preparation behind it. There has to be a mindset behind it.

That is why another quote came to mind — one that has inspired me since I was a teenager, from Hall of Fame football coach Vince Lombardi:

“Winning is not a sometime thing, it is an all-the-time thing. You don’t do things right once in a while… you do them right all the time.”
— Vince Lombardi

That quote always stuck with me because it speaks to what winning really is.

Winning is not luck.
Winning is not accidental.
Winning is a habit.
It is built in practice.
It is built in culture.
It is built in the little things long before the big moments ever arrive.

And on Tuesday, Abington Heights looked like a team trying to build something bigger than just one regular-season win.

This was a statement.

This is how things unfolded Tuesday against North Pocono.

Abington wasted no time putting pressure on the Trojans.

In the top of the first, Eva Kane singled on a hard ground ball to left, immediately giving the Lady Comets life at the top of the lineup. Adrianna Conrad followed and reached on an error by first baseman Haylie Keating, allowing Kane to move into scoring position. Even after Avary Brister flew out to center, Kane tagged and moved to third, while courtesy runner Brigid O’Malley also advanced into scoring position.

“As the leadoff batter, I know it’s important to get on base for the hitters after me. Getting on to lead off the game and scoring that first run on Bella’s sac fly got us going. I took an aggressive approach after that and was able to make good contact and get on base three more times. I have such great hitters after me, I’m confident if I can get on base, I’ll score,” said Abington Heights second baseman Eva Kane.

Then came a heads-up moment.

Isabella DeRiggi lifted a ball that turned into a double play, but Kane raced home before the final out was recorded, giving Abington Heights an early 1-0 lead.

North Pocono answered quietly in the bottom half, but Adrianna Conrad and the Lady Comet defense looked sharp from the start. Amelia Bell grounded out, Isabella Forgione lined out to right, and Riley Grambo popped out to shortstop as Abington quickly put up a clean defensive frame.

The second inning brought more tension but no scoring for the Lady Comets.

Brianna Bustos popped out. Riley McColligan flew out. Evelyn Henkels worked a walk, and Ella Long followed with a line-drive single to right to give Abington a small spark, but North Pocono escaped the inning when Avery Venesky went down swinging.

Then, in the bottom of the second, North Pocono pushed back.

Roscioli reached on an error to start the inning. After a groundout moved her to second, Adysen Iyoob came through with a hard ground-ball single, and Roscioli came home to tie the game at 1-1. Moments later, Anna Havenstrite added an RBI single to score Iyoob and give the Trojans their first lead of the afternoon, 2-1.

It was the kind of moment that can shift momentum.

But Abington did not panic.

They answered.

In the top of the third, Kane drew a walk, and Conrad smoked a double on a line drive to right field, bringing Kane all the way home to tie the game at 2-2. Brister followed with a hard ground-ball single to short, putting more pressure on North Pocono. Abington had a chance to open the inning up even more, but the Trojans managed to keep further damage off the board.

Still, the Lady Comets had settled back in.

North Pocono threatened in the bottom of the third when Amelia Bell singled and later moved into scoring position after a fly ball and an error, but Conrad got out of the inning without allowing a run.

And then came the fourth.

That is when Abington Heights grabbed control.

Ella Long struck out to open the inning, but Avery Venesky worked a walk and aggressively moved around the bases on wild pitches. With Venesky now standing on third, Conrad delivered again, lifting a pop-fly single to center that brought her home and gave Abington Heights a 3-2 lead.

Then came the big swing.

Avary Brister stepped in and crushed a line-drive two-run homer to center field.

Just like that, the score jumped to 5-2, and the Abington dugout had energy pouring out of it.

“During my at-bats, I knew that I had to find a pitch that I absolutely loved in order to drive in the runners. I had to trust my pitch selection and have confidence that my runners would react wherever my hit went,” said Abington Heights left fielder Avary Brister.

She added, “I had to stay focused and know the situation, and when I step in the box, I know to clear my head. I block out all of the noise around me and tell myself to have confidence.”

North Pocono had no answer in the bottom half. Isabella Forgione struck out swinging, Iyoob popped out, and Havenstrite followed with another out as the Lady Comets slammed the door on the inning.

But Abington still was not finished.

Far from it.

The fifth inning turned into an avalanche.

Bustos reached on an error to start things off. McColligan laid down a sacrifice. Henkels then singled, and Ella Long added a sacrifice that helped bring home two runs, stretching the lead to 7-2. Venesky followed with a single. Kane added another hit. Conrad came through again with an RBI single. Brister ripped a double to left, scoring another run. DeRiggi reached on an error that brought in yet another run. Then, in a moment that perfectly summed up Abington’s aggressive mindset, Brister scored on a steal of home during a sequence that caught North Pocono off balance.

“North Pocono has three really good pitchers, and we saw them all today. I was able to see a lot of pitches, but I was also looking to be aggressive if I got a good pitch early in the count. My first at-bat was really important to set the tone for the game, and I was on the first good pitch I saw for that single,” said Eva Kane.

By the time the inning finally ended, the Lady Comets had exploded for six runs.

Suddenly, it was 11-2.

North Pocono tried to respond in the bottom of the fifth. Paige Dymek singled, Amelia Bell walked, and Isabella Forgione delivered an RBI single to help cut into the lead. Roscioli later added an RBI single of her own, trimming it to 11-4.

But even then, it never really felt like Abington was losing control.

They had too much rhythm.
Too much confidence.
Too much firepower.

In the top of the sixth, the Lady Comets added another run when McColligan came around to score after a dropped third strike, making it 12-4.

And in the seventh, Brister delivered one last exclamation point.

Kane singled to start the inning. Conrad struck out swinging. Then Brister stepped in and launched her second line-drive homer to center, bringing Kane home with her and pushing the lead to 14-4.

“I knew that I had to continue to be patient at the plate and wait for a pitch I knew I could drive, especially with no strikes on me. During these at-bats, I knew that, especially in the beginning of the game, I had to make solid contact so that my teammates were in position to score,” said Brister.

Ballgame feel.

North Pocono had one last chance in the bottom of the seventh, but Abington closed it out. Bell singled, Forgione walked, and Grambo moved both runners up with a groundout. But Conrad dug in and finished the job, striking out Roscioli looking and Kayla Armbruster to end it.

Final score: Abington Heights 14, North Pocono 4.

“Our team chemistry is really strong. We have a great group of girls that support each other and are always cheering each other on. Our lineup is full of really good hitters, and when someone gets on base, we will do whatever it takes to score them. We are confident in each other, and that shows in our success on the field. We had a big fifth inning and scored four runs with two outs. We know we can put up runs with two outs and no one on base. We are hitting with a lot of confidence right now,” said Eva Kane.

Abington Heights put together one of its most complete offensive performances of the season, rolling to a 14-4 win behind 14 hits and production throughout the lineup. Avary Brister powered the Lady Comets with a monster 4-for-5 day, scoring three runs and driving in five while blasting two home runs and adding a double for 11 total bases. Adrianna Conrad also starred offensively, going 3-for-5 with three RBIs and a double, while Eva Kane sparked the top of the order by finishing 3-for-4, scoring four runs, and drawing a walk.

And what made the performance even more dangerous was the depth.

Abington also got key contributions from Ella Long, who drove in two runs, Evelyn Henkels, who added an RBI and a walk, Avery Venesky, who scored twice and reached base multiple times, and Riley McColligan, who scored and worked two walks. From top to bottom, this lineup looked dangerous, connected, and relentless.

North Pocono finished with four runs on seven hits and was led by Amelia Bell, who went 2-for-3 with a run scored and a walk, while Avarie Roscioli added a hit, a run scored, and an RBI. Isabella Forgione, Adysen Iyoob, and Anna Havenstrite also each drove in a run for the Lady Trojans, and Paige Dymek chipped in a hit and a run scored.

In the circle, Conrad earned the win for Abington, tossing a complete game while allowing four runs, three earned, on seven hits with eight strikeouts. North Pocono used three pitchers, with Bell starting and taking the loss, Clementoni working in relief, and Bell returning later.

“Definitely worked on hitting spots and corners this week while prepping for the game. This week, I was working a lot on spots and spin, and that’s what helped hold the team today,” said Abington Heights pitcher Adrianna Conrad.

She added, “I have to remind myself with my mindset, regardless of what happens at or in the box, there are eight other girls behind me who have my back.”

She continued, “At the end of the game with the lead, I was focused on just producing outs. I would take my defense behind me against any team in the league, and that is my reminder to just keep grinding on the mound.”

Team-wise, Abington took advantage of five North Pocono errors, while the Lady Comets committed two of their own. But the biggest difference was simple:

Abington cashed in.

They delivered with runners on. They found big swings in big moments. They pressured the defense. And once they smelled momentum, they did not let go.

From the opening inning to the final out, Abington Heights looked like a team playing with purpose.

A team playing with hunger.

A team playing like it remembers exactly what last year felt like — and has no interest in feeling it again.

Tuesday was not just another win.

It was a reminder.

The Lady Comets are not chasing greatness halfway.

They are going after it with everything they have.

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