Agape Freedom Sports LLC

WRITTEN BY: JERIC YURKANIN

They say any team can beat any team on any given day.

That’s the whole meaning behind the movie Any Given Sunday.

And it’s bigger than football. Bigger than one field, one scoreboard, one team, or one sport.

It’s the truth about athletics — and honestly, life itself.

No outcome is guaranteed.

Underdogs can rise. Favorites can fall. Stars can have off nights. One inning can flip everything. One swing. One throw. One mistake. One moment where momentum changes dugouts — and suddenly, the team everyone counted out starts believing they can win.

That’s why the game is played.

Because on any given night, the team with the better record doesn’t always win. The team with the bigger name doesn’t always win. The team with the history, the banners, the expectations still has to step between the lines and prove it.

In Any Given Sunday, the famous locker room speech talks about inches.

Life is about inches.

Sports are about inches.

Softball is about inches.

A ball just fair. A throw just late. A runner beating out a play by a step. A pitch catching the corner. A fly ball landing where nobody can reach it.

Those little moments become the game.

And on Friday night, under the lights at Old Forge, those inches belonged to the Lady Blue Devils.

Old Forge came in as the underdog against Mid Valley — the defending 2023 PIAA state champions and last year’s state semifinal team. A giant. A favorite. A program everyone knows.

But Old Forge is not a team you overlook.

The Lady Blue Devils are one of the toughest teams in the area. One of the most successful programs that still does not always get talked about enough. A team capable of beating anyone on any given day.

And on this night…

They did exactly that.

Mid Valley fans may have left shocked.

I wasn’t shocked at all.

Because this is softball.

This is momentum.

This is why you play the game.

And on this night at Old Forge, the Lady Blue Devils didn’t just show up.

They took their inch.

Then they took another.

Then they took the game.

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Mid Valley struck first in the second inning when Natalie Hricenak launched a home run to left field, giving the Spartans a 1-0 lead. It felt like the script might follow expectations early.

But Old Forge answered immediately.

In the bottom half, Joselyn DeStefano started the rally with a single. Lilianna Lenceski followed with a double, putting pressure on the defense. Then Julia Marianelli delivered, ripping a single to center that scored two runs and flipped the momentum.

Just like that, Old Forge led 2-1.

They weren’t done.

Addison Rafalko added another hit, continuing the pressure, and from that moment on, you could feel it — Old Forge wasn’t just competing.

They believed.

In the fourth inning, Joselyn DeStefano stepped back in and delivered again — this time with power, launching a home run to center field to extend the lead.

“I knew how much every at-bat counted. Getting down 0-2, all I was thinking was to make solid contact and hit a line drive. We needed to keep the momentum going,” said Joselyn DeStefano.

She added, “I was seeing the ball very well tonight. I think to myself, this is for the team, and they always have my back. I know that if I try to hit line drives, the hits will follow.”

Old Forge led 3-1.

But against a team like Mid Valley, nothing comes easy.

In the fifth inning, the Spartans responded. Angela Laskowski and Parker Bennett delivered RBI hits to tie the game at 3-3, reminding everyone exactly why Mid Valley is one of the top programs in the state.

Then in the sixth, Mid Valley grabbed the lead again. Addison Frein doubled to left, scoring Ava Hazelton and putting the Spartans up 4-3.

Now the pressure shifted.

Now the moment got tight.

Now the inches mattered even more.

Old Forge went quietly in the sixth, and heading into the final inning, it felt like the favorite might escape.

But “any given day” doesn’t follow scripts.

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In the bottom of the seventh, with two outs and the game on the line, Lilianna Lenceski reached base to keep the inning alive.

“Before the game even started, I knew there was no room for error. This team is sharp, well-coached, and will capitalize on anything,” said Lenceski. “My mindset was confident, calm, and prepared. I’ve been playing shortstop for the last four years, so I know I have the skills. I just needed to trust myself, my team, and Kamryn, our pitcher.”

She added, “I knew that if anything happened, we could make it up on offense.”

Then came the moment.

Ariana Davitt worked a walk.

The tying run was on base.

The winning run stepped to the plate.

Ava Arnold.

And sometimes… you just know.

“Walking up to the plate, I knew I had to do it for my team. We made it so far, and I knew if we wanted to win, I had to do something,” Arnold said. “In the box, I was looking for my pitch and not going for anything I couldn’t get.”

Then she got it.

Arnold launched a ball to center field.

Off the bat, she knew.

“Right as the ball hit the bat, I had a good feeling it was out. Once it went out, it was one of the best feelings ever, knowing that all our hard work paid off,” she said.

Three-run walk-off home run.

Game over.

Old Forge 6, Mid Valley 4.

The field erupted.

The dugout emptied.

And in one swing, every inch they fought for turned into a moment they’ll never forget.

“There’s no better feeling than watching my teammates succeed because they all put in so much effort to be the best they can,” said pitcher Kamryn Notari.

She added, “Ava is determined and always shows up in the big moments, so I was fully confident when she walked up to the plate that she would deliver.”

Teammate Joselyn DeStefano echoed that belief.

“Ava is an amazing softball player, and it is a privilege to have someone like that to look up to. I had confidence in Ava, and I knew she would deliver.”

And from second base, Lenceski felt every second of it.

“The seventh-inning comeback felt unreal. To be a part of it was something so special. The nerves, the excitement, and the energy are things that will be hard to ever recreate. Being on second base with two outs, knowing I’m the tying run, was thrilling. Ariana’s at-bat had me pumped, and when Ava hit the home run, we just erupted. Running home knowing she had just walked it off was one of the greatest feelings ever, and the celebration was even better.To me, it was more than a win. This team is as tight as it gets. We are all basically neighbors. To watch one of my best friends walk it off and celebrate with all my other teammates, who are basically sisters, was so special—especially because it was the last time us eight seniors would ever play Mid Valley.”

For her, it meant even more.

“This team is as tight as it gets. We are all basically neighbors. To watch one of my best friends walk it off and celebrate with teammates who are basically sisters was so special — especially because it was the last time us eight seniors would ever play Mid Valley.”

“Ava Arnold was the right girl in the right spot. She has an old school softball swing that puts the barrel on the ball. We have plenty of girls in the lineup that would love to be at Ava spot but this time it was Ava‘s turn as she came through the biggest ways.” Said Old Forge Head Coach, Pat Revello

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Old Forge finished with eight hits and six runs, getting contributions across the lineup. Arnold led the way with three RBIs and the walk-off blast, while DeStefano and Lenceski each added multi-hit performances. Marianelli drove in two key runs early, helping set the tone.

In the circle, Kamryn Notari was steady and composed, going the distance with six strikeouts and allowing just one earned run.

“My changeup was a big part of keeping them off balance, and just keeping the ball low since it’s a short field,” Notari said. “Knowing our team always has my back keeps me confident that the plays will be made.”

“Kamryn Notari gave up one earned run. An error and dropped 3rd strike put MV ahead. But it didn’t effect Kam, She kept us in striking distance. Our dugout really helped us tonight. They were loud for 7 innings.”Said Head Coach, Pat Revello

Mid Valley showed why they are a powerhouse, finishing with seven hits and four runs, highlighted by Natalie Hricenak’s home run and multi-hit performance. But in the end, they came up just short.

Because on this night…

The inches belonged to Old Forge.

And that’s the thing about this game.

You don’t always need to be the favorite.

You don’t always need to have the bigger name.

You don’t always need to control every inning.

Sometimes…

You just need your moment.

And when that moment comes…

You take it.

Old Forge didn’t just take it.

They owned it.

Because on any given day…

Anyone can win.

And on this night under the lights…

The Lady Blue Devils proved it.

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