Agape Freedom Sports LLC

WRITTEN BY: JERIC YURKANIN

ATHENS PENNSYLVANIA– At Athens, the game of softball suddenly became bigger than softball itself.

Life has a strange way of flipping the script. One moment, everything feels perfect. The ball is exploding out of your hand. Every pitch is hitting its spot. The strikeout total keeps climbing. The crowd grows louder with every inning. Maybe you are throwing the game of your life — 15, 17, maybe even 20 strikeouts — while carving your name into school history with a no-hitter or a major milestone.

Then, within one pitch, one swing, one awkward moment… everything changes.

An injury.

A silence over the field.

A season suddenly hanging in the balance.

Those are the moments athletes never prepare for. The moments where time almost freezes. The dugout goes quiet. Parents stare in shock. A Player begin asking themselve questions he or she never expected to ask.

“Will I ever play the same again?”

“Will I ever pitch again?”

“Is the season over?”

“Now what?”

Years ago in 2022, while working as a groundskeeper for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (New York Yankees Triple A Team), I met once Major League pitcher Aaron Barrett, he since retired. It was a cold April day, and Barrett sat inside our grounds crew office trying to stay warm with a few teammates. But what stood out wasn’t just that he had pitched in the Major Leagues. It was his story he was telling me.

Barrett talked about the pain.

Tommy John surgery in 2015.

Rehabbing for countless hours.

Surgery later that same year to remove bone spurs in his ankle.

Then in 2016, a broken humerus that required 16 screws inserted into what he later called his “bionic arm.”

At one point, Barrett admitted he wondered if he would ever throw a baseball again. Mentally, there were dark moments. Moments filled with doubt and frustration. Moments where the question “Why me?” kept echoing through his mind.

But quitting never became part of the story.

“I’m not a quitter,” Barrett once said. “Never have been.”

So he kept grinding. Kept rehabbing. Kept believing. He worked his way back through the minors, pitching beside teenagers in short-season ball, proving himself all over again. Then came the moment that once felt impossible — pitching for the Washington Nationals and becoming a World Series champion in 2019.

That story suddenly felt relevant Wednesday afternoon.

Because Athens star pitcher Gretchen Hiley entered the week on top of the softball world.

Just one day earlier, she threw a perfect game against Troy. She reached the incredible milestone of 500 career strikeouts. She struck out 17 batters. Two weeks ago, she was leading the state in ERA. Everything was rolling her way. Everything felt alive.

Then came the game against District 2 powerhouse Lake-Lehman Black Knights.

By the start of the second inning, Hiley was out of the game after suffering a broken arm.

And just like that, the whispers probably spread across the Northern Tier League, District IV, and maybe even across Pennsylvania softball circles.

What now?

For many teams, that moment changes everything.

But what happened next said everything about Athens softball.

Because when Gretchen went down, another Hiley stepped into the circle.

Senior pitcher Maddie Hiley had seen limited pitching time this season. Yet in one of the biggest moments of Athens’ year, she did what family does.

She stepped up for her sister.

She steadied the game.

She calmed the storm.

Maddie entered and delivered six strong innings, striking out four while allowing only four hits against one of the top offenses in District 2. Behind her, Athens played defense with urgency, grit, and belief. Gloves became louder. Every out mattered more. Every pitch carried weight.

And somehow, through all the emotion and uncertainty, Athens found a way to defeat Lake-Lehman 4-3.

That is the part some fans forget about softball.

Games are not won only in the circle.

Yes, having an ace pitcher is a blessing. But championships also come from defenses making routine plays under pressure. They come from hitters finding ways on base. From working counts. From timely hits with runners aboard. From capitalizing when opportunities appear. Against great teams, runs matter. Execution matters. Belief matters.

Pitching can slow games down, but teams still have to score.

Athens did enough to win because the Lady Wildcats played like a complete team.

And maybe that is what Wednesday really revealed.

This program is not built around one player. It is built around family, toughness, and belief. It’s built on defense and hitting. 

Gretchen Hiley may not be inside the circle for now, but her presence will still be there — in the dugout, cheering, encouraging, helping her sister, motivating teammates, and refusing to let the standard drop.

Meanwhile, opponents across the rest of the season should understand something very clearly:

There is still a Hiley in the circle.

There is still talent on this roster.

And Athens is still chasing its goals.

The season is not over.

Not even close.

Here’s how the game went down: 

Top 1st Inning — Lake-Lehman Batting

Kaitlyn Brudnicki leads off with a hard ground-ball single to second baseman May.

Addi Butler is hit by a pitch, moving Brudnicki to second.

Hannah Chipego lays down a sacrifice bunt, and pitcher Hiley throws to first baseman Delosa for the first out. Brudnicki advances to third, and Butler moves to second.

Julia Sholtis strikes out swinging for the second out.

Ella Andrews also strikes out swinging to end the inning.

Bottom 1st Inning — Athens Batting

Gretchen Hiley is hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, and courtesy runner Maci Campbell enters to run.

Madalyn Hiley strikes out swinging for the first out, with Campbell remaining at first.

McKenna Jarvis also strikes out swinging for the second out, with Campbell still at first.

Delosa then draws a walk to put two runners on base.

Memphis Paul grounds into a fielder’s choice, with second baseman Jenkins throwing to shortstop Wallace for the force out at second. Campbell advances to third on the play, but Delosa is retired advancing to second to end the inning.

Bottom 2nd Inning — Athens Batting

Danica May draws a walk to lead off the inning.

Mya Allen grounds into a fielder’s choice to second baseman Jenkins, with May forced out advancing to second for the first out.

Andrea Davis grounds out to first baseman Jordan Shorts for the second out, allowing Allen to advance to second.

Abigail Ahern grounds out to second baseman Jenkins, who throws to first baseman Shorts to end the inning.

Top 3rd Inning — Lake-Lehman Batting

Jordan Shorts leads off with a line-drive single to center fielder Abigail Ahern.

Kaitlyn Brudnicki grounds out to third baseman Galasso, who throws to first baseman Delosa for the first out. Shorts advances to second on the play.

Addi Butler pops out to first baseman Delosa for the second out, with Shorts remaining at second.

Hannah Chipego is intentionally walked to put two runners on.

Julia Sholtis flies out to second baseman Danica May to end the inning.

Bottom 3rd Inning — Athens Batting

Lainey Vosburgh grounds out to first baseman Jordan Shorts for the first out.

Madalyn Hiley follows with a ground-ball single to first baseman Shorts.

McKenna Jarvis strikes out looking for the second out, with Hiley remaining at first.

Abby Delosa then delivers the big swing of the inning, launching a line-drive home run to left field. Hiley scores ahead of her.

Athens 2, Lake-Lehman 0

Memphis Paul keeps the inning alive with a line-drive single to left fielder Gracie James.

Danica May grounds out to first baseman Shorts to end the inning.

Top 4th Inning — Lake-Lehman Batting

Ella Andrews leads off with a line-drive double to left fielder Andrea Davis.

Wallace pops out to shortstop McKenna Jarvis for the first out, with Andrews remaining at second.

Gracie James grounds out to third baseman Galasso, who throws to first baseman Abby Delosa for the second out. Andrews advances to third on the play.

Brooke Reilly pops out to pitcher Madalyn Hiley to end the inning.

Bottom 4th Inning — Athens Batting

Mya Allen lines out to first baseman Jordan Shorts for the first out.

Andrea Davis draws a walk.

Abigail Ahern lays down a bunt, and third baseman Julia Sholtis throws to first baseman Shorts for the second out. Davis advances to second on the play.

Lainey Vosburgh strikes out swinging to end the inning.

Top 5th Inning — Lake-Lehman Batting

Jordan Shorts pops out to second baseman Danica May for the first out.

Kaitlyn Brudnicki draws a walk.

Addi Butler grounds out to pitcher Madalyn Hiley, who throws to first baseman Abby Delosa for the second out. Brudnicki advances to second on the play.

Hannah Chipego is intentionally walked to put two runners on.

Julia Sholtis grounds out to pitcher Hiley, who throws to first baseman Delosa to end the inning.

Bottom 5th Inning — Athens Batting

Madalyn Hiley leads off with a line-drive single to center fielder Addi Butler.

McKenna Jarvis hits a ground ball and reaches on an error by second baseman Jenkins, allowing courtesy runner Campbell to advance to second.

Abby Delosa lays down a sacrifice bunt, and pitcher Hannah Chipego throws to first baseman Jordan Shorts for the first out. Campbell advances to third, while Jarvis moves to second.

Memphis Paul grounds out to second baseman Jenkins, who throws to Shorts at first for the second out. Campbell scores on the play, and Jarvis advances to third.

Athens 3, Lake-Lehman 0

During Danica May’s at-bat, Jarvis scores on a wild pitch to extend the lead.

Athens 4, Lake-Lehman 0

May then grounds out to second baseman Jenkins, who throws to first baseman Shorts to end the inning.

Top 6th Inning — Lake-Lehman Batting

Ella Andrews hits a fly ball and reaches on an error by left fielder Andrea Davis. Andrews advances to second on the same error.

Wallace flies out to center fielder Abigail Ahern for the first out, with Andrews remaining at second.

Gracie James grounds out to pitcher Madalyn Hiley, who throws to first baseman Abby Delosa.

Lake-Lehman is unable to bring Andrews around as Athens keeps its lead at 4-0.

Bottom 6th Inning — Athens Batting

Mya Allen strikes out looking for the first out.

Andrea Davis singles on a ground ball to second baseman Jenkins.

Abigail Ahern strikes out swinging for the second out, with Smith remaining at first.

Lainey Vosburgh strikes out swinging to end the inning.

Top 7th Inning — Lake-Lehman Batting

Brooke Reilly flies out to left fielder Andrea Davis for the first out.

Jordan Shorts is hit by a pitch, and Kaitlyn Brudnicki follows with a hard ground-ball single to third baseman Galasso, moving Shorts to second.

Addi Butler hits a pop fly and reaches on an error by catcher Memphis Paul. Shorts advances to third, and Brudnicki moves to second.

Hannah Chipego then delivers a hard ground-ball single to shortstop McKenna Jarvis, scoring Shorts and Brudnicki while Butler advances to second.

Athens 4, Lake-Lehman 2

Butler is caught stealing third for the second out, with catcher Memphis Paul throwing to third baseman Galasso. Chipego advances to second on defensive indifference.

Julia Sholtis walks, keeping Lake-Lehman alive. Chipego then steals third and scores on an error by the catcher to make it a one-run game.

Athens 4, Lake-Lehman 3

Ella Andrews strikes out looking to end the game.

Final Score: Athens 4, Lake-Lehman 3

  “Every hit and play matters in a close game like that. It’s huge to be focused on both sides of a game like that. I focused on my mechanics hitting and it worked. I also wanted to try and give myself more of a lead so we had less pressure as a team. “Said Athens Pitcher Madalyn Hiley

Athens survived a furious seventh-inning rally and held on for a dramatic 4-3 victory over Lake-Lehman Wednesday night in a game that felt like postseason softball long before the final out. The Wildcats built their lead behind timely hitting, aggressive situational softball, and a huge swing from Abby Delosa, who delivered the biggest offensive moment of the night with a two-run line-drive home run to left field in the bottom of the third inning. Delosa finished 1-for-1 with two RBIs and a walk, while Madalyn Hiley continued her strong night at the plate by going 2-for-3 with two singles. Memphis Paul added an RBI single, Andrea Davis collected a hit and a walk, and Athens finished with five hits overall while taking advantage of key opportunities and one Lake-Lehman error. Inside the circle, Gretchen Hiley started the game and struck out two in a scoreless opening inning before exiting due to injury. Madalyn Hiley stepped in and gave Athens exactly what they needed, earning the win after tossing six innings, allowing four hits, three runs (two earned), striking out four, and walking four while constantly working through pressure against one of the top lineups in Pennsylvania.

“Definitely my screw ball was working. I haven’t pitched much at all over the past two years but that pitch stayed my best. Spin pitches definitely helped me stay in the game. “ Said Athens Madalyn Hiley

Madalyn Hiley continued: “We had a couple errors in some spots in the feild and then they got some hits. I knew that I had to focus as well as my teammates. It was definitely nervous but I kept my cool and focused on my spin pitches. “

Lake-Lehman nearly pulled off a stunning comeback in the top of the seventh inning after being held scoreless through six innings. Hannah Chipego sparked the rally with a clutch two-run single that scored Jordan Shorts and Kaitlyn Brudnicki to cut the deficit to 4-2, before another Athens error allowed Chipego to later score and make it a one-run game. Chipego once again showed why she remains one of the top players in the state, finishing with two RBIs, two walks, a stolen base, and a strong effort inside the circle despite taking the loss. Ella Andrews added a double, while Jordan Shorts and Kaitlyn Brudnicki each recorded hits as Lake-Lehman finished with four hits overall. Chipego also battled through six innings in the circle, allowing five hits and four runs (two earned) while striking out seven. The key stretch of the game came during Athens’ third and fifth innings, where Delosa’s two-run homer and aggressive pressure on the bases helped create enough separation to survive Lake-Lehman’s late charge. By the final pitch, this game had everything — elite pitching, tension, momentum swings, defensive pressure, and the kind of playoff atmosphere where every inning felt one mistake or one clutch swing away from changing everything.

“Hannah Chipego is a great pitcher and it really shows our team that playing together, hitting, and making our plays can really make us a super tough team that could beat anyone. I believe everyone was nervous to see her speed since we haven’t seen much this season. Once people started hitting it was contagious and everyone followed alone.” Said Athens Madalyn Hiley

But As the final strike settled into the Athens  catcher’s glove and the noise finally released from the Athens dugout, Wednesday night no longer felt like just another regular-season softball game in May.

It felt like one of those nights players, coaches, parents, and communities remember years later — the kind of game where emotion outweighs statistics and adversity suddenly reveals the true identity of a team. Under the pressure of uncertainty, with one of the best pitchers in Pennsylvania forced out of the game, Athens did not fold.

They responded with toughness, trust, and belief in each other. And maybe somewhere in the middle of the tension, heartbreak, and chaos, the Lady Wildcats discovered something even bigger than a victory over a powerhouse opponent. They discovered they are still dangerous no matter who stands inside the circle, because the heartbeat of this team runs far deeper than one player or one moment.

And for Gretchen Hiley, this story is not over. She will be back next spring, throwing strikeouts, chasing new milestones, and helping Athens make another run at a district championship, maybe even a state championship.

You can count on that. She is not a quitter. She is a survivor. She is a fighter. The same way Aaron Barrett once refused to let injury have the final word,

Gretchen’s comeback story is only beginning. And when she returns to the circle, the sister who had her back Wednesday night — Maddie Hiley — may be the one in the stands, cheering, supporting, and watching her little sister rise again. Because sometimes the most powerful stories in sports are not only about wins and losses.

They are about family, faith, heartbreak, healing, and the courage to keep going when life tries to knock you down.

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When you’re ever up in the Scranton/Eynon area anytime from April through October, make sure you stop by Tasty Freeze.

It’s one of those classic NEPA spots with some of the best ice cream around – and they even have a miniature golf course out back, making it a great place for a fun family stop.

Ice cream, mini golf, and good memories – definitely worth checking out! We want thank a moment to appreciate our sponsors and donors this spring 2026 softball season!