NTL SOFTBALL: TOWANDA FALLS TO ATHENS IN WALK-OFF (May 2, 2026)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
ATHENS — Towanda gave themselves every opportunity to beat Athens, but in the end it was the Wildcats getting the clutch hit necessary to get the 3-2 walk-off win in the eighth inning during NTL softball action Saturday.

The Black Knights left 11 on base, had the bases loaded twice and didn’t score, and saw a runner get caught at home on a passed ball.

“We had opportunities, but you have to have a clutch hit,” said Towanda coach Dean Johnson. “We just didn’t get the clutch hit that we needed to do. I thought we had them on the ropes a couple times, and we didn’t do what we needed to do.”

Athens jumped out with two runs in the bottom of the first but Towanda’s defense settled in after that, returning 18 of the 20 batters from the second inning through the seventh.

Leila Cobb struck out seven in the loss for Towanda with two walks, four hits, and three runs.

At the plate Towanda had nine hits to Athens’ four, with three doubles.

Kaylen Sluyter (2-for-4) led eight Black Knights who had hits, with several other hard hit balls that the Wildcat defense just made plays on.

Peyton Perry (1-for-4) had a double with a run scored, as Leila Cobb (1-for-2) had a double with an RBI.

Caedence Wells (1-for-3) also had a double as Maris Cobb (1-for-4), Brooklyn Evans (1-for-4), Molly Roberts (1-for-3), and Hannah Crawford (1-for-4) all had hits.

“There’s no disappointment for me as far as the way our girls played,” said Johnson. 

Gretchen Hiley struck out nine in the win, allowing five walks, nine hits, and two earned runs.

Danica May (1-for-3) had 2-RBI for Athens as Gretchen Hiley (1-for-3) scored twice. 

Maddy Hiley (1-for-4) drove in Gretchen Hiley in the eighth for the walk-off win.

Athens jumped out with two runs in the bottom of the first.

Gretchen Hiley led things off with a walk, followed by Paul reaching two batters later on a hit by pitch.

Jarvis would single to load the bases, then May had the 2-run hit that scored Hiley and Paul for the 2-0 lead.

Cobb would get back to back strikeouts to end the threat.

Towanda struck back in the top of the second as Wells led off with a double. 

Leila Cobb then brought in Wells’ courtesy runner, Sadie Overpeck, to make it 2-1.

Athens would strand Cobb at second by retiring the next three batters.

In the top of the third Perry led off with a double. 

She would steal third, and on the overthrow took home to knot things up at 2-all.

After that it was a lot of Towanda nipping at home plate but Athens holding back the tide.

The Knights would load the bases with 1-out in the fourth only to watch Hiley get back to back outs to end the threat.

Towanda saw their first two batters reach in the top of the fifth, but a strikeout, a line out, and a fielder’s choice kept it a 2-2 game.

In the sixth Roberts led off the inning with a hit.

Her courtesy runner, Taylor Aquilio, was caught stealing at second in a play that Towanda appealed as the ball came out on the tag, but the out call held.

The Knights would load the bases one more time in the seventh only for Hiley to induce a fly out to send the game into extra innings.

Towanda saw Crawford and Sluyter reach on back to back hits to lead off the eighth.

A sacrifice bunt moved them over to second and third.

Crawford tried for home on a passed ball, but was caught at the plate.

Hiley then got a ground out to end the threat.

In the bottom half Gretchen Hiley singled on the first pitch offered to her, then took second on a passed ball.

Maddy Hiley then singled her in on a 2-2 pitch to get the win.

Towanda (12-3) travels to CV on Tuesday with a 4:30 p.m. start.

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PHOTOS BY CHRIS MANNING

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