NEWTOWN — Greencastle-Antrim waited until the fourth inning to break through on offense, but when it did, it did so in a big way.

Kiersten Swain

The Blue Devils scored 3 runs in the fourth inning, one in the fifth and five more in the sixth to tame District 1 champion Marple-Newtown 9-1 in a first-round game of the PIAA Class 5A state softball tournament on Monday evening.

G-A pitcher Kiersten Swain held up her end extremely well, holding the Tigers to just three hits — all in the sixth inning.

“We got a couple of runs and kept it rolling from there,” Greencastle coach Mark DeCarli said.

The Blue Devils (20-3) will now take on North Pocono (18-4), the District 2 champion, in the quarterfinals on Thursday, with time and site TBA. North Pocono defeated Upper Moreland on Monday, 9-3.

Marple Newtown starter Ally Snyder held G-A scoreless for three innings.

DeCarli said, “She wasn’t fast, but she moved the ball around — up and down, in and out. Our girls were not patient — probably some nerves in the beginning — but we adjusted.”

In the fourth, Kaidyn Zimmerman led off with a single and raced home when Erika Hoover drove a ball to the fence in left field for a double. Courtesy runner Serenity Goodman scored when Paiton Gordon singled and the Tigers (21-3) made an error, and another error on a ball hit by Zhen Reuter plated Gordon.

Kylie Kerns

Meadow Gambacurta doubled to lead off the fifth and moved around in a sacrifice bunt by Kylie Kerns and a sacrifice fly by Zimmerman to make it 4-0.

The Blue Devils pretty much shut the door by scoring five runs in the top of the sixth. Kindal Rice hit a double, moved up on a sac bunt by Bailey Leckron and scored on a hit by Gordon. Reuter singled and Caroline Logsdon bunted the runners up a base.

Gambacurta was walked to load the bases, then Kerns belted a double that cleared the bases and made it 8-0. Zimmerman singled to add the final run.

Swain was cruising until after the long inning. In the bottom of the sixth, she gave up a triple to Siena Adams, a walk and a single by Grace Corner.

Swain allowed just 3 hits, walked 3 and struck out 4. She got Marple Newtown batters to fly out on 13 at-bats.

DeCarli said, “She didn’t have as many strikeouts as usual, but she kept the ball in play and induced a lot of fly balls.

“My girls played hard today. We had a letdown against Red Land (in the District 3 semifinals), but we turned it around to take third place, and we put pressure on Marple Newtown today. I hope we can continue to do that against North Pocono.”

No. 9 hitter Gordon was 3-for-4, Kerns drive in 3 runs and Reuter, Zimmerman and Hoover each had 2 hits.