DANE FUELLING
WZBD.com
Macy Pries and Cora Baker spearheaded a powerful offensive attack with three hits each as South Adams smoked New Haven on their home diamond in a 15-1 victory in seven innings.
The Starfires used two big innings to pile on all their runs, scoring eight in the second and seven more in the fifth to invoke the mercy rule.
The Starfires appeared to have the start of a good rally at the very beginning of the game, but Macy Pries was called out by the second base umpire for leaving early. She had reached on an infield single that was so well-placed that it didn’t even draw a throw.Â
After Sofia Schwartz threw out Haley Johnson while stealing, Gracy Bixler struck out the next two batters in the bottom of the first and the Stars were ready to light up the scoreboard with their big second inning.Â
Schwartz began with a walk on four pitches from Bulldog hurler Jaslene Gomez and the next three Starfires picked up hits, with Shea Alberson’s double scoring two. Macy Pries bunted with two aboard and reached again and Bekah Patterson drove in a run with a productive groundout to make it 4-0.
Gomez seemed to be out of trouble when she struck out Peyton Pries, but a passed ball allowed a run to score and the inning to continue and Schwartz and Cora Baker made the New Haven pitcher pay, smashing doubles to the fence to make it 8-0.
Bixler struck out the side in the bottom of the second, but ran into trouble in the third after issuing two walks and hitting a batter to load the bases. She got out of the jam allowing just one run with a backwards K against Lillie Reader.Â
With the result of the game not in doubt, coach Jessie O’Dell made a switch and put Reagan Beitler into the circle to face the Bulldogs. She allowed just one hit and struck out two in her two innings of work.
It went from bad to worse for New Haven after that as the 7-8-9 hitters in the Starfire lineup all reached to load the bases for Macy Pries with no outs. To the surprise of no one, she bunted again and reached base and Bekah Patterson knocked her in with a double.
Peyton Pries followed with the play of the game, smashing the ball down the right field line away from the right fielder and coming all the way around to score to make it 14-1 with an inside-the-park home run.Â
The Starfires scored their final run with a base hit by Tessa Bernard, who had two hits on the night. .
Bixler finished her three innings of work with six strikeouts and just one hit allowed.