It was all about pitching Tuesday night until the South Adams Starfires pushed two runs across on the Jay County diamond and beat the Patriots 3-1 in an ACAC thriller.
Addie Baker of South Adams went toe-to-toe with Jay County’s Mallory Winner and the two teams finished the first six innings at 1-1.
Baker struck out four and allowed just three hits for the Stars, while Winner struck out six and walked just one. Each pitcher allowed one earned run.
South Adams took the early lead in the third inning with a classic setup from the top of the lineup on their second turn through the batting order. Macy Pries singled, took second and third base on a bunt single, then came home on a base hit by Bekah Patterson.
Jay County tied it up, however, with an RBI triple in the fourth and that score carried into the top of the seventh.
That’s when Kenzie Neuenschwander led off the final inning with a double to center. A poor play by the Jay second baseman allowed another runner to reach and Macy Pries was intentionally walked to load the bases.
That strategy did not pay off, however, and Shea Alberson’s single to left scored two, giving the Stars and Baker a two-run lead with just three outs to go.
Baker worked around a one-out walk to secure the victory and keep the Starfires at just one loss on the year.
South Adams will host Southern Wells Thursday night as they continue to march towards an ACAC title.