IAC SOFTBALL: HAMMOND SPINS FOUR-HITTER; WAVERLY BLANKS TOWANDA, 3-0 (13 PHOTOS) (2019-03-28)
Valley Sports ReportWAVERLY "” Senior Wendi Hammond pitched out of a jam in the top of the fifth inning, and senior Jordan Mente delivered a clutch two-run double in the bottom of the inning to help Waverly to a season-opening, 3-0, win over Towanda here Thursday afternoon in non-league softball action.
Hammond, who will be playing Division I softball at Albany next year, allowed just four hits in a complete-game shutout, but two of them - Towanda's first two hits - were back-to-back singles to start the fifth inning.
With runners on second and third and no outs, Hammond struck out the next three batters - three of her 16 strikeouts in the game - to escape the jam unscathed with the Lady Wolverines ahead 1-0. Hammond did not walk a batter in recording the win.
In the home half of the inning, Hammond was hit by a pitch to spark the rally, and then immediately stole second base. After Hammond advanced to third on a passed ball, sophomore Hali Jenner walked and stole second base to put runners on second and third with no outs.
With one out, Mente hit a double that short-hopped off the sliding right fielder's glove to make it 3-0.
Hammond pitched around singles in the sixth and seventh innings to finish off the win.
Waverly scored the game's first run in the bottom of the third inning when Hammond walked, stole second and third, and scored on a single by Jenner.
Waverly only managed three hits off Towanda freshman Maddie Maynard, who struck out nine, but walked eight.
Jenner singled, scored one run and drove in a run, while Mente doubled and drove in two runs, junior Riley Hall singled, and Hammond scored two runs and stole three bases.
Waverly returns to action Friday at Watkins Glen. (The game was originally scheduled to be played at Waverly.)
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IN PHOTO 1: Waverly senior Wendi Hammond. ... PHOTOS BY TIM BIRNEY.
