IAC SOFTBALL: TIOGA TAKES BIG LEAD EARLY; TOPS MORAVIA, 14-6 (9 PHOTOS) (2024-04-24)

Valley Sports Report
TIOGA CENTER — Tioga jumped out to an early lead, and sophomore RaeAnne Feeko pitched five strong innings of relief in a 14-6 win over Moravia in IAC Small School softball action here on a cold and windy Wednesday afternoon.

The Tigers took immediate control of the game, scoring five runs — all with two outs — in the home half of the first inning.

Juniors McKenzie Williams and Erin Luther, and sophomore Emily Shiner walked to load the bases, and senior Megan Vance worked a fourth consecutive walk to force home the first run of the inning.

Senior Emily Bidwell stroked a two-RBI single to make it 3-0, and another run scored moments later on a passed ball.

Feeko capped the rally later in the inning with an RBI single to make it 5-0.

Moravia turned two walks and two errors into a run in the top of the second to close the gap to 5-1, but Tioga answered with three runs in the home half of the inning.

Williams led off the bottom of the second with a double, Luther worked a walk, and Shiner delivered the first run with an RBI single to make it 6-1.

After a walk to Vance, an error allowed a run to score, and freshman Vanessa Tunnicliff capped the rally with an RBI groundout to push the lead to 8-1.

Moravia capitalized on four base on balls, and a pair of timely hits to score four runs in the top of the third inning, closing the gap to 8-5. Feeko then came in on relief, and pitched out of the jam with a pair of strikeouts, and a groundout.

Tioga responded with two runs in the bottom of the third to push its lead back to five runs, at 10-5.

Moravia trimmed the Tioga lead to 10-6 with a run in the top of the sixth, but the Tigers took a commanding 14-6 lead with four runs in the home half of the frame.

With one out, Feeko walked, and freshman Jade Keaty slapped a single to the shortstop. Williams drove home the first run of the inning with a single, and junior Christina Earley followed with an RBI single to make it 12-6.

After a single by Shiner loaded the bases, Tioga had a runner forced out at home for the second out if the inning, Bidwell capped the rally with a two-run double to provide the final margin.

Bidwell had three hits, including a double, one run scored, and five RBI, Williams was 3-for-4 with two doubles, three runs scored, and one run driven in, and Shiner was 3-for-4 with three runs scored, and one RBI to pace Tioga’s 13-hit attack.

Vance singled, scored one run, and drove in two runs in the win, while Feeko and Earley each had one hit, one run scored, and one RBI, Luther scored three runs, and Tunnicliff had two RBI.

Feeko earned the win, allowing one run on two hits, while striking out eight and walking six in five innings of relief.

Tioga, now 5-1, hosts Marathon Thursday.

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IN PHOTO 1: Tioga’s RaeAnne Feeko. … PHOTOS BY MIRANDA SZYMANSKI.