YOUTH SOFTBALL: VALLEY STORM 18U GOES 3-2, FINISHES IN TOP SIX AT FIRST TOURNEY OF SEASON (2020-06-16)

Valley Sports Report
JERSEY SHORE - The Valley Storm 18U travel softball team went 3-2 and finished in the top six in the 20-team field over the weekend at the Pride of the Poconos Tournament here at Antes Fort Park.

The Storm's two losses came at the hands of eventual champion Montoursville-based Spitfire, and tournament runners-up Lancaster-based Razorbacks.

The Spitfires edged the Razorbacks, 3-2, in the championship game Sunday afternoon.

POOL PLAY
Valley Storm 6, Phantoms 1
Athens grad Megan Bennett tossed a complete game to lead the Valley Storm to a 6-1 win over the Allentown-based Phantoms in the opening game of pool play Saturday morning.

Bennett allowed an unearned run on four his, while striking out 10 and walking one in five innings of work.

Towanda's Maddie Maynard put the Storm on the board in the top of the first inning with a two-out RBI single to plate Bennett, who had reached on a bunt single.

North Rome's Emma Repsher and Waverly's Aubrey Ennis led off the second inning with back-to-back singles, and Edison's Reagan Seelye walked to load the bases. Waverly's Hali Jenner drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, and Horseheads' Lexi Whal-Knowlden made it 3-0 with a run-scoring groundout.

Maynard plated a run in the top of the third inning with a groundout, and Seelye tacked on a pair of runs with a two-RBI single.

Repsher doubled and singled, and scored two runs, and Bennett singled twice and scored two runs to lead the Storm at the plate, while Maynard and Seelye each singled and drove in two runs. Wahl-Knowlden singled and drove in a run, Ennis singled and scored a run, and Athens' Harley Sullivan scored a run.

Spitfire 9, Valley Storm 0
The Montoursville-based Spitfire rode strong pitching to a 9-0 win over the Storm in the second game of pool play Saturday morning.

Montoursville ace Mackenzie Weaver and Bellefonte ace Lexi Rogers, who is a Division I James Madison commitment, combined to throw four innings of three-hit ball. Rogers struck out five in two innings, and Weaver recorded one strikeout.

Elk Lake's Jenna Newhart, Repsher, and Seelye accounted for the Storm's three hits.

Valley Storm 15, Lady Outlaws 0
Maynard powered the Storm offense, and Jenner tossed a two-hitter in a 15-0 four-inning win over the Baltimore-based Lady Outlaws in the final game of pool play Saturday afternoon.

The Storm took a commanding 7-0 lead with a five-run rally in the top of the second inning, then put the game away with eight runs in the fourth inning.

Maynard had three hits, including a pair of doubles, scored two runs, and had five RBI, Wahl-Knowlden stroked three singles and scored a pair of runs to pace the Storm's 16-hit attack.

Newhart doubled and singled, scored one run, and had two RBI in the win, while Bennett singled twice, scored three runs, and drove in one run, and Seelye singled twice, scored two runs, and knocked in two runs.

Ennis doubled, scored one run, and drove in one run, while Horseheads' Shelby Smith, Sullivan, Repsher, and Ennis each singled, scored one run, and had one RBI, and Jenner crossed the plate once.

BRACKET PLAY
Valley Storm 11, CPA Rage 1
Bennett fired a five-hitter, and Smith led the ninth-seeded Storm offense in an 11-1 win over the eighth-seeded Williamsport-based CPA Rage Sunday morning in the opening round of bracket play.

Bennett allowed one earned run, while striking out six and walking none in six innings of play.

Smith tripled twice and drove in four runs, while Bennett tripled and singled, scored two runs, and knocked in two runs, and Newhart tripled and singled, and scored one run in the Storm's 10-hit attack.

Wahl-Knowlden singled, scored two runs, and had two RBI for the Storm, while Ennis singled, scored two runs, and drove in two runs, Maynard doubled and scored one run, Sullivan singled, scored once, and had one RBI, and Repsher scored one run.

Quarterfinals
Razorbacks 5, Valley Storm 3
The Lancaster-based Razorbacks scored four runs in the bottom of the third inning to rally for a 5-3 win over the Waverly Storm in the quarterfinals of the Pride of the Poconos Tournament.

Repsher belted a two-run double in the top of the second to give the Storm a 2-1 lead, but the Razorbacks took advantage of a Storm error to plate four runs in the third to take a 5-2 lead.

Ennis delivered an RBI single in the top of the fourth inning to trim the deficit to 5-3, but the Storm left two runners on base.

Ennis singled twice and drove in a run to lead the Storm offense, while Repsher doubled and drove in two runs,  Wahl-Knowlden doubled, and Bennett singled.

Bennett was tagged with the loss, allowing four earned runs on six hits, while striking out three in three innings of work. Jenner allowed two hits in a scoreless inning of relief.