IAC SOFTBALL: S-VE TOPS TIOGA FOR FIRST TIME IN MORE THAN DECADE (18 PHOTOS) (2021-05-17)

Valley Sports Report
TIOGA CENTER "” S-VE junior Rhianna Lawrence spun a four-hitter to lead Spencer-VanEtten to a 3-1 win over Tioga here Monday afternoon in IAC Small School Division softball action.

The game was a stark contrast from last week's 17-12 slugfest won by Tioga on its home field.

It also marks S-VE's first win over Tioga since the inception of Valley Sports Report, which launched prior to the 2009-10 school year.

The two teams battled scoreless through five innings.

The Lady Tigers had just one hit - a fourth-inning single by junior Austyn Vance - off Lawrence in the first five innings, while the Lady Panthers had three - a first inning triple by Reagan Sudnikovich, a third-inning double by Kaitlin Klym, and a fourth-inning single by Christina Beebe - off Tioga starter senior Kindra Wessels.

In the top of the sixth inning, senior Olivia Ayres beat out a bunt for a lead-off single, and junior Abby Foley followed with an infield single.

A double play left just Foley at first with two outs, but she stole second, reached third on a passed ball, and scored on an outfield error to give the Lady Tigers a 1-0 lead.

Another error and a single by Alissa Hine loaded the bases for Tioga, but Lawrence registered a strikeout to escape further damage.

In the home half of the sixth, Faith Benchley was hit by a pitch, and Sudnikovich walked to lead off the inning.

Wth one out, Brenchley stole third base, and Sudnikovich stole second. Both runners scored on a groundball single by Hannah Martinez.

With two out and Martinez on second base after a stolen base, Taya Sousa added an insurance run with an RBI single to provide the final margin.

Lawrence retired the Lady Tigers in order in the top of the seventh to preserve the win.

Lawrence allowed an unearned run on four hits, while striking out eight and walking one in seven innings of work.

Martinez singled, scored one run, and drove in two runs, while Sudnikovich tripled and scored one run, Sousa singled and drove in a run, Kylm doubled, Beebe added a single, and Benchley scored one run to account for S-VE's five hits.

Abby Foley singled and scored one run, and Ayres, Vance and Hine each singled to account for Tioga's offense.

Wessels was tagged with the loss, allowing three runs on five hits, while striking out six and walking two in six innings of work.

Tioga, now 5-3, hosts O-M Wednesday.

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IN PHOTO 1: Tioga's Austyn Vance. ... PHOTOS BY TIM TAYLOR.