IAC SOFTBALL: WAVERLY'S BATS COME ALIVE LATE IN 9-7 EIGHT-INNING WIN OVER LANSING (24 PHOTOS) (2023-05-09)

Valley Sports Report
LANSING — Waverly’s bats were silent early, but roared to late life in a, 9-7, come-from-behind eight-inning win over Lansing here Tuesday afternoon in IAC crossover softball action.

The Lady Wolverines had just one run and three hits through five innings, but reeled off 14 base hits in the final three innings.

Senior Michaela Lauper had three hits, including a triple, scored two runs, and drove in one run, while 8th-grader Hannah Carpenter had three hits, scored two runs, and knocked in one run, and freshman Madison Cron singled three times, scored one run, and had two RBI to pace Waverly’s 17-hit attack.

Junior Olivia Robinson singled twice and scored two runs in the win, while sophomore Megan Apgar singled twice and scored one run, senior Alyvia Daddona and junior Lea VanAllen each singled and drove in one run, sophomore Brinn Cooney singled and scored one run, sophomore Faith Blauvelt added a single, and freshman Delaney Wheeler had one RBI.

Lauper earned the win, allowing seven runs on 12 hits, while striking out 11 and walking four in eight innings in the circle.

Lauper, who was 5-for-5 in Waverly’s last game, led off the game with a triple, and scored on a wild pitch to give the Lady Wolverines a quick 1-0 lead, but the Lady Bobcats would respond with two in the home half of the first to take a 2-1 lead.

Lansing added a run in the fourth inning, and led 3-1 after five innings.

In the top of the sixth, Carpenter and Cron stroked back-to-back one-out singles. With two outs, VanAllen hit a hard grounder up the middle for an RBI single to close the gap to 3-2, but Lansing answered with a run in the bottom of the frame and led 4-2 after six innings.

In the top of the seventh, Cooney led off with an infield single, Robinson ripped a single into left field, and Apgar was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Carpenter and Cron kept the carousel spinning with consecutive RBI singles to tie the game at 4-4.

With the infield drawn in, Lansing cut a pair of Waverly runners down at the plate on force outs, then got another groundout to end the inning.

Lauper pitched around a one-out single to force extra innings.

Lauper led off the top of the eighth inning with a single, and Robinson advanced her to third base with a one-out single to left field.

After Lauper scored on a passed ball to give Waverly a 5-4 lead, Apgar and Carpenter each singled to load the bases, and Cron and Daddona followed with back-to-back RBI singles to extend the lead to 7-4.

With two outs, Wheeler worked a six-pitch walk to force home a run, and Lauper capped the rally with an RBI single to make it 9-4.

Lansing scored three runs after Lauper retired the first two batters, but she ended the game with a strikeout.

Waverly, now 9-8, travels to Towanda Thursday, and hosts Edison to round out the regular season.

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IN PHOTO 1: Waverly’s Michaela Lauper. … PHOTOS COURTESY OF MIKE LUBERTOWICZ.