STAC SOFTBALL: WAVERLY RALLIES FROM EARLY 8-0 DEFICIT; TOPS OWEGO, 17-11 (24 PHOTOS) (2024-04-29)
Valley Sports ReportOWEGO - Waverly plated 10 runs in the top of the sixth inning to complete a comeback from an early eight-run deficit in a 17-11 win over Owego here Monday afternoon in STAC Central Division softball action.
"We played very good defense in three or four innings tonight," said Waverly coach Brent Doane.. "I am very pleased, it is progress. We know we can do it, we just need to get out there and do it."
The River Hawks led 8-0 after five runs in the second inning, and three more in the third inning, but the Wolverines began to chip away at the deficit in the fourth inning.
Freshman Hannah Carpenter stroked a one-out single in the top of the fourth, and moved to second on a passed ball.
With two outs, junior Loralye Anthony worked a walk, and both runners moved up a base on a passed ball. Senior Olivia Robinson then lined a two-run single up the middle to close the gap to 8-2.
In the fifth inning, junior Meghan Apgar and freshman Lecksie Douglas rapped back-to-back singles to start the inning. After a double-steal moved the runners to second and third, junior Brynn Cooney knocked in two runs with a single up the middle to trim the deficit to 8-4.
After the fifth inning, Owego ace Karsten Crawford was pulled from the game, apparently effected by the 85-degree heat.
"Crawford threw well tonight for them," said Doane. "She looked like she ran out of gas a little bit at the end. She is tough."
In the top of the sixth inning, the Wolverines sent 15 batters to the plate, taking advantage of seven base on balls to score 10 runs to take a 14-8 lead.
After Carpenter reached on an error, sophomore Delanie Wheeler, and Anthony both worked walks to load the bases. Robinson opened the scoring with an RBI, and Douglas followed with a one-out, two-run single to close the gap to 8-7.
After freshman Kaiya Horton walked to re-load the bases, Cooney, and sophomore Maddie Cron both walked to force home runs to give the Wolverines a 9-8 lead.
Carpenter added to the lead with a two-run single to right field to make it 11-8, and Wheeler pulled single into right field to extend the lead to 12-8.
After Anthony took a four-pitch walk to load the bases again, Waverly had a runner cut down at the plate on a fielder’s choice, bit Apgar drew a two-out walk to push the lead to 13-8. Anthony scampered home with the final run of the rally after an errant pick-off third base.
The River Hawks were poised to get right back into the game with three consecutive singles, and a walk to open the inning, and close the gap to 14-9.
With one out, Owego scored another run on a single to make it 14-0, but the next batter hit a line shot that Anthony snared at shortstop, and fired to Cooney at second base for an inning-ending double play.
The Wolverines added three insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning in a rally that included a sacrifice fly by Carpenter, and an RBI single by Wheeler to extend their advantage to 17-10.
With two outs, Owego scored on a double, and consecutive Waverly errors to trim the deficit to 17-11, but Robinson, who pitched a complete game for the Wolverines, ended the game with a strikeout.
Robinson had three hits, scored one run, and had three RBI, and Carpenter singled twice, scored one run, and drove in three runs to pace Waverly’s 13-hit attack, while Cooney singled twice, scored two runs, and had three RBI, and Douglas singled twice, scored twice, and knocked in two runs.
Wheeler singled twice, scored one run, and had two RBI in the win, while Cron and Apgar each singled, scored two runs, and drove in one run, Anthony scored three runs, and Horton crossed the plate twice.
Robinson gutted out a seven-inning effort, allowing 11 runs — only three earned thanks to six errors — on 11 hits, while striking out five and walking four.
Waverly, now 7-5, returns to action Thursday at Seton Catholic.
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IN PHOTO 1: Waverly’s Brinn Cooney. … PHOTOS 1-11 BY TIM TAYLOR — PHOTOS 12-24 BY MIKE LUBERTOWICZ.
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