NTL SOFTBALL: HILEY POWERS ATHENS TO SIXTH STRAIGHT WIN WITH ARM, BAT (14 PHOTOS) (2024-05-02)

Valley Sports Report
TOWANDA - Freshman Gretchan Hiley tossed a complete game, and was perfect at the plate, including her first career home run, to lead Athens to its sixth consecutive victory — a 9-1 win over Towanda — here Thursday afternoon in NTL Large School softball action.

Gretchan Hiley allowed one run on five hits, while striking out 12 and walking three in seven innings to earn the win.

She led off the game with a double to left field.but was left stranded at second base.

Peyton Perry led off the bottom of the first with a double, and Shaylee Greenland followed with a single, but Gretchan Hiley pitched out of the jam, striking out consecutive batters, then issuing an intentional walk to load the bases, before ending the inning with another strikeout.

Gretna Hiley led off the third inning with a single, took second on a groundout, stole third, and scored on a dropped third strike that allowed junior Savannah Persun to reach base.

Junior Jules Pack led off the Wildcat fourth with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Savannah Finan, and took third on an infield single by freshman McKenna Jarvis.

With two outs, Gretchan Hiley jacked her first career home run to left field to extend the lead to 4-0.

Pack made it 5-0 with an RBI single in the top of the fifth inning, and Towanda answered with arun in the bottom of the fifth to close the gap to 5-1.

In the sixth, Gretchan Hiley doubled, and scored on consecutive one-out errors to make it 6-1. Sophomore Maddie Hiley cleared the bases moments later with an RBI double to extend the lead to 8-1.

Gretchan Hiley wrapped up her day at the plate with an RBI double in the top of the seventh inning, then pitched around a lead-off error in the home half of the inning to sew up the win.

Gretchan Hiley was 5-for-5 with a home run, three doubles, three runs scored, a stolen base, and four RBI, while Pack singled twice, scored one run, and drove in one run, and Jarvis singled twice, and scored one run to pace Athens’ 12-hit attack.

Maddie Hiley doubled and had two RBI in the win, while Persun singled, and scored two runs, Finan singled, and scored one run, and senior Ashlyn VanFleet scored one run.

Athens, now 9-5, returns to action Friday against NTL powerhouse North Penn-Liberty at Liberty High School.

——————

IN PHOTO: Athens freshman Gretchan Hiley. … PHOTOS BY CHRIS MANNING.

Print Friendly Version