SECTION IV SOFTBALL: LUTHER, WILLIAMS POWER TIOGA TO 26-2 ROUT OF MARATHON IN CLASS C QUARTERFINALS (24 PHOTOS) (2024-05-21)

Valley Sports Report
TIOGA CENTER - Junior Erin Luther spun a 2-hitter, and she and her battery mate, junior McKenzie Williams, powered Tioga’s offense with 11 RBI between them to lead the top-seeded Tigers to a 26-2 rout of eighth-seeded Marathon here Tuesday afternoon in the quarterfinals of the Section IV, Class C playoffs.

Luther gave up a pair of unearned runs, while striking out 10 and walking two in a complete-game, seven-inning effort.

Luther was 4-for-4 with three doubles, a run scored, and six RBI, and Williams was 4-for-5 with three doubles, and five RBI in Tioga’s 20-hit attack.

The Tigers scored in all six innings, and scored at least three runs in five of the six.

Tioga took a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning in a rally highlighted by a two-RBI double by Williams, and RBI singles by sophomores Emily Shiner and Lily Mezzatesta.

After tacking on an unearned run in the second inning, the Tigers took total control of the game with seven runs in the third inning.

Sophomore RaeAnne Feeko’s two-run inside-the-park home run, back-to-back RBI doubles by Williams and Luther, and an RBI single by Shiner highlighted the inning.

After Marathon plated a pair of unearned runs in the top of the fourth, Tioga answered with back-to-back two-run doubles by Williams and Luther, and a two-RBI single by senior Emily Bidwell in the home half of the inning to increase its advantage to 18-2.

After an RBI double by Feeko, and a run-scoring single by Shiner in the bottom of the fifth pushed the lead to 20-2, Tioga tacked on three unearned runs to make it 23-2 after five innings.

The Tigers tacked on three more runs in the sixth inning with a rally that featured the first varsity hit for 7th-grader Kate Kithcart, and a three-RBI double by Williams.

Shiner had three hits, three runs scored, and one RBI for the Tigers, while Feeko homered and doubled, scored four runs, and had three RBI, Mezzatesta singled twice, scored one run, and drove in one run, and senior Megan Vance singled twice, and scored one run.

Freshman Vanessa Tunnicliff singled, scored two runs, and had two RBI in the win, while Bidwell singled, scored one run, stole two bases, and knocked in two runs, Kithcart singled, and scored two runs, and freshman Jade Keaty walked three times, and scored four runs.

Courtesy-runner 7th-grader Brianna Lounsbury scored four times, and 7th-grade courtesy-runner Irie Lynch crossed the plate three times.

Tioga, now 16-3, will host fifth-seeded Greene (10-5) Thursday at 4:30 p.m.

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IN PHOTO 1: Tioga’s McKenzie Williams. … PHOTOS BY TIM BIRNEY.

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