IAC SOFTBALL: TIOGA RIDES BIG INNING TO 11-3 WIN OVER NEWARK VALLEY (24 PHOTOS) (May 13, 2025)
Valley Sport ReportTIOGA CENTER — Tioga plated eight runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to blow open a tie game in an 11-3 win over Newark Valley in IAC softball action here on a rainy Tuesday afternoon.
Newark valley jumped out to a 3-0 lead with a run in the second inning, and third in the top of the third.
The state-ranked Tigers (17th in Class C) got on the board with an inside-the-park home run by junior RaeAnne Feeko in the home half of the third inning to close the gap to 3-1.
In the bottom of the fourth, 8th-grader Kate Kithcart walked, took second on a groundout off the bat of sophomore Vanessa Tunnicliff, and scored on an RBI single to left field by 8th-grader Irie Lynch to trim the deficit to 3-2.
With two outs, Lynch, who moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Jade Keaty, scored on an RBI single by 8th-grader Bri Lounsbury to tie the game at 3-3.
After Kithcart, who came on in relief in the third inning, retired the Cardinals in order for the second inning in a row in the top of the fifth, senior Erin Luther belted a double to lead off the home half of the fifth and scored on an RBI single by McKenzie Williams to give the Tigers a 4-3 lead.
After a double by junior Lilly Mezzatesta, Kithcart looped an RBI-single to right field to make it 5-3, Tunnicliff followed with a two-run double to extend the lead to 7-3, and Lynch delivered an RBI single to make it 8-3.
With one out, Lounsbury singled and Feeko walked to load the bases, and Luther plated a run with a sacrifice fly to push the lead to 9-3.
Williams capped the rally with a two-RBI double to left field.
Kithcart, who was tagged for two runs in her first inning of relief, closed out the game with four innings of one-hit ball. In all, she allowed two runs — one earned — on four hits, with six strikeouts and no walks in five innings to earn the win.
Luther started, and allowed one unearned run three walks, with three strikeouts in two no-hit innings of work.
Lounsbury had three hits, two stolen bases, one run scored, and one RBI, while Williams doubled and singled, scored one run, and had three RBI, and Feeko homered and singled, scored two runs and drove in one run to pace Tioga's 13-hit attack.
Lynch singled twice, scored two runs, and knocked in one run for the Tigers, while Tunnicliff doubled, scored one run, and had two RBI, Kithcart singled, scored two runs, and drove in one run, Luther doubled, scored one run, and knocked in one run, and Mezzatesta doubled and scored one run.
Tioga, now 12-2, squares off with Union Springs Thursday at Watkins Glen in the IAC Small School championship game. Game time is 5 p.m.
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PHOTOS BY KIRK LUVISON.
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