SECTION IV SOFTBALL: CONSECUTIVE MULTIPLE-RUN INNINGS CARRY TIOGA PAST MORAVIA IN CLASS C QUARTERFINALS (24 PHOTOS) (May 26, 2026)
By TIM TAYLOR
Valley Sports Report
MORAVIA — Tioga took advantage of back-to-back multiple-run innings to defeat Moravia, 7-2, in the Section IV Class C quarterfinals here Tuesday evening.
The Tigers had to clear their heads before taking control and by the time the third inning rolled around, the Tioga offense was ready to go to work.
“We actually had a couple of mental errors at the beginning of the game and it was a little nerve-wracking, but they were able to pull it together and clean it up for the rest of the game,” coach Stephanie Hills said. “They did well defensively after that.”
Leadoff hitter Bri Lounsbury laid down a bunt single to the pitcher, then stole second base. RaeAnne Feeko followed with an RBI double to center field and Madelyn Rogers singled to the shortstop.
Feeko would make it 2-0 on Kate Kithcart’s fly out to right and Rogers pushed the lead to 3-0 on Lilly Mezzatesta’s ground out to second.
The Tigers increased their advantage to 7-0 in the fourth behind four base hits and a pair of errors.
Kyah Nelson got the inning started with a single to center, then Olivia Shugars sacrificed her over to second. Shugars reached first safely on an error. After Nelson stole third, Mya Freese singled to the pitcher, scoring Nelson and advancing Shugars to second.
Following an out, Feeko singled to left to load the bases, then an error by the shortstop on a shallow fly ball off the bat of Rogers scored Shugars. Following another out, Mezzatesta delivered a two-run single to center to build a 7-0 cushion.
Moravia would avoid a shutout in the bottom half of the inning despite hitting into a 1-3-5 double play involving Shugars, Kithcart and Mezzatesta. With two away, Heim, Murphy and Freier hit consecutive singles. Murphy would score Heim, but Murphy would be called out for runner interference, ending the inning.
Nelson and Freese singled for Tioga in the fifth, and Kithcart singled in the sixth, but the Devils were able to turn a double play.
Moravia would pick up its final run in the sixth. With one away, Leonard would single, Bouton would walk and Leonard would steal home. Heim would reach first on an error, but Rogers would tag Bouton out on a rundown between third and home, and Kithcart would fan the next batter to end the inning.
Nelson was hit by a pitch with one out in the seventh, but would be stranded at first.
Castillo smacked a one-out single in the Devils’ final at-bats, then stole two bases, but Kithcart struck out the next two batters to end the game.
Moravia hit the ball well, matching Tioga with 13 hits apiece, however, the Devils struggled to produce where it counted most — on the scoreboard.
They loaded the bases in the first, but Kithcart caught a pop-up and struck out two batters to keep them off the board. They had a pair of singles in the second, but were unable to bring the runners home.
The Devils hit a trio of consecutive singles in the third, but to no avail, and had three more singles in the fourth, but only came away with one run. In the fifth, the Moravia went down 1-2-3 on fly balls to outfielders Nelson, Lounsbury and Irie Lynch.
Tioga was not without its struggles on the base paths. In addition to the four players stranded on base over the final three innings, the Tigers left four runners on in the first two innings.
Seven of the nine Tioga players collected at least one hit white eight of them contributed runs and/or RBI.
“We've been working really hard in the cage on that the last couple days, and hopefully it carries over to Deposit on Thursday,” said Hills. “That'll be a tough one, but as long as we do what we should do it should be a good game.”
Freese, the No. 9 hitter, went 3-for-4. She also had a run and an RBI.
Nelson was 2-for-3 with a run; Feeko went 2-for-4 with a double, two runs and one RBI; Rogers went 2-for-4 with a run; and Kitchcart was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Lounsbury chipped in with a hit and a run; Mezzatesta added a hit and three RBI; and Shugars tacked on a run.
Kithcart struck out nine batters and walked two.
“I think all-around today we kind of did what we needed to do,” Hills said. “Kate's pitching is always phenomenal. Maddie behind the plate, keeping them in front of her is great. And then, like I said, after those first couple innings, defensively we were pretty sound.”
Fifth-seeded Tioga (13-6) will travel to top-seeded Deposit/Hancock on Thursday at 5 p.m.
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IN PHOTO 1: Kyah Nelson. IN TOP PHOTO: Madelyn Rogers (left), Kate Kithcart (front right) & Lilly Mezzatesta. … PHOTOS BY TIM TAYLOR.
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