Valley Sports ReportWELLSBORO — Athens scored plenty of runs early on its way to a 10-4 win over Wellsboro here Monday afternoon in NTL Large School softball action.
"Today, we mixed up the line-up and tried to get a couple of different looks and build some team experience," said Athens coach Brian Wendela.
"It's always tough to get on a bus and make the long trip to Wellsboro," noted Wendela. "I think we may have lost some focus in the later innings, and we kind of let off the pedal, leaving too many runners on base.
"However it was nice to see the ball get hit in play consistently tonight.
"Starting 3-0 is pleasing as a coach and the bats are starting to come to life a bit," he added. "We’re looking forward to getting some practice time to work out a few kinks offensively and with base running. We need to fine tune some little things that are really important to make that next step as a team."
Junior Maddie Hiley earned the win for the Wildcats, allowing four runs on seven hits, while striking out 12 and walking three in a complete-game seven-inning effort.
"Maddy Hiley pitched a pretty good game under some tough weather conditions," noted Wendela. "It was nice to see we can have the luxury of another pitching threat."
Maddie Hiley also led the Wildcats at the plate with three hits, two runs scored, and two RBI, while sophomore Gretchan Hiley tripled and singled, and scored four runs, and sophomore McKenna Jarvis singled twice, scored one run, and drove in three runs to pace an 11-hit attack.
Junior Danica May singled, scored two runs, and knocked in one run in the win, while freshman Memphis Paul singled and had two RBI, senior Jules Pack doubled, junior Savannah Finan singled, and senior Ella Coyle crossed the plate once.
Athens started off the game looking like it was going to put up a big inning, but Wellsboro escaped allowing just one run.
Gretchan Hiley and Maddie Hiley started the game with back-to-back innings, and Jarvis was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Paul worked a walk to force home a run, but the next two Athens batters struck out, with a runner cut down at the plate trying to score on a passed ball, sandwiched in between.
Wellsboro answered with a run in the home half of the first, but the Wildcats took control in the top of the second inning.
With one out, May lined a single into right field, and with two outs Gretchan Hiley worked a walk.
Maddie Hiley put Athens up for good with a line-drive RBI single into left field to make it 2-1, and Jarvis ripped an RBI single to make it 3-1.
Athens tacked on two runs on wild pitches to take a 5-1 lead.
The Wildcats loaded the bases on a walk to May, and walks to both the Hileys to load the bases. With two outs, Jarvis drove a two-run single up the middle to make it 7-1.
Maddie Hiley and Paul added RBI singles in the fifth inning to extend the lead to 9-1.
The Hornets scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to close the gap to 9-3, but Athens answered with an unearned run in the top of the seventh to make it 10-3.
Wellsboro score a run in the bottom of the seventh to provide the final margin.
Athens, now 3-0, returns to action Wednesday at Wyalusing.
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IN PHOTO 1: Athens sophomore Gretchan Hiley. IN TOP PHOTO: Athens junior Maddie Hiley. ... PHOTOS BY LANCE LARCOM.
