TIOGA CENTER — Tioga put away a pesky Southern Cayuga with a nine-run fourth-inning rally in a 19-10 win here Tuesday afternoon in IAC Small School Division crossover softball action.
The Chiefs took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but the Tigers answered with four runs in the home half of the inning in a rally highlighted by senior McKenzie Williams' two-RBI single.
Tioga extended its lead to 10-3 with six runs in the third inning. Junior RaeAnne Feeko had the big hit in the rally with a two-run double, and 8th-graders Bri Lounsbury and Kate Kithcart added run-scoring singles as well.
The Chiefs would not go quietly, however, plating five runs in the top of the fourth to close the gap to 10-8, but their momentum was short-lived.
Consecutive singles by sophomore Jade Keaty, Lounsbury and Feeko loaded the bases, and senior Erin Luther delivered a two-run double to make it 12-8.
Williams followed with an RBI single, and junior Emily Shiner added a two-run single to extend the lead to 15-8.
After a walk to junior Lilly Mezzatesta, Kithcart looped an RBI double into right field to make it 16-8, and sophomore Vanessa Tunnicliff knocked in a run with a ground out.
Feeko's RBI single pushed the lead to 18-8, and Keaty scored the final run of the inning on a wild pitch.
Feeko had three hits, including a double, three runs scored, and three RBI, and Williams had three hits, including a double, two runs scored, and four RBI, Kithcart had three hits, including a double, two runs scored, and two RBI, and Lounsbury singled three times, scored three runs, and drove in one run to pace Tioga's 18-hit attack.
Shiner singled twice, scored two runs, and had three RBI for the Tigers, while Mezzatesta singled twice and scored one run, Luther doubled, scored two runs, and drove in two runs, Keaty singled, stole two bases, scored three runs, and knocked in one run, and Tunnicliff scored one run and drove in one run.
Kithcart earned the win in relief, allowing two runs on six hits, while striking out one and walking two in 3 1/3 innings of work.
Tioga returns to action Saturday when it travels to Union-Endicott at 10 a.m. to face U-E and Cohoes at noon.
————————
IN PHOTO: Tioga's RaeAnne Feeko. ... VSR STOCK PHOTO.