By TIM TAYLORValley Sports Report
TIOGA CENTER — Tioga eighth-grader Kate Kithcart supported 10-strikeout effort in the circle with a three-hit, three-RBI showing at the plate as the Tigers pulled away late to defeat Southern Cayuga, 9-2, in a Section IV Class C quarterfinal here Tuesday.
Tioga coach Stephanie Hills was impressed with the effort of the youngster.
“She's awesome,” Hills said. “She's been doing what we need her to do, and she's been staying pretty solid and consistent throughout, so she's doing awesome.”
Of course, Kithcart also received plenty of assistance from her Tioga teammates. After she checked the Chiefs batters on two hits through five innings, the offense took control, erupting for seven runs in the bottom of the inning behind six hits and a trio of walks.
Rae Ann Feeko led off the home half of the frame with a double, then stole third. Erin Luther drew a base on balls, and stole second. McKenzie Williams followed with a two-run single to left for a 3-0 advantage.
Emily Shiner and Lilly Mezzatesta wrapped walks around a fielder’s choice out, and Vanessa Tunnicliff walked. Courtesy runner Irie Lynch was tagged out on a questionable call at the plate while attempting to steal home, but Mezzatesta made it 4-0 on a Kitchcart base hit.
Bri Lounsbury singled Tunnicliff home, then Jade Keaty laid down a bunt single to bring Kitchcart in for a 6-0 lead. Following a Keaty steal, Feeko delivered her second double of the inning to give the Tigers an 8-0 cushion.
Madison Gentz would belt a triple to right to lead off the sixth, then Jillian Rejman and Kyleigh Johnson reached on consecutive errors with Gentz scoring on the first miscue and Rejman scored on the Tigers’ third error of the inning. A strikeout and ground out to short ended the comeback attempt.
Tioga added one more run in its half of the inning after Mezzatesta reached on a fielder's choice, moved to second on a walk and scored on a Kithcart single.
The Chiefs would pick up two more singles in the seventh, but Kithcart induced a ground out to second baseman Shiner and recorded two more strikeouts to finish with 10 Ks on the day.
Tioga struggled to find its way around the bases early on, stranding Shiner and Mezzatesta on base in the second, and Keaty and Feeko in the third. All four players reached via base hit.
“We've had that struggle on and off this season, and it takes us a minute sometimes to get warmed up, but once we do, they start hitting pretty well,” said Hills, “so I'm hoping that on Thursday we start right away with our bats because we can't go against whoever we're facing not hitting the first couple innings.”
Chiefs pitcher Ava Harvatine was solid in their first meeting this season, a 6-4 Tioga win, and held the Tigers at bay early in this game, including fanning the first three batters.
“She did great,” Hills said. “She's good about hitting her spots, and we had that struggle the first time we saw them. We couldn't seem to hit her, then finally we woke up and were able to, so she did a good job.”
Shiner and Mezzatesta would smack back-to-back singles in the fourth, and Kithcart gave the home team a 1-0 edge with a two-out single to center. Lounsbury followed with a single, but Harvatine ended the inning with her sixth strikeout of the game.
The Tigers cranked out 16 hits with Shriner going 3-for-3 while Feeko, and Kithcart both went 3-for-4. Keaty, Mezzatesta and Lounsbury were each 2-for-4, and Williams tacked on a hit.
Kitchcart had three RBI and a run, Feeko contributed two RBI and a run, Williams drove in a pair of runs, Mezzatesta scored twice, Keaty and Lounsbury added one hit and one RBI apiece, and Erin Luther and Tunnicliffe added one run each.
Harvatine struck out seven for SC with Hannah Stevens adding another in the seventh.
Kithcart scattered five hits and walked one, but did not allow an earned run.
Third-seeded Tioga (14-3) visits unbeaten No. 2 seed Union Springs (18-0) Thursday at 4:30 p.m. in a semifinal clash.
——————
IN PHOTO 1: Tioga’s Erin Luther. ... IN PHOTO 2: Tioga’s Lilly Mezzatesta. ... PHOTOS BY TIM TAYLOR.
