Valley Sports ReportATHENS — Athens scored all of its runs in the first inning while Gretchan Hiley twirled a one-hitter as the Wildcats defeated Northeast Bradford, 9-0, in NTL softball action here Saturday.
Gretchan Hiley and McKenna Jarvis wrapped singles around an error off the bat of Madalyn Hiley to give the Wildcats their first two runs, then Memphis Paul and Danica May followed with RBI singles to make it 4-0.
Savannah Finan added a base hit before the Panthers could get an out, then Abby Delosa reached on an error and May scored. Faith Parkhurst followed with a single, Gretchan Hiley reached on an error and Madalyn Hiley drew a base on balls to push the score to 7-0.
Jarvis hit a fly out to left to bring Oarkhurst home and Paul singled to plate pinch runner Maci Campbell and make it 9-0.
Mya Allen singled in the second and Madalyn Hiley walked in the third but were left on base.
The Wildcats threatened in the fourth as Finan walked, Delosa reached on an error and Parkhurst walked, but NEB got out of the inning with the bases loaded.
Madalyn Hiley singled to start the bottom of the fifth, but Panther pitcher Kristina Larnard retired the side.
NEB’s Brianna Pelka reached on an error to open the sixth, but Gretchan Hiley struck out the side to keep the shutout safe.
Finan reached via an error in the home half of the sixth, but Larnard retired the side.
The Panthers broke up the no-hit bid on Orissa Gardner’s one-out single to left in the sixth.
Madalyn Callear and Pelka reached on errors in the first and sixth, respectively, to give NEB its only other base runners.
Gretchan Hiley retired 15 consecutive batters in between and recorded 12 strikeouts on the day to record her fourth shutout for the 6-1 Wildcats.
Athens pounded out nine hits with Paul going 2-for-2 with one run and two RBI while Jarvis drove in three runs with one hit and one RBI.
Madalyn Hiley and Parkhurst contributed a hit, run and RBI each; Gretchan Hiley and Finan had a hit and a run, Delosa added a run and an RBI; and Allen tacked on a hit.
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PHOTOS BY TIM TAYLOR.
