Valley Sports ReportMANSFIELD — Athens scored early, and junior Gretchan Hiley was nearly unhittable in a 5-1 win to avenge an early-season loss to North Penn-Liberty here Tuesday in NTL softball action.
The Wildcats scored a pair of runs in the top of the first inning on a lead-off triple by Gretchan Hiley and one-out singles by sophomore Memphis Paul and senior Savannah Finan.
A lead-off single by junior McKenna Jarvis led to another run by the Wildcats in the top of the second to make it 3-0.
Finan stroked an RBI single in the top of the fourth inning to extend the lead to 4-0.
The Mountaineers got on the board with an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth inning to close the gap to 4-1.
Faith Parkhurst led off the top of the sixth inning with a single and scored later in the inning on an RBI groundout off the bat of Gretchan Hiley to push the lead to 5-1.
Finan singled twice and drove in two runs to pace Athens' six-hit attack, while Gretchan Hiley tripled, scored one run, and knocked in one run, Pankhurst singled, scored one run, and had one RBI, Paul singled, stole two bases, and scored two runs, and Jarvis singled and scored one run.
Gretchan Hiley allowed an unearned run on four hits, while striking out eight and walking none in a seven-inning complete-game win.
Athens, now 9-2, hosts Cowanesque Valley Thursday.
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PHOTOS BY LANCE LARCOM.
