Valley Sports ReportMORAVIA — Tioga jumped ahead early, and survived a tough day in the field in an 8-5 win over Moravia here Tuesday afternoon in IAC Small School Division softball action.
The Tigers opened the game with consecutive singles by freshman Bri Lounsbury, senior RaeAnne Feeko, and 8th-grader Maddy Rogers to load the bases, and a two-RBI single by freshman Kate Kithcart.
After a Moravia error plated two more runs to make it 4-0, junior Vanessa Tunnicliff knocked in a run with a groundout to make it 5-0.
Tioga scored a run in the fourth inning on a two-out triple by Kithcart and an RBI single by Lilly Mezzatesta to make it 6-1.
The Tigers scored two runs with two outs in the fifth inning to take an 8-2 lead. Tunnicliff started the rally with a two-out walk, and Lounsbury followed with an RBI triple, and Feeko added an RBI single.
The Blue Devils answered with three unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth to close the gap to 8-5, but Kithcart retired Moravia in order in each of the last two innings to preserve the win.
Kithcart tripled and singled, scored two runs, and had two RBI, while Lounsbury tripled and singled, scored two runs, and drove in one run, and Feeko singled twice, scored one run, and knocked in one run to pace Tioga's 11-hit attack.
Freshman Irie Lynch and Tunnicliff each singled, scored one run, and drove in one run, while Mezzatesta singled and drove in one run, Rogers singled and scored one run, and sophomore Kyah Nelson added a single.
Kithcart earned the win, allowing five unearned runs, thanks to six Tioga errors, on five hits in seven innings. She fanned nine and walked none.
Tioga, now 9-2, returns to action Wednesday at Newark Valley.
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IN PHOTO: Tioga's Kate Kithcart.
