Valley Sports ReportWAVERLY — Waverly let an early five-run lead slip away, but exploded for 14 runs in its final two at-bats to post a 21-9 six-inning win over Sidney here Monday afternoon in non-league softball action.
The Wolverines have now won eight in a row, and are 12-4 on the season.
"It was a hard-fought win tonight," said Waverly coach Brent Doane.
"We didn't give our pitcher much support defensively early on.
"I thought our offense was going to roll, but we kind of stalled out after the first inning," he noted. "We did come back to life late.
"The home runs from Hannah (Carpenter) and Taylin (Gonzalez) helped energize us a bit," added Doane.
The Wolverines led 5-0 after the first inning, and 7-3 after two innings, but the Warriors rallied to take a 9-7 lead after 4 1/2 innings.
In the bottom of the fifth, Gonzales cranked a solo home run — her seventh of the season — to lead off the inning, and added an RBI single later in the nine-run rally that gave the Wolverines a 16-9 lead.
Waverly pushed five more runs across the plate in the sixth inning to end the game via the 12-run rule.
Gonzalez was 2-for-2 with a home run, three runs scored, and four RBI, and junior Lecksie Douglas singled twice, and scored three runs to pace Waverly's eight-hit attack, while senior Maddie Cron singled, scored three runs and had four RBI, and 8th-grader Paige Bubniak tripled, scored two runs, and had four RBI.
Junior Hannah Carpenter homered, scored two runs, and had two RBI in the win, and sophomore Melanie Skovira singled, scored two runs, and drove in one run.
Senior Delaney Wheeler scored two runs and drove in one run for the Wolverines, while sophomore Emma Williams scored two runs, and freshman Ayla Wheeler and junior Kaiya Horton each crossed the plate once.
Ayla Wheeler was the beneficiary of the run support, earning the win in the pitcher's circle. She allowed nine runs on nine hits, while striking out six and walking four in five innings.
Gonzalez struck out two in a perfect inning of relief.
Waverly hosts Ithaca Tuesday afternoon.
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IN PHOTO: Waverly Taylin Gonzalez.
