Valley Sports ReportATHENS — Senior Maddie Hiley replaced her injured sister Gretchan in the pitcher's circle in the second inning, and pitched six strong innings to lead Athens to a 4-3 win over Lake Lehman here Wednesday afternoon in non-league softball action.
Gretchan Hiley pitched around an error and a hit batsman to start the game, and registered a pair of strikeouts to escape the jam unscathed.
Gretchan Hiley led off the bottom of the first inning and was hit by a 2-2 pitch, and was removed from the game with an unspecified arm injury.
"Gretchan (Hiley) got hit in her first at-bat," said Athens coach Brian Wendela. "Unfortunately it’s doesn't appear to be good news.
"Her sister Maddie wanted to pitch and stepped in and pitched a phenomenal game," noted Wendela. "It really was impressive as we haven’t gave her many bullpens this season.
"At the end of the day, we learned a lot today — good and bad," he said. "It really showed our depth, and how far we have come as a softball team.
"Saying I'm proud of this team is an understatement," added Wendela. "We will look to figure out what’s best moving forward as a coaching staff."
Wendela emphasized the importance of his team's depth in the win.
"It was a great team effort today against one of the best pitchers (Hannah Chipego) in the state," said Wendela.
"We had to ask a few girls to step in because of injuries," he noted. "(Chipego) really was bringing it and our girls made some great at-bats. keeping the ball in play."
The Wildcats got on the board first in the third inning on a one-out single by Maddie Hiley, and a line-drive two-run home run over the left-field fence by freshman Abby Delosa — the first round-tripper of her varsity career.
"Abby Delosa has really been coming around and I had a great feeling about her the last few games," said Wendela. "What a way to spark the team and lead by example; she hit that ball hard."
Athens scored what would prove to be essential insurance runs in the fifth inning — scoring the first run on an RBI groundout off the bat of sophomore Memphis Paul, and the second on a wild pitch — to take a 4-0 lead.
Maddie Hiley, who allowed just two hits in her first five innings of relief, yielded two hits in the top of the seventh, hit a batter, and walked a batter.
Lake Lehman closed the gap to 4-2 and had runners on first and second with one out, but Athens catcher Memphis Paul gunned out a would-be stealer at third base for the second out.
An error later in the inning trimmed the deficit to 4-3,, and Lake Lehman had the tying run at third, but Maddie Hiely registered a strikeout to end the game.
Maddie Hiley singled twice, while Delosa homered, scored one run, and had two RBI, Paul singled and drove in a run, and sophomore Andrea Davis added a single. Junior McKenna Jarvis scored a run in the win.
Gretchan Hiley struck out two in a scoreless inning before leaving the game.
Maddie Hiley earned the win, allowing three runs — two earned — on four hits, while striking out four and walking four in six innings of work.
Chipego, who is headed to Division I James Madison, fanned seven and walked three, while allowing two earned runs on six hits in six innings in taking the loss.
Athens, now 14-3, returns to action Saturday against Western Wayne in the opening round of the Central Columbia Tournament.
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IN PHOTO: Athens freshman Abby Delosa. ... VSR STOCK PHOTO.
