Valley Sports ReportDEPOSIT — The state's top-ranked Deposit-Hancock scored early and often, and is now one win away from its 10th consecutive Section IV title after a 15-3 win over fifth-seeded Tioga here Thursday afternoon in the semifinals of the Class C softball playoffs.
The Eagles won the Class C title last year, topping Tioga, 7-1. D-H (and Deposit before the merger) won the previous eight Class D titles, winning state titles in 2015-17, '19 as Deposit, and 2022-24 as Deposit Hancock. In 2018, Deposit was state runner-up.
On Thursday, the Eagles scored three runs in the home half of the first inning, and four more in the second to take a 7-0 lead. Ivy Tice homered — a three-run shot in the first inning and a two-run homer in the second — in each of the first two innings.
The Tigers, ranked 21st in the state in Class C, got on the board in the top of the third inning on a lead-off single by freshman Bri Lounsbury, who scored on an RBI groundout off the bat of freshman Kate Kithcart to close the gap to 7-1.
Victoria Green belted a two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth to extend the lead to 9-1.
Green capped D-H's six-run rally in the fifth inning with a three-run home run to make it 15-1.
In her final at-bat at Tioga, senior RaeAnne Feeko belted her ninth home run of the season — a two-run shot over the left-field fence — to provide the final margin.
Lounsbury doubled and singled and scored one run, and Feeko's hit a two-run home run to pace Tioga's seven-hit attack, while Mya Freese singled and scored one run.
Senior Lilly Mezzatesta, freshman Irie Lynch, and 8th-grader Maddie Rogers each added a single for the Tigers.
Kithcart was tagged with the loss for Tioga. She struck out six and walked two.
Tioga wraps up the season at 13-7.
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IN PHOTO: Tioga's RaeAnne Feeko. ... VSR STOCK PHOTO.
