Lady Dutch walk off to win season opener against Punxsy
It was a slow start but an exciting finish for the St. Marys Area Lady Dutch softball team in their season opener at Benzinger Park on Wednesday afternoon as they were held hitless by Punxsutawney until the sixth inning but then rallied for a 2-1 win on a walk-off fielder’s choice by Lindsey Reiter.
St. Marys ended up with five hits in the game – all singles. The first hit of the game for the Lady Dutch came on a one out single by freshman Avery Eckels – her first hit of her varsity softball career – in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Rosa DePrater also singled for St. Marys in the inning, and then Shannon Kaiser, Kendall Young, and Gianna Surra led off the bottom of the seventh with three straight singles for St. Marys.
Young went the distance in the circle for the Lady Dutch, giving up only three hits of her own while walking one and striking out 11.
Ciara Toven pitched for Punxsutawney, and in addition to giving up the five hits, she also walked two and struck out two.
Neither team’s offense was firing on all cylinders at the start of the game.
Both teams went down in order in the opening inning, and then Punxsutawney got the first base runner of the contest in the top of the second as Karli Young drew a one-out walk. A popout and a strikeout left her stranded.
After that, neither team put a runner on base until Reiter drew a walk to lead off the bottom of the third. However, she was immediately erased in a double play.
The Lady Chucks got on the board with their lone run of the game in the top of the fourth.
With one out, Brooke Young singled on a ground ball to right field. Following a strikeout, a two-out single by Karli Young scored Brooke Young to put Punxsy on the board leading 1-0. Karli Young advanced to second on the throw, but a strikeout left her stranded.
Batters for both teams went down in order after that until Toven hit a oneout double for Punxsutawney in the top of the sixth inning. Olivia Toven entered the game as a courtesy runner and stole third with two outs and Brynn Hergert at bat, but a strikeout prevented the Lady Chucks from adding any additional runs to their lead.
With one out in the home half of the inning, Avery Eckels recorded her first hit to give St. Marys a base runner, and then Danielle Rolley entered the game as a pinch runner. With two outs, DePrater singled to join Rolley on base, but a groundout ended the inning with both left stranded.
Batters for the Lady Chucks went down in order in the top of the seventh, and the Lady Dutch staged their rally for the win in the home half of the inning.
Kaiser led off the bottom of the seventh with a bunt single to the pitcher, and then Kendall Young followed that up with a single to left, moving Kaiser to second on the play.
Addison Beimel entered the game as a courtesy runner for Young.
Kaiser then scored on a single by Surra, but the play almost did not end up in St. Marys’ favor. The throw actually beat
Kaiser to home plate, but Punxsy’s catcher mishandled the ball and had to chase after the ball as Kaiser made her way past her to put the team’s first run on the board. Beimel and Surra each advanced a base on the throw.
With no outs and runners on second and third, Punxsutawney elected to intentionally walk Molly Hanslovan to load the bases. That brought up Reiter, and after fouling off several pitches, she hit into a fielder’s choice that erased Surra at third but allowed Beimel to score for the 2-1 walkoff win.
Now 1-0 on their young season, the Lady Dutch are scheduled to be back in action on the road on Saturday when they travel to Johnsonburg to take on the Ramettes in a 10 a.m. game. Punxsutawney 1 Avary Powell 3-00, Ciara Toven 3-0-1, Brooke Young 3-1-1, Brynn Hergert 3-00, Karli Young 2-0-1, Emily Dobbins 3-0-0, Brinley Hallman 3-00, Laci Poole 2-0-0, Brooke Skarbek 2-0-0. Totals 24-1-3.
St. Marys 2
Rosa DePrater 3-01, Olivia Eckels 3-0-0, Shannon Kaiser 3-1-1, Kendall Young 3-0-1, Addison Beimel 0-1-0, Gianna Surra 3-0-1, Molly Hanslovan 2-00, Lindsey Reiter 2-00, Avery Eckels 2-0-1, Danielle Rolley 0-0-0, Jianna Gerg 2-0-0. Totals 23-2-5.
Score by innings R Punxsy 000 100 0 1 SMAHS 000 000 2 2