The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Cougars blank Blue Devils for second time
Stockbridge Valley sophomore tosses 2-hitter in key CCL win
Alaina Beane tossed a two-hit shutout for Stockbridge Valley against Madison on Thursday afternoon.
MUNNSVILLE » The first time Stockbridge Valley’s Alaina Beane faced Madison on the softball field this season, the sophomore pitcher twirled a one-hit shutout.
In Thursday’s rematch, she was on top of her game again.
Beane held a short-handed Blue Devils’ lineup to just two infield singles in a 12-0 victory for the Cougars on their home field.
“She mixes her pitches, mixes her locations well,” said Stockbridge Valley coach Chris Peto. “Keeps them off balance. Makes them move around the box and kind of just controls the situation.”
Beane struck out five for the Cougars in the circle while walking just one. The junior also helped her cause at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a hit by pitch. Courtesy runner Erin Raymond replaced Beane in each of those four trips and scored three runs while Cathe----
“She mixes her pitches, mixes her locations.” — Stockbridge Valley coach Chris Peto on Alaina Beane
rine Meeker, Kendra Webb, Tiffani Jacobs and Hayley Smith scored two runs apiece.
Lexi Tubbs took the loss for Madison, allowing eight runs on eight hits with a walk and five strikeouts. Kierston Abrams had both hits for the Blue Devils.
Madison was missing two starters who were away at an FFA convention.
Beane tossed a perfect frame in the top of the first before her offense gave her a lead to work with in the bottom of the inning. Meeker drew a walk from Tubbs to lead off. She quickly stole second before advancing to third on a Webb single. The Cougars stayed aggressive in the bases, executing a double steal for the game’s first run. Jacobs then reached on an error and, after a Hayley Smith single, scored on the Blue Devils’ second error of the inning. Smith also scored on an error and, after Beane was hit by a pitch, Raymond scored to give the hosts a 5-0 lead.
Peto was pleased to see the Cougars carry their momentum from a 12-run sixth inning on Wednesday into the game.
“We’ve had a tendency not to get going with the bats until late in the game inmost of our games this year,” he said. “I think thatwas big for us to get out early, get some runs on the board.”
Tubbs allowed only a single over the next two innings before Stockbridge Valley struck again in the bottom of the fourth. Madeline Cross singled to lead off the inning and advanced to third before she made the second out of the inning at home plate. Meeker kept the inning going with a single before Webb was hit by a pitch. Ja- cobs hit an RBI double and Marshall followed with a two-run single, extending the lead to 8-0.
Meanwhile, Beane allowed only two runners through the first five innings. Elissa Usborne reached on an error in the second and Abrams just beat a one-hop throw from Smith at shortstop for Madison’s first hit in the second.
With Beane cruising, Stockbridge Valley tacked on two more runs against Madison reliever Courtney Cochran in the bottom of the fifth. Bean el ed off with a single and Raymond advanced to second on a groundout. Cross followed with a walk and Jordyn Sanford singled to bring Raymond home. Cross reached third on the play and scored on a wild pitch to push the Cougars’ lead to 10-0.
Stockbridge Valley scored its final two runs in the bot- tom of the sixth on RBI singles by Cross and Sanford.
An error and a walk gave the Blue Devils two baserunners with one out in the top of the seventh but Beane got the game’s final two outs on a fielder’s choice and a groundout to preserve the shutout.
With thewin, Stockbridge Valley took sole possession of second place in the Central Counties League with just one in-league loss, trailing unbeaten DeRuyter.
“You try to keep a zero in that loss column but you also understand that if you get a one in that loss column you’re still in charge of your own destiny,” said Peto. “That’s what we’re working through right now is we still can control our own destiny. It’s going to be two big games against DeRuyter and we also have to take care of business against everyone else we see the rest of the way.”