Jets slug their way to 18-9 rivalry victory
BERNE—Adams Central and South Adams were locked in a backand-forth battle Thursday evening in Berne with the game tied 9-9, but the Jets batted around in both the fifth and sixth innings and busted open the game with eight runs in the sixth inning to take a decisive eightrun lead.
Athena Schwartz scored five runs in the first six innings as the Starfires had no answers for her and the 3-4-5 hitters of Maddie Hill, Melina Peralez and Megan Byerly knocked in a combined ten runs for the Jets.
South Adams looked to have the answers to the Adams Central offense when the first four batters in the lineup each scored in both the third and the fourth innings to tie the game, but the Stars never scored again despite putting plenty of pressure on Maddie Hill and later reliever Addie Baker.
The fateful sixth inning, which began with a tie score at 9-9, was kicked off by Kaylen Sprunger, who led off the inning for the third inning in a row with a walk. Jozie Zimmerman smashed the ball just under the glove of the South Adams second baseman and Athena Schwartz followed with her second hit of the night. After a sacrifice fly by Jenna Cook, Hill and Peralez followed with singles. Shortstop Brianna Cook knocked in two more with a single and the inning only got worse with another outfield error.
When it was all said and done, Adams Central scored eight times in the inning with just four hits.
The contest began as a pitching matchup between Hill and Peyton Pries, but neither were able to go the distance. Adams Central jumped on the board first with another leadoff extra-base hit by Athena Schwartz in the top of the first, but the Starfires scored when Carlie Sealscott singled and took a couple of extra bases and scored on Vivian O’Dell’s ground ball.
Adams Central took advantage of a walk to Schwartz, bunting her over in the third and they later loaded the bases but Pries was able to get out of the inning with just one run allowed. With the top of the lineup up in the third, Macy Pries and Kristen Wynn led off with hits and Sofia Schwartz clubbed a home run to left center to make it 5-2.
Peralez capped a three-run inning with a two-run double in the fourth , but Jenna Myers’ bunt single was a springboard for another rally by the top of the Starfire lineup in the bottom of the fourth as Schwartz drove in two more runs, capping a twentyminute period with five RBI.
At that point, the Starfires appeared to have broken the will of the visiting Jets with their 9-5 lead and Maddie Hill struggling to get outs. Instead, Adams Central executed again and again to push four runs across, always seeming to make the correct move on the basepaths and at the plate. Megan Byerly’s double with two outs off Gracy Bixler tied the game at 9-9.
The Starfires actually outhit the Jets 13-11, but it was the six errors by the Starfires, along with walks by Pries and Bixler, that were the ultimate undoing in this ACAC showdown.
The two teams have a chance to meet again in the Eastside sectional, although the host Blazers could throw a wrench in that plan in two weeks.