Lady Crusaders blank Smethport 15-0 in five innings
Home runs by Emily Mourer and Sydney Alexander helped lead the Elk County Catholic Lady Crusader softball team to a 15-0 five-inning road win over the Smethport Lady Hubbers on Monday afternoon.
ECC had a big 12run opening inning and then tacked on two more runs in the fourth and one in the fifth to bring home the win.
In addition to the two home runs, among the Lady Crusaders' 18 hits in the game were a pair of doubles by Lydia Anderson and one double each by Alexa Chamberlin, Mya Pistner, Sarah Hasselman, Gabby Weisner, and Ellie Baron.
Mourer went the distance in the circle, tossing a two-hitter while walking one and striking out 12.
ECC got things going with one out in the top of the opening inning. Weisner singled to the shortstop to give the team their first base runner. With Anderson at bat, she stole second, and then both Weisner and Anderson were able to score after Anderson singled. The runs gave the Lady Crusaders a 2-0 lead.
Mourer quickly made it 3-0 with a home run to center field.
Alexander then hit a home run of her own, making the score 4-0.
A single by Caitlyn Vollmer and a double by Baron gave the Lady Crusaders another pair of base runners. Chamberlin entered the game to run for Vollmer, and she scored on a bunt single by Tessa Fledderman.
Pistner drew a walk, loading the bases, and then Lucy Klawuhn walked, scoring Baron and keeping the bases loaded. A double by Weisner scored both Fledderman and Pistner, and then a double by Anderson scored both Klawuhn and Weisner. Mourer singled, scoring Anderson, and Hasselman entered the game to run for Mourer.
Following a flyout, Vollmer and Baron drew back-to-back walks to reload the bases, and then Fledderman was issued a walk, scoring Hasselman and keeping the bases loaded. A fielder's choice finally resulted in the third out, bringing Smethport up to bat for the first time with the Lady Crusaders leading 12-0.
A single and a walk gave the Lady Hubbers a pair of base runners, but the next three batters went down in order to prevent the team from cutting into ECC's lead.
Weisner drew a oneout walk for ECC in the top of the second but was left stranded. Smethport's batters went down in order in the home half of the inning.
Alexander led off the top of the third with a single, and Sofiya Cherry walked to join her on base, but a strikeout and a pair of flyouts left both stranded. Smethport also stranded a batter in the home half of the inning following a twoout single.
Chamberlin led off the top of the fourth with a double and then scored on a double by Hasselman. A single by Rylie Belsole put runners on the corners, and then Hasselman scored on a single by Mackenzie Bille. Cherry
drew a one-out walk to load the bases, but a flyout and a groundout prevented the Lady Crusaders from pushing through any additional runs.
Batters for the Lady Hubbers went down in order in the home half of the inning, leaving ECC leading 14-0.
Pistner doubled to lead off the top of the fifth and then scored on a one-out single by Hasselman, making the score 15-0. Anderson followed that up with a double, but a popup and a lineout brought Smethport back up to bat for the final time.
A groundout and a pair of strikeouts sent the Lady Hubbers down in order in the bottom of the fifth, with ECC taking home the 15-0 five-inning win.
The Lady Crusaders (13-3) return to action on Wednesday when they host Warren in a 4:15 p.m. game at Benzinger Park.
Elk Catholic 15
Lucy Klawuhn 2-1-0, Alexa Chamberlin 2-21, Gabby Weisner 2-22, Sarah Hasselman 2-2-2, Lydia Anderson 4-2-3, Rylie Belsole 1-0-1, Emily Mourer 4-1-2, Mackenzie Bille 1-0-1, Sydney Alexander 4-1-2, Jenna Schatz 1-0-0, Caitlyn Vollmer 1-0-1, Sofiya Cherry 0-0-0, Ellie Baron 1-11, Josie Lawrie 2-0-0, Tessa Fledderman 3-11, Mya Pistner 3-2-1. Totals 33-15-18. Smethport 0
B. F. 2-0-1, M. Thomas 1-0-1, E. Hungiville 2-0-0, J. Dinch 2-0-0, H. Peterson 2-0-0, M. Fars 2-0-0, C. Lapp 2-0-0, T. Colley 2-0-0, J. Goodman 2-0-0. Totals 17-0-2.
Score by innings R ECCHS 12)00 21 15 Smethport 000 00 0