Shore Outlasts Central Mountain 2-1
JERSEY SHORE – It was the Lady Bulldogs with a late game rally that would prove the difference this time. Recently, Central Mountain (9-1) prevailed over opponents in close games, but Shore held off a last inning threat by the Lady Wildcats to preserve the win.
Steady pitching and stingy defense was the result for both teams as they worked hard at collecting a hit here and there for the first four innings, though neither team could score a run.
That all changed in the top of the fifth inning when the Lady ‘Cats took advantage of 3 back-to-back-to-back errors to load up the bases and score the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly.
Loren Marasco led off the inning with a sharply hit ball to short that was uncharacteristically mishandled by Jess Allen that gave Marasco the advantage to reach first base safely. Likewise, Josie Dershem and Madison Brown put the ball in play and took advantage of Lady Bulldog miscues to load the bases. Then Autumn young drove in the run with a sac fly to left field.
Shore responded in the bottom of the inning by stringing together two doubles, a single and a sac fly of their own to earn the 2-1 lead.
Central Mountain would threaten one last time with two outs in the top of the seventh. Once again, Dershem managed to reach first on a Lady Bulldog error. Madison Brown followed up with a sharply hit ball to the outfield while coach Peters sent Dershem home as she rounded third base. Unfortunately, the relay by Shore was just early enough for Shore catcher, Jessica Willits to make the tag and end the game.
“That was a really good game between two really good teams,” said coach Peters after the loss.
“I thought Josie did a whale of a job in her first game back (on the mound) since her injury,” said Peters, She kept them off balance, but they a couple of hits together late in the game and that was enough to hold up.” Peters added.
“On our end, with the sticks, I thought we murdered the ball all day long,” explained Peters, “It just seemed overtime we hit it or got runners on, we hit it right to someone.”
Dershem went the distance on the mound for CM giving up 8 hits and one walk on the night.
Brown had two singles in the game with Skylar Smith and Emily Strouse had one base hit each.
Next up for the Lady Wildcats is a five-game week beginning with a road trip to Altoona on Monday, April 25.
| April 21, 2016 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
| CENTRAL MOUNTAIN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| JERSEY SHORE | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 2 | 8 | 4 |
