Lady Bulldogs Earn 3-2 Win over Central Mountain
BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP – For the second time in two regular season games, the softball teams from Central Mountain and Jersey Shore locked up in a great rivalry contest, and for the second time this year, the Lady Bulldogs went home with a one-run win.
Tuesday’s game saw ‘Shore score a 2-out run in the top of the seventh inning, then Lady Bulldog pitcher Kylie Russell escaped a two on/two out bottom of the seventh for a 3-2 win. The victory kept Jersey Shore atop the Heartland Conference standings with an 8-0 mark, 12-2 overall. Central Mountain fell to 3-5 in conference play, 6-8 overall.
The game was as tight as could be, Jersey Shore scoring first in the second inning when Hailey Stetts crushed a homerun to left-center, the ball hitting atop the protective covering on the fence and bounding over. The downriver visitors added a second run in the fourth for a 2-0 lead but Central Mountain answered back with its first run in the bottom of the inning as Alyssa Fisher tripled and came home on Caitlyn Watson’s RBI double.
The Lady Wildcats worked a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the sixth as Autumn Dershem drilled a deep homerun to centerfield, part of Dershem’s 3-hit day. But the tie did not last long.
Jersey Shore came to bat in the top of the seventh and hard-luck loser Madi Knepp recorded two quick outs. But Daytona Wentzel doubled just over the glove of Watson at third base and rode home on an RBI single to left from Arizona Shreck. CM would threaten in the bottom of the seventh, getting singles from Bailee Renninger and Morgan Wetzel, but winning pitcher Russell induced an infield pop-out from Knepp for the game’s final out.
Other than Dershem’s three hits, Russell kept the Lady ‘Cat hits spread out, Fisher with a triple, Watson a double and singles from Wetzel, Riley Houser, Renninger and Madalyn Bechdel. Central Mountain stranded eight runners, including three in the second inning.
Wentzel paced a 7-hit ‘Shore attack with a double and two singles, Shreck had her seventh inning RBI double, Briana Herman with a single, Stover a single and Stetts a homerun.
Central Mountain coach Fred Caldwell again praised his defense for its strong play, including an out at home plate on a relay from left-fielder Cassidy Brush to Houser to Renninger, saving a run in inning number three.
The coach said, “It was a little late” for his team to start hitting, but it was good to see them coming back.” He credited ‘Shore pitcher Russell for her performance, stating the lefty had good ball movement and deception. He liked the effort from his pitcher Knepp; he termed her “a workhorse.”
In response to a question from a reporter, Caldwell said his team is going in the right direction but rather than just being competitive, he wants the Lady Wildcats to win. Their next chance will come Thursday at 1-10 Shikellamy, followed by a trip to Bellefonte (5-6) Friday.
Central Mountain seniors were recognized following the game. And in a show of sportsmanship, the Central Mountain program also recognized seniors on the Jersey Shore team.
| April 30, 2019 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
| JERSEY SHORE | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 0 |
| CENTRAL MOUNTAIN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 1 |
