Lady Wildcats take tight one from ‘Shore, 3-2

JERSEY SHORE, PA – The Central Mountain and Jersey Shore softball teams have had some good ones over the years and Friday’s first regular season meeting between the two rivals was right there with the best of them.

Central Mountain came home with a hard-earned 3-2 win, not decided until the game’s final out. Lady Wildcat starting hurler Adalynn McKeague took a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh and ‘Shore put up one run to make it 3-2 with the tying run on second base when McKeague recorded a game-ending strike out.

Runs were hard to come by as McKeague pitched a complete game 7-hitter. The hard luck loser for Jersey Shore was McCracken; she hurled a 5-hitter, striking out seven and walking three. McKeague struck out six and walked one.

Central Mountain scored first in the top of the first, Madison Hardy driving in Caitlyn Watson. They added another in the top of the third, Maggie Saar driving in Watson. What proved to be the deciding run was scored in the the top of the fifth, Riley Houser driven in by Hardy.

Watson and Houser each had two hits, the latter with a triple, and Hardy had the other.

The Lady Wildcats are now 4-0 and will host Danville (4-0) on Tuesday, April 13, at 4:30 p.m. The two squads are the only undefeated programs in the Heartland Conference’s large school division at this point.

CM 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 = 3-5
JS 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 = 2-7