Wildcat softball win streak hits nine, 8-1 over Shik

SUNBURY, PA – The Central Mountain Lady Wildcats made their seventh consecutive away game worth the trip defeating the Shikellamy Braves by a score of 8-1 on Thursday. The win also marked the ninth straight for Coach Fred Caldwell’s team, now 10-2 overall.

Central Mountain wasted no time taking the lead in the top of the first when Madisyn Wian drove a single to right field and was followed by Madison Hardy who blasted a home run over the left field fence to jump out to a 2-0 lead.

After holding the Braves scoreless in the bottom of the first, the ‘Cats picked up where they left off in the first, scoring two more runs when Taylor Wahlers reached on a fielder’s choice and Katelyn Bowman hit a single up the middle to put runners on first and second.  Wian collected her second hit in two innings and drove in Wahlers for the RBI.  Madison Hardy then reached on a throwing error by the third baseman which allowed Bowman to score for the second run of the inning.

Shik was again held scoreless in the bottom of the inning and in the top of the third the Wildcats kept the pressure on.  Alliison Lininger reached on a single to right field and was later driven in by a Harley Kunes RBI single to left center field.  Neither team scored in the fourth inning and the score remained 5-0.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Shikellamy scored their lone run on a lead off solo home run over the left field fence. Left fielder Sophie Mitchell made an all-out effort to snag the ball, running through the temporary fence and breaking two poles in the process.

Like good teams are prone to do, CM answered in the in the top of the sixth with three more runs to extend the lead to 8-1.

Central Mountain’s Addie McKeague pitched a gem from the circle, facing 25 batters in seven innings and allowing one run on three hits with one HBP and 12 strike outs.

Central Mountain returns to action on Tuesday, May 2 for a home game against Danville (2-9). Shikellamy fell to 5-8 with the loss.