Lady Bald Eagles survive late scare from Central

By rscaife
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Updated: April 11, 2018

By Kenny Varner
MILESBURG – Playing in one of the toughest leagues for in the state, the Bald Eagle softball team exploded early on to take a 10-run advantage on the ever dangerous Central team.
Just coming up short of winning via the 10-run rule, the Eagles watched as the Dragons got a puff of adrenaline that awoke their bats.
Central was able to cut the Eagles lead to 13-10 before freshman hurler Madison Peters would come in and keep the Dragons in check as the Bald Eagles went onto the 15-10 hard fought victory.
“We hit the ball really well. If we would have had a hit here or there we would have ended it in five. That’s just not how it goes. Central is a very good ball team,”Bald Eagle Area coach Don Lucas said. “Zoey pitches well got a little tired towards the end. We brought the freshman in and that’s big stuff for her to come in and shut them down in the last two innings. I’m really happy with her.”
Offensively, Bald Eagle’s offense was led by Mara Caldawa who went 2-For-5 with 2RBI and a run.
Brooke Woodward went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs and 2RBI. Lacee Barnhart rounded out the leading hitters with a 2-for-4 with three runs, and RBI performance.
Central’s comeback attempt was led by Cam Feathers as she roped a blazing 3-run home run and teammate Ashley Negley who hit a solo round tripper.
Bald Eagle pitcher Zoey Surovic who went five full innings while Peters picked up the save.
Bald Eagle opened the contest posting four runs in the bottom of the first.
Lead off hitter Barnhart reached after hustling out a Dragon miscue. Barnhart stole second and third, putting herself on third for Brooke Woodward. Woodward blooped a hit over the head of the Central third baseman scoring Barnhart.
Mackenzie McCloskey followed with a single of her own.
Both later scored on hits by Megan Kresovich and Kaleigh Kinley.
When the dust settled, Bald Eagle opened a 4-run advantage.
Surovic shut down the Dragons in the second, giving her offense another chance to heat up.
They did just that as the Eagles plated 10 batters en route to a 6-run inning.
Taylor Kilmer led off the inning with an innocent single.
Barnhart’s second at bat was a high fly to center that missed going over for the home run.
Instead, Barnhart had a RBI triple as she scored teammate Kilmer.
Woodward followed with a walk.
With one out, Caldawa brought in Barnhart and Woodward on an RBI single to left.
Tobi Yerrison was hit by a pitch.
Kinley, with a little help by two Dragons miscue, singles and brought home Yerrison and Caldawa.
Kinley later scored thanks to a RBI single by Maddison Peters, upping the Bald Eagle lead to 10-0.
In the third, both teams each scored a run to keep the score at the 10-run mark at 11-1.
But in the fourth, Central got back to work sparked by a solo shot by Negley.
When the inning was over, Central trailed 11-3.
Bald Eagle once again added enough runs to make a 13-3 contest going into the fifth.
However, the Dragons refused to go away despite standing on the brink of ending the game, they scored enough to keep the game going, trailing 13-5 going into the fifth.
After shutting the Eagles down scoreless in the bottom of the fourth, the Dragons would take one more shot a chipping into the lead.
With a 3-run home run by Feathers, sparking a 5-run inning, the visitors saw them trail only by three going into the final two innings, 13-10.
But coach Lucas went to his pen and Peters was strong beyond her years, striking out three in her final two innings and most importantly not allowing any run en route to the victory.