Mifflin County falls to tough CD softball squad
Photo by Kathy Reed
By Kenny Varner
LEWISTOWN – Two legendary Midget-Penn teams opened their season battling each other as the defending District 6 champion MIfflin County softball team played host to powerhouse Central Dauphin Monday.
The night belonged to the Lady Rams as they defeated Mifflin County 13-1 in five innings.
Picking up the win for Central Dauphin was Stella Gaspar. Gasper allowed only two hits in four complete innings.
Taking the loss was Piper Specht.
Mifflin County had two total hits on the night.
Picking up hits were Arika Henry and Ava Baker.
“Obviously, you tip your hat to them. In saying that we created some of our own headaches too with maybe not getting a pitch to a location and having some errors,” said Mifflin County coach Craig Weston. “We didn’t hit the ball. We only had two hits. You don’t win ball games with two hits. But it’s the first game of the year. You have to keep it in perspective.”
In the first, the Lady Rams opened the contest posting a lone run.
Kayla Fletcher led off the game with a single into right field. She moved up a base on a wild pitch.
Maddie Paul joined Fletcher on base, putting runners on first and second.
Teammate Allie Wenrich loaded the bases poking a single into left.
Piper struck out Stella Gaspar for the first out.
The Huskies made a double play to end the inning.
Brie Lock hit a blooper into centerfield that was snagged on a one-hopper to a diving Falyn Reinard. Reinard alertly threw out Wenrich on a force at second. With Fletcher reaching home, the Huskies were able to gun down Paul at third.
Mifflin County notched its first hit in the bottom of the first.
With one out, Arika Henry blasted a double in the gap in right center. She would move over to third but was stranded there.
CD was back at it in the second.
With two out, Rachel Burke hit the game’s lone home run, upping the lead to 2-0.
Emma Wolfe followed with a walk. She stole second, setting the stage for an RBI single by Fletcher.
Offensively, the Rams continued to fine the holes adding four more in the third.
In the contest, Central Dauphin finished with 11 hits, two of those were extra base hits.
The visitors added another run in the third.
Mifflin County picked up a hit in the bottom of the third. Ava Baker roped a Gaspar offering into right field.
However, the Rams added five more runs in the fifth, taking a 13-0 advantage.
But the Huskies refused to go away as they broke up the shut out in the bottom of the fifth.
Savannah Powell started the inning off with a walk and moved up to second on a wild pitch. She was able to reach third base thanks to a fielders choice by Alexis O’Brien .
Pinch hitter Grace Paez-Davoli scored in Powell for the Huskies lone run on a fielders choice.
But it would be all the runs the Huskies could manage, falling 13-1.
Mifflin County is back in action Wednesday as it travels to State College.
Central Dauphin 13, MIfflin County 1(5 inn.)
CD 124 15 x x – 13 11 0
MC 000 01x x – 1 2 3
WP: Stella Gaspar
LP: Piper Specht
Multiple hits: CD – Kayla Fletcher 2-for-4 run,RBI, Rachel Burke 2-for-2 HR, 2RBI, 2 runs, Brie Lock, 2-for-4 5RBIs, run, Macey Fisher 2-for-3 2 runs. MC – None.
HR: CD: Rachel Burke . MC – None.
3B: None.
2B: CD: Brie Lock MC : Riley Hine