Nittany Valley 12s push Indiana to brink but falls in 8-inning contest

By Kenny Varner Jr.
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Updated: July 6, 2023

By Kenny Varner

PORT MATILDA -The Nittany Valley 12U All-Star softball team opened its Regional competition Thursday night against Indiana at Ardrey Hollow Field in Port Matilda.

In an extra inning affair, the team from Indiana found a way to escape with a 8-7 victory.

The “Red and Blue” sent Sloan Moore to the mound as she went up against Indiana’s Sam Martin.

Nittany Valley won the toss and was the home team.

Harper Bair showed the glove immediately, robbing Martin off a base hit, diving for a liner at shortstop.

Nittany Valley got out of the inning unscathed ending inning on a double play.

In the first, Nittany Valley waisted little time getting on the scoreboard.

Sloan Moore walked.

Bair put down a bunt that was overthrown at first scoring Moore. Bair finished at third on the play.

Adrienne Masullo roped an RBI single, scoring Bair.

Masullo moved up to third on a blast by Abby Herr.

Ella Herr bunted her way on base, loading the bases.

Masullo scored on a walk to teammate Emerson Holderman.

When the dust settled, Nittany Valley led 3-0.

Indiana battled back in the second, plating two.

Maddie Twinchek tripled in Sophia Boyer and Paisley Wolf, cutting it to a 3-2 contest

But Nittany Valley went back to work in the bottom of the second.

Nora Brown hustled out an infield hit.

She moved to second on a picture perfect sac bunt by Grace Ammerman.

Moore helped her own cause slapping on back the middle, putting runners on first and third. Moore stole second.

However, Indiana held its ground, sending the game into the third, 3-2.

Indiana tied things in the third, Boyer blasted a double, scoring Claire Brewer who lifted a hit just over first base.

Nittany Valley had a little two-out lightning.

Kylee Narehood walked with two down in the third. She wasn’t on base long as she came home on a RBI triple by Emerson Holderman, making it a 4-3 Nittany Valley lead.

Things started strong for Indiana in the fourth, as they tied it up.

Mother Nature continued to make her presence known through the contest as the rain consistently came down.

But that didn’t hurt the Nittany Valley hitting.

Peyton Norfolk led things off in the fourth with a walk.

Nora Brown brought her in with an RBI single into center, putting them ahead 5-4.

Ammerman moved Brown up a base on a sacrifice bunt. It was her second of the game.

Brown moved to third on a fielders choice.

Bair kept the inning alive, she walked and forced a throw at second, allowing Brown to score, upping the lead to 6-4.

Masullo joined Bair on the bases with a walk of her own. Both stole putting both in scoring position.

Abby Herr loaded the bases, with a walk as well. Moore came in to courtesy run Abby Herr.

Indiana refused to go down without a fight, cutting into the Nittany Valley lead in the fifth once again.

Martin led off with a walk. She survived being called out on a steal at second, she later scored on a fielder’s’ choice by Claire Brewer. But the Nittany Valley defense finished the inning off with no more runs, sending it to the bottom of the fifth with Nittany Valley still leading.

Going into the seventh inning, Indiana found a way to plate two runs with two outs, sending the game into the bottom of the sixth leading 7-6.

In bottom of the inning, Brown led off the inning with a walk. She moved to second via a third sacrifice bunt by Ammerman.

Moore moved her to third on a grounder to first.

With two down and the pressure on her, Bair hit a blooping single to right, scoring Brown and tying the contest once again.

The Nittany Valley defense held, sending them into the bottom of the seventh, tied at seven.

Abby Herr led off the extra inning with a walk.

Narehood singled into right field.

Holderman loaded the bases as she walked on four pitches.

Starting international tie breaker rule, Sophia Thomas came in to take second. She moved to third. Ella Worthington was hit by a pitch, putting runners on first and second.

Wolf hit into a fielders choice scoring Thomas. Worthington moved to third on the play. But that was the only run Indiana would get, making it an 8-7 contest in the bottom of the eighth.

In their part of the inning, Nittany Valley put Norfolk as their runner on second.

But the group from Nittany Valley could not get a run over, giving Indiana the victory.