The final game of the season was full of excitement for the Lady Eagle’s softball team. Before the game, Tyrone celebrated their only graduating team member, Ashley Ripka as well as presenting Bellwood’s seniors with flowers.
Coach Lois Loncher congratulated Ms. Ripka on her final game, “Our senior, Ashley Ripka finished just as she started: strong. She’s a great kid, a super competitor and while we’re only losing one senior, we’re losing a lot in the ability ad leadership and all the intangibles that she brings to the table.”
But, the main focus of the game was the phenomenal success of Tyrone’s offense as the Lady Eagles won their final match 11-1.
The first inning flew by for both teams with both outfields showing off their speed and handling skills. It appeared that the game would be a long standoff. However, the second inning was a powerful one, turning the tides in Tyrone’s favor.
All the trouble begin with two outs. Lindsay Christine got on base with a single and was followed by Teanna Kobuck who walked to first. Right fielder Brooke Garbinsky, who was the only player on either team with three hits, got on with a single. Bases loaded with two outs, Ashley Pennabaker turns out a base hit and is followed by Ashley Ripka who also walks to first. Both Pennabaker and Ripka were batted in by a single from Megan Turiano. Kim Cherry slammed a hard double to center field, and both Turiano and Cherry are brought home on a double from Lindsay Christine.
At the bottom of the second, Bellwood was taken out by a strong double play facilitated by Brooke Garbinsky and finished by Stefani Bryan fielding to Megan Turiano for the last out. In all, Tyrone managed seven runs on the second inning, and there was still more to come.
Bellwood attempted a comeback in the third inning with several strong hits and one run by Nikki Heuston, batted home by Tory Baldauf, who had two singles for the Lady Blue Devils. However their penchant for hits deep into center field left them as a target for the Tyrone offense that shut them down early and often.
The third inning was quiet for the Lady Eagles. Shannon Shultz scored a run early to bring the score up to 8-1.
Beyond this point, Bellwood would not score again. Tyrone’s defense, while aware of their substantial lead over the Blue Devils, did not slow down. In the fifth inning, Devil pitcher Emily Derr walked three Tyrone batters to two runs scored by Teanna Kobuck and Stefani Bryan.
In the sixth inning Megan Turiano was hit by a pitch and was followed by Kim Cherry who walked to first, putting Turiano in place to score the Lady Eagle’s final run, ending the game one inning early and setting the score at 11-1 for Tyrone.
“Bellwood played a really good game. They had a call that went against them early in the game that really helped us and if I would look at hits and strikeouts I would be sure they out-hit us,” said Tyrone coach Lois Loncher. “I’m sure they out-hustled us.”
Tyrone ends a great season with a record of 6-12, while Bellwood-Antis has a 4-15 mark and may make up a rained out contest at Williamsburg.
TYRONE 11 BELLWOOD-ANTIS 1
TYRONE – Pennabaker, CF, 4-1-0; Ripka, SS, 3-1-0; Turiano, 3B, 4-1-1; Cherry, C, 3-1-1; Christine, 1B, 3-1-2; Kobuck, LF, 2-1-0; Bryan, 2B, 1-2-0; S. Shultz, DP, 1-1-0; Garbinsky, RF, 3-1-3, Thompson, P, 0-0-0. TOTALS: 24-11-7.
BELLWOOD-ANTIS – Weyandt, CF, 3-0-1; Baldauf, SS, 3-0-2; Derr, P, 3-0-0; Askey, C, 3-0-1; Snyder, LF, 3-0-1; Brown, 3B, 3-0-0; Hamer, 2B, 0-0-0; Heuston, 1B, 1-1-0; Patel, RF, 2-0-0. TOTALS: 21-1-5.
Bellwood-Antis 001 000 0 1-5-3.
Tyrone 071 021 X 11-7-3.
Multiple Hits: (T) Garbinsky 3, Christine 2, (B-A) Baldauf 2.
RBI: (BA)?Weyant, (T) Christine 2, Turiano 3, Cherry, Pennabaker, Garbinsky 2.
Doubles: (T) Cherry, (B-A) Askey
Strikeouts: (T) Thompson 2, (B-A) Derr 5.
WP: Thompson LP: Derr
