The Tyrone Lady Eagle softball team showed Tuesday that they could overcome the elements and an opponent’s early lead. Trailing 5-1, the Lady Eagles batted around to put 10 markers on the scoreboard in the top of the fifth inning yesterday at Bald Eagle Area. However, the other Lady Eagles, the Bald Eagles from Wingate showed their character as well in scoring seven runs over the final two innings to stage a comeback of their own for a 12-11 win in the cold and rain, that had water nearly covering home plate by game’s end.
After Tyrone pushed across a run to begin the game in the top of the first, Bald Eagle Area built up an early lead with two tallies in the bottom of the inning and three more in the third.
Just about everybody was a part of the 10-run fifth for Tyrone. Eight separate girls knocked in runs, with Heather Stanton leading the way with two. Meghan McAllister had a pair of singles for Tyrone.
“Things were looking pretty good after we had the big inning,” said Tyrone head coach Lois Loncher. “We had a lot of bleeders that fell in just in front of someone or just out of reach of their fielders. The field was slick and if we could have held them, they probably would have called the game. The field was in pretty good shape when we started, but the rain made it tougher as the game went on.”
Janess Lyle was the big stick for Bald Eagle Area, crashing two home runs and driving in seven runs. Starting pitcher Rees also contributed two hits and D. Noll added two RBIs.
Rees struck out three and walked six, and Garner, who pitched the final three innings for the win had six strike outs and two walks.
For the Tyrone girls, Hilary McNelis struck out six and walked seven.
“Garner was a lefty and we haven’t seen any this year before today,” explained Loncher. “She was slower also and we were swinging at pitches up in the zone that looked too good to let go.
“The girls played hard and came back after being down 5-1. We put our bats on the ball. Hilary pitched well considering the conditions. The girls didn’t complain, they just went out and played ball.”
Tyrone has now been involved in three straight one-run decisions, with the Lady Eagles coming out on the short end twice to even their early season record at 2-2, with a trip to Philipsburg-Osceola Wednesday, weather permitting to play the Lady Mounties at 4 p.m.
Bald Eagle Area 12 Tyrone 11
TYRONE – Whitby, cf, 1-2-0; Stanton, 1b, 6-1-1; Stager, 2b, 6-1-1; McNelis, p, 4-1-1; Cherry, c, 4-1-1; Bryan, 3b, 3-2-1; Catich, ss, 3-2-1; McAllister, dp, 4-0-2; Schreckengost, lf, 0-0-0; Ripka, lf, 3-1-1. TOTALS 34-11-9.
BALD EAGLE AREA – Rees, p, 4-2-2, Garner, p, 0-0-0; Rauch, lf, 1-4-0; Mahey, cf, 4-1-0; Lyle, ss, 3-4-2; Stover, c, 3-1-1; D. Noll, 3b, 4-0-1; Pentland, rf, 2-0-0; Kilmen, 1b, 4-0-0; McClain, dp, 3-0-0; M. Noll, 2b, 0-0-0. TOTALS 28-12-5.
Tyrone 100 0(10)0 0 11-9-3.
Bald Eagle Area 203 043 X 12-5-2.
Multiple Hits: T- McAllister 2, BEA- Rees 2, Lyle 2.
2B: BEA- D. Noll 1.
HR: BEA- Lyle 2.
RBI: T- Stager 2, Stanton 1, Whitby 1, McNelis 1, Cherry 1, Bryan 1, Catich 1, Ripka 1, BEA- Lyle 7, D. Noll 2.
SO: T- McNelis 6, BEA- Rees 3, Garner 6.
BB: T- McNelis 7, BEA- Rees 6, Garner 2.
WP: Garner LP: McNelis
