The Bellwood-Antis Lady Blue Devil softball team hosted the defending state champion Penns Valley Rams on Thursday. B-A took an early 1-0 advantage, but a two-run sixth inning spelled defeat for the Lady Devils. Penns Valley, with nearly their entire team back from last year’s championship squad showed their mettle with a couple late-inning tallies.
Bellwood-Antis pushed across a first-inning run to take the early lead until Penns Valley tied the score with a single run in the top of the third inning. That was all the scoring, until the Lady Rams went ahead for good in the sixth.
Kali Schreckengost led the Lady Devils with three hits and Danielle Patton had two hits and scored the only run. Rebekah Forney clubbed a double.
On the mound, Danielle Gardner pitched a complete game, striking out three and walking just one. Gardner took the loss although the Lady Blue Devils outhit Penns Valley 8-6.
“We outhit them and played right with them,” said Bellwood-Antis coach John Hammond. “We left 11 runners on base against Penns Valley, the defending state champs. We just couldn’t get that key hit to break it wide open. Danielle Gardner pitches a heck of a game. Even though we lost, I was happy with the way we played. I told the girls after the game that ‘if we can play this way all season, we will win a lot of games.’”
Christine Weist went the distance for the Lady Rams, striking out seven and walking three to pick up the win.
The Lady Blue Devils played solid defense, committing just one error.
The Penns Valley junior varsity defeated Bellwood-Antis 15-3.
Bellwood-Antis is back on the softball diamond on Monday at home against Tyrone. Game time will be 3:30 p.m.
Penns Valley 3 Bellwood-Antis 1
PENNS VALLEY – Phillips, 2b, 4-0-0; Glasgow, rf, 4-0-1; Lvens, ss, 4-2-2; Corl, cf, 3-1-2; Mothersbaugh, 1b, 3-0-0; Leitch, c, 3-0-0; Stover, dp, 2-0-0; Myers, 3b, 3-0-1; Rishel, lf, 2-0-0; Weist, p, 0-0-0. TOTALS 28-3-6.
BELLWOOD-ANTIS – Kelley, 2b, 4-0-0; Patton, 3b, 3-1-2; Forney, ss, 3-0-1; K. Schreckengost, 1b, 4-0-3; E. Schreckengost, rf, 4-0-0; Gardner, p, 2-0-1; Burns, c, 3-0-0; Nau, lf, 3-0-1; Dillen, cf, 3-0-0. TOTALS 29-1-8.
Penns Valley 001 002 0 3-6-3.
Bellwood-Antis 100 000 0 1-8-1.
Multiple Hits- PV (Corl-2, Lvens-2), B-A (K. Schreckengost-3, Patton-2)
2B: Corl 2, Lvens 1, Forney 1.
RBI: Corl 2, Leitch 1, Forney 1.
SO: Weist 7, Gardner 3.
BB: Weist 3, Gardner 1.
WP: Weist LP: Gardner
