In yet another edition of the Backyard Brawl between Tyrone and Bellwood-Antis, this time on the softball diamond at the Harry K. Sickler Athletic Complex, a genuine battle was waged. No quarter was asked and none given in a twice-postponed contest that was finally played on Monday afternoon.
One team took the lead, only to be overtaken by the other, in a game that wasn’t decided until the foes had played an extra inning and then only after each team had scored runs in the eighth. Time ran out for the Tyrone Lady Eagles as the Bellwood-Antis girls went home with a hard-fought 15-13 triumph.
The Lady Blue Devils opened the game with a three-spot to serve notice this was going to be a wild multi-hit and -run scoring battle, and Tyrone came right back in the bottom of the second to score five times and take the lead.
Three runs in the next two at-bats for B-A moved the Lady Blue Devils into the lead again, but the Lady Eagles three fifth-inning tallies, narrowed the B-A margin to 12-11.
Bellwood-Antis scored a single run in the top of the seventh, but Tyrone sent the game to extra innings with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning.
The Lady Blue Devils opened the eighth with a three-run salvo, but the Tyrone girls refused to buckle, scoring once falling 15-13, when that was all the Lady Eagles could push across the plate.
“It was nice to play a full game. The kids are really trying hard,” said Tyrone coach Lois Loncher. “But you can only do so much and at this time, we are really vanilla. Both teams played very hard, and gave everything they had.
“Our girls have to settle down, make the routine plays. That’s all we need. We play at Central today, we will see where we are at.”
Lindsay Christine and Paris Harden led the way for the Lady Eagles. Christine had four hits and four RBI, and Harden ripped two hits and drove in three RBI. Amber Miller and Teanna Kobuck both had three singles.
Tory Baldauf and Tamara Askey each had multiple hits, Baldauf with two singles and Askey with two doubles. Askey drove in three runs and Kendra McCracken had two RBI.
Emily Derr went the distance for the win for Bellwood-Antis, recording 12 strikeouts and four walks. Ariane Miller, who was not helped by her team’s 10 errors, took the loss for the Tyrone girls with eight Ks and seven walks.
Tyrone (0-3) travels to Martinsburg for a 4 p.m. game today with Central, while B-A hosts Southern Huntingdon on Wednesday at 4 p.m.
Bellwood-Antis 15 Tyrone 13
Bellwood-Antis – A. Derr, rf, 5-2-0; Baldauf, 2b-ss, 4-2-2; A. Hamer, ss-2b, 4-1-1; Askey, c, 5-3-2; E. Derr, p, 4-1-1; Brown, 3b, 3-0-1; McVicker, 3b, 2-1-1; Bonsell, cf, 3-0-0; Putt, cf, 2-1-0; McCracken, lf, 2-3-1; C. Hamer, 1b, 5-1-1. TOTALS 39-15-10.
Tyrone – Am. Miller, 2b, 6-2-3; Ar. Miller, p, 6-1-1; Kobuck, cf, 5-2-3; Christine, c, 5-2-4; Harden, 3b, 5-1-2; DeSoto, 1b, 4-0-0; Gardner, lf, 5-2-1; Detwiler, rf, 4-1-1; Garbinsky, ss, 3-2-1. TOTALS 43-13-15
Bellwood-Antis 314 120 13 – 15-10- 5.
Tyrone 151 003 21 – 13-15-10.
2B: (BA) Askey 2, (T) Kobuck.
3B: (T) Christine
Multiple Hits: (BA) Baldauf 2, Askey 2, (T) Christine 4, Am. Miller 3, Kobuck 3, Harden 2.
RBI: (BA) Askey 3, McCracken 2, C. Hamer 2, Brown, Bonsell, (T) Christine 4, Harden 3, Am. Miller, Ar. Miller.
SO: (BA) E. Derr 12, (T) Ar. Miller 8.
BB: (BA) E. Derr 4, (T) Ar. Miller 7.
WP: E. Derr LP: Ar. Miller
