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Hubbard’s big inning topples Niles
Photo
Hubbard’s Samantha Dudley, left, watches as teammate Taylor Barton scoops up a ground ball near a muddy second base during the top of the seventh inning in their Division II tournament softball game Wednesday against Niles at Harding Park in Hubbard. The Eagles downed the Red Dragons, 5-2.
By RYAN BUCK
HUBBARD
Behind the steady pitching of Melyssa Conger and a three-run third inning, the Hubbard High softball team advanced past Niles 5-2 on Wednesday at Harding Park.
With a spot in a Division II sectional final at stake, Conger and her defense held the Dragons scoreless over the final four innings to advance in tournament play.
“Well, I had a very good defense today. They were a big help,” Conger said, in praise of her teammates. “I came with an ‘A’ game and was ready to win.”
Conger struck out only one, but kept the Red Dragons out of scoring position following an unsettling start. The junior right-hander escaped a potentially damaging first when left-fielder Caitlin O’Hara’s throw to the plate beat Braley Hale, attempting to score from second.
“After the first inning we told Melyssa, ‘You didn’t hit your spots. You’ve got to hit your spots. Even if your curve doesn’t work, hit your sports and we’ll be OK.’ We can field the ball,” said Hubbard coach Ken Miller.
Facing a 2-1 deficit, the Eagles’ bats came alive in the decisive bottom half of the third.
With one out, Julia Clemente reached on an error before Taylor Barton singled to set up runners at first and second. Cleanup hitter Amy Thomas smashed a Hope Callen offering to the right-field fence, scoring Clemente.
The Eagles capitalized on the second Red Dragon error of the inning as Barton came around to score on Kiana Martinez’s RBI. Anna Pedicini then scorched a double into the right-center gap, driving in Thomas to make it 4-2.
“That’s what we’ve done all year. Like last game, we scored five or six runs in one inning. We’ll put it all together one inning, and the rest of the game it’s like they don’t know where they’re at,” Miller laughed.
The Eagles added a run in the sixth when O’Hara and Kayla Motok singled and doubled, respectively. O’Hara scored from third base on a double play.
“It seems like we always have that one inning where we look bad,” said Niles coach Ugo Scarnecchia. “I think it’s inexperience with the younger players. We’ve got a lot of younger ones. I just think it’s a good learning experience for them and next year we think we’ll come back well.”
Callen, the Niles starter, allowed only two earned runs to the Eagles, who won the season series with Wednesday’s triumph.
“Our first game we won against them, then they came here and we lost,” Conger said, happy to have the upper hand on one of their conference rivals. “It felt good, it really did.”
Niles struck first in the opening inning when Sam Melvins’ two-out single scored Megan Morris. Samantha Dudley’s run tied the contest at one. Brea Brazza scored the Red Dragons’ second run on a wild pitch in the top of the third.