Troy softball hangs on to down Wyalusing.
By: Brian Fees | Towanda Daily Review | May 9, 2013 | Photo courtesy Brian Fees
2013 NTL and District 4 News
WYALUSING - Coming into the week the Troy Trojans knew this was one of the biggest weeks of their season.
A game against Northeast Bradford, followed by a game at Wyalusing. Both with big-time NTL East implications.
After defeating the Panthers, the Trojans knew what was at stake on Wednesday.
A Troy win and the Trojans and Rams would be tied atop the league standings. A Wyalusing victory would give the Rams a two-game lead entering the final week of the regular season.
Troy jumped out to a 4-0 lead on Wednesday, but the Rams fought back, getting within 4-3 with a runner at third in the final inning before the Trojans held on for the 4-3 victory.
"This was a really important game to have," Troy's Kelly Bridgham said.
The Trojans know getting the big lead early was key.
"It helped a lot," Troy pitcher Kara Schucker said.
Troy came out strong right in the first inning as a pair of walks and an error allowed Kelsey Bristol to score the Trojans first run.
Troy added a run in the second as Brooke Mattocks walked, moved on a sacrifice and came home on a Faith Ceely single to put the Trojans up 2-0.
The Trojans increased the lead even more in the fifth as Sara Hunsicker singled and Bridgham as hit by a pitch. A double by Taylor Johnston brought home both runners to make it 4-0.
Wyalusing prevented further damage when Tiffani Mattocks followed with a single, but was thrown out trying to go to second and Kasey DeVoir then fired home for the Rams, getting Johnston out at home for the double play.
In the bottom of the fifth the Rams got a couple of runs back as Mackenzie Martin reached on an error and Crystal Shirk followed with a single. Both runners came home to score in the inning, with Erin Canfield driving in the second of the two runs.
In the sixth inning the Rams had a chance after back-to-back hits by Emily Faulkner and Ciera Holland, but they weren't able to get a run across.
The Wyalusing defense kept the deficit at 4-2 after Troy got three-straight hits from Hunsicker, Bridgham and Johnston, but the Rams threw out a runner at the plate to end the inning.
"Overall for us that was one of the best defensive efforts I have seen here in a long time," Wyalusing coach Jack Loomis said. "I think we have a very good shot at districts because this (Troy) is a very good team we played today."
In the seventh the Rams got a one-out hit from Ally DeVoir and Canfield delivered an RBI double, cutting the deficit to 4-3, and leaving the tying run at second. Canfield moved to third on a ground out and Arielle Kneller hit a long fly to right field, but Johnston made the catch to end the game.
"It was a little scary at the end. They really battled back, and we had a couple of mistakes in the field," Bridgham said.
While Wyalusing scored three runs in the final three innings, Schucker knows keeping them off the board in the early innings was a key.
"I thought I did pretty good," she said. "It was good to get ahead in this one."
The Trojans know how important the two games this week were.
"It was a really big week," Bridgham said. "We knew we had two big games and they were huge wins for us."
And, Troy knows that they have another big match up with Wyalusing next week.
"This was important, it gives us a lot of confidence going into next week," Bridgham said. "We expect to have another close game with them."
Schucker struck out two, walked none and allowed three runs, none earned, on nine hits in the game.
Faulkner struck out one, walked four, hit two batters and allowed nine hits and four runs, none earned, for the Rams in the complete game effort.
Bristol had a hit and scored a run in the game and Ceely had a hit.
Hunsicker had two hits and scored a run, Bridgham had two hits, Johnston had two hits, with a double, and Tiffani Mattocks had a hit, while Brooke Mattocks scored a run.
Canfield had two hits for the Rams, with a double, and Ally DeVoir had two hits, and scored a run. Kasey DeVoir had a hit, Faulkner had a hit, Ciera Holland had a hit and Shirk had two hits and scored a run.
Troy is at Sayre on Friday and Wyalusing hosts Towanda.
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