WYALUSING ROLLS OVER ATHENS, 13-0, IN LARGE SCHOOL SHOWDOWN
By: Chris Manning | AthensWildcats.com | June 18, 2021 | Photo courtesy Chris Manning
WYALUSING — After playing to a hard
fought, 16-14, win over NP-Liberty on Monday, turning around and facing
the red-hot Wyalusing Rams was going to be tough for the Athens
Wildcats. After going down 3-0 in the first inning things just got
worse, and they ultimately fell, 13-0, in five innings during NTL
softball Tuesday.
“Usually, these kids are singing away on the
bus, and today they slept,” said Athens coach Mickey Farrell. “And
today, you could tell it was a long game last night, but I don’t know if
that played any part of it.”
The Wildcats tried changing
pitchers, but nothing worked to slow down the Rams. While at the plate,
they couldn’t figure out Wyalusing hurler Hailey Jayne.
“Hailey
pitched a great game,” said Farrell. “We just couldn’t hit her … we just
told them, ‘this one’s done with, it’s over with, just forget out it,
and move on.’”
Athens had five hits on the day: Harley Sullivan
(1-for-3), Audrey Hatch (1-for-3), Ashlyn VanFleet (1-for-1), Addy
Repsher (1-for-2), and Megan Collins (1-for-2).
Aliyah Butler started, and takes the loss, going 1 1/3-innings, allowing one walk, four hits, and five runs.
Addy Repsher came in to pitch the next 3 2/3 innings, with one strikeout, three walks, eight hits, and eight runs.
The
Wildcats didn’t get a runner on base until the top of the third, and by
then it was 5-0 Wyalusing, thanks in large part to a three-run home
from Callie Bennett in the first inning.
It was 7-0 in the fourth
when Athens was able to threaten. Hatch led off with a single, followed
by Repsher getting a two-out hit. However, Wyalusing got a put-out to
end the at-bat.
The Rams went on to score six runs in the bottom
of the fourth — for a few hot minutes the officials called the game,
thinking it was the fifth, not the fourth — which gave Athens one last
chance to keep things going.
They once again threatened in the
fifth as Collins, and Sullivan both had hits, putting runners on second
and third with two outs.
However, Jayne induced a ground out to end the game, giving Wyalusing the season sweep over Athens.
The Rams, now on an 8-game win streak, can close out the NTL Large School title with a win over Canton Thursday.
As for Athens, they’re going to refocus, and recharge, for the playoffs.
“We’re
giving them a couple days off,” said Farrell. “We said we’ll see you
Friday night. We’re not sure when we’re playing next week, but we are
playing Shamokin, that’s pretty set.”
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