ATHENS CONTINUES HOT HITTING IN 19-9 WIN OVER TOWANDA; IMPROVES TO 5-0

By: Chris Manning | AthensWildcats.com | April 7, 2021 | Photo courtesy Chris Manning

 
ATHENS CONTINUES HOT HITTING IN 19-9 WIN OVER TOWANDA; IMPROVES TO 5-0
 

ATHENS — It was a hitter’s type of day as Athens stayed unbeaten, topping Towanda, 19-9, in five innings during NTL Large School Division softball action Tuesday.

“I never thought it was going to happen,” said coach Mickey Farrell. “Again our bats were on fire here. It’s the same old, same old; our defense has got to get better, and we can not be walking 7-8-9 hitters, and we’re doing that a lot.

“But to be undefeated at this point, how can you not be happy?”

The Wildcats used a 10-run first inning to take a 10-2 lead, then simply went back and forth with Towanda from there on out.

Caydence Macik (2-for-3) had a home run, double, two runs scored and two RBI for the Wildcats, while Audrey Hatch (2-for-4), Aliyah Butler (2-for-3) and Macie Coyle (2-for-4) all had multi-hit games. Hatch had three runs scored with an RBI, Butler crossed home three times, and Coyle had a double with two runs and three RBI.

Harley Sullivan (1-for-3) and Mallory Mummert (1-for-2) each scored three times and  had two RBI, while Addy Repsher (1-for-3) and Megan Collins (1-for-3) both scored and Megan Collins also had an RBI. Carlie Simpson (1-for-1) had an RBI, with Ashlyn VanFleet knocking in two runs while also scoring.

Macik got the win, striking out one with eight walks.

Lizzy Matera (3-for-3) and Maddie Maynard (3-for-3) led Towanda. Maynard had a double with two runs, and Matera scored one run.

Jocelyn Bennett (2-for-4) and Athena Chacona (2-for-2) also had multi-hit games with Chacona adding a double.

Shaylee Greenland (1-for-2), Paige Perry (1-for-2) and Saige Greenland (1-for-2) also had hits. Shaylee Greenland doubled and scored two runs, and Perry and Saige Greenland both scored. Brea Overpeck crossed home twice as well.

Maynard gets the loss, striking out three with eight walks.

Towanda started off strong as Chacona hit a two-out double to put the Knights up 2-0.

In the bottom half of the inning, though, Athens batted around. At one point seven straight batters came around to score. Macik punctuated the rally with a two-out home run to right field, avenging a strikeout from earlier in the inning.

Towanda didn’t lie down, though, as Shaylee Greenland led off the next inning with a single and eventually scored, cutting it to 10-3.

The Wildcats would add on with a two-out rally in the second inning, as Coyle reached on an error, followed by Sullivan getting a single and Hatch doubling. All three would end up scoring in the inning to make it 13-3 Athens.

In the bottom of the third, the Wildcats went up 15-3 as Butler and Mummert led off with back-to-back walks. After two outs were record, Coyle doubled them in.

Towanda came back in the top of the fourth, scoring four runs. Saige Greenland started the rally with a one-out walk. Two batters later, Matera and Overpeck drew walks, setting the table for Maynard, who doubled all three in. She would later score on a Chacona single to cut it to 15-7.

Athens came back in the fourth as Hatch led off with a single. Macik would walk, with both ultimately scoring in the inning.

After an out, Butler singled, followed by Mummert and VanFleet walking. Both Butler and Mummert would score to push the lead to 19-7.


The Knights tried to extend the game beyond the fifth as Shaylee Greenland and Perry both led off with walks. They would both later score on a Matera single, cutting it to 10 runs.

However, they couldn’t bring Matera around, and Athens ended the game on a pitcher to first base put out.

Going forward don’t expect the Wildcats to let off the gas anytime soon.

“We just want to keep the same approach,” said Farrell. “We have a simple approach with two strikes. We preach confidence, and we’re very aggressive — 2-0, 3-0 we’re swinging, so that’s the approach we take.”

Athens, now 5-0, returns to action Thursday when it hosts Troy.