WINGATE — The Bald Eagle Area softball team started the season a little off from what it’s used to, but the Lady Eagles appear to have righted the ship.
BEA (5-2) rolled to an 11-1 win over Penns Valley on April 9 at home and followed that the next day with a 14-11 win at Richland. The Lady Eagles then beat Bellefonte, 10-3, on April 13 at home.
Against Penns Valley, the Lady Eagles were led offensively by Raelee Repasky, who hit a grand slam to center field in a six-run first inning, had three total hits, including a double, knocked in five runs and scored three runs. Hailey Simpson had two hits.
BEA pitcher Harlee Witherite tossed a five-hitter, struck out one and walked none.
“It was a good game,” BEA coach Don Lucas said. “We won the three phases of the game, but we could have been tighter on defense. We were uncharacteristically sloppy in a few innings, something we cannot do going forward.
“I thought Harley pitched very well. She hit her spots and didn’t allow any multiple hits in any given inning. I thought (catcher) Lilly Harter had another solid game behind the plate.”
BEA’s Kendall Gavlock added a double. Penns Valley’s Taylor Homan had a double.
In the Bellefonte game, BEA was outhit by the Lady Red Raiders, 11-9. Repasky went 3-for-3 with a double, while Casey Angellotti had two hits. Harlee Witherite had a double and three RBIs.
Bellefonte’s Sloan Moore, Adrienne Masullo, Abby Herr and Madison Kellogg had two hits each.
In the Richland game, BEA banged out 16 hits, while the Lady Rams had 17 hits. Witherite and Maelee Yoder had three hits apiece for BEA. Addisyn Burn had two hits and three runs batted in. Macey Guenot and Gavlock had two hits apiece.
Penns Valley (0-5) lost to Clearfield, 17-5, on April 13 at home.
PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA
Philipsburg-Osceola got some good pitching and timely hitting in an 8-0 win at Penns Valley on April 8 and an 11-0 win at DuBois on April 11. The Lady Mounties followed with a 17-3, five-inning rout of Central at home on April 13.
In the win over the Lady Rams, P-O (4-1) erupted for seven runs in the top of the first inning and finished with 10 hits. Maddyx Hampton had two hits, knocked in two runs and scored two runs. Haylie Koptchak and Mia Butler also had two hits. McKenna Thorp had three RBIs.
Starting pitcher Macie Bush gave up only three hits while striking out four and walking four in the first five innings. Reliever Abrianna Inhoof yielded two hits while striking out four and walking one in the final two innings.
“The girls did a great job hitting the ball to start the game,” P-O coach Becca Kephart said. “We were able to capitalize on a few errors to have a big first inning. We hit the ball very hard the entire game, but we were hitting line shots right to their players.
“Our pitching was phenomenal. Macie Bush started the game really strong. Macie is a one-of-a-kind player. I can put her at any position on the field and know she will be an absolute stud.”
Bush showed she could hit against DuBois, collecting three hits, including a double, and scoring three runs. Emily Gustkey, who reached the 100-hit plateau in her career, had two hits.
Morgan Vaughn had two hits, including a double, and two RBIs. Butler swatted two hits and knocked in two runs, while Hampton had two hits.
DuBois managed 10 hits off of starter Inhoof and reliever Bush, but the P-O pitchers got the big outs.
P-O scored eight runs in the first inning against Central and finished with 14 hits. Butler led the offense with three hits, including a double and a triple, and three RBIs. Gustkey, Bush, Koptchak and Morgan Vaughn had two hits each. Gustkey added a double.
Bush tossed a five-hitter, struck out five and walked none.
BELLEFONTE
Bellefonte went 1-1 in consecutive one-run games in the days before the Bald Eagle Area game, suffering an 8-7 loss at Hollidaysburg on April 8 and winning at Central Cambria, 3-2, in eight innings on April 10.
Masullo drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth inning with a double – her third hit of the game. Masullo also hit a home run to give Bellefonte a 2-1 lead in the sixth inning and doubled.
The Lady Red Raiders then hung on to hand Central Cambria its first loss.
Masullo struck out five, walked none and gave up two hits in the first four innings. Herr pitched the final four innings, giving up three hits, striking out seven and walking one.
Bellefonte (3-5) scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning against Hollidaysburg to tie the score, 7-7. But Maya Gearhart’s walk off single with two outs in the bottom of the seventh ended the game.
Bellefonte’s Peyton Rimmey had two hits, including a home run, and four RBIs. Moore and Kellogg had two hits apiece, with Moore belting a double. Ella Herr added a home run.
STATE COLLEGE
It’s been an eventful week for State College, which lost at Cumberland Valley, 4-1, on April 8 and beat Sacred Heart, 10-0, on April 11.
On April 13, it was announced that coach Scott Kaminske was relieved of his duties. The school district didn’t disclose the reason for the coaching change, which came when the Lady Little Lions were 3-2.
“While this transition is unexpected, we thank Scott Kaminske for his dedication to the State College softball program and wish him the best moving forward,” State College athletic director said in a press release on Facebook.
“Our priority now is to move ahead, identify new coaching leadership and continue supporting our student-athletes during this time.”
The Lady Little Lions had 11 hits against Sacred Heart, including two each from Elizabeth Sikorski, Landry Moore and Kara Rhinehart. Paige Moriarta, Sarah Williams and Victoria Witmer had two RBIs each.
Olivia Bradaschia and Gabby Harpster combined on the shutout.
WEEK OF APRIL 13 SOFTBALL SCHEDULE
April 13
Bald Eagle Area 10, Bellefonte 3
Clearfield 17, Penns Valley 5
Philipsburg-Osceola 17, Central 3, 5 innings
April 16
Bald Eagle Area at Clearfield
Penns Valley at Mount Union
Philipsburg-Osceola at Bellefonte
State College at Altoona
April 17
Bald Eagle Area at Chestnut Ridge
Philipsburg-Osceola at West Branch
April 18
Bald Eagle Area at Philipsburg-Osceola, 1 p.m.
State College at Bellefonte, 10 a.m.
