Huskies take two from Eagles
MC?bats deliver 25 hits, 17 in second game of doubleheader
LEWISTOWN — The Mifflin County softball team woke up the bats in a doubleheader sweep of Cumberland Valley in Mid-Penn Commonwealth action on Friday afternoon.
The Huskies pounded out 25 hits total in a 6-0 win in game one and a 13-2, five-inning victory in game two. Mifflin County collected a season-high 17 hits in the second game.
“They really got the bats going. Last night, we told them to bring their bats tomorrow and they did. Just about everybody on the team was hitting and hitting well,” Mifflin County coach Jack McCurdy said. “We really needed that. With Hanna (Kanagy) pitching all we really need is four runs and we have a chance to win any game. They really picked it up for Cass (Cassidy Wilson) and she did a great job.”
Wilson picked up the win in game two, giving up just two runs in five innings. Wilson helped her cause by going 3-for-4 with two RBIs at the plate while scoring three runs.
“She threw one bad pitch. The two-run homer to Katie Wingert was an 0-2 pitch that shouldn’t have been thrown. I told them to get it off the plate and sometimes I don’ t think they quite understand that, but they do now,” McCurdy said. “She shut her down the rest of the way. She did a great job pitching today.”
Leadoff hitter Maddie Amspacker had a day to remember going 7-for-8 with five RBIs.
“Two days ago, I decided to have a new start and that’s what I’m going into the box thinking, that this is a new start,” Amspacker said. “Our team chemistry tonight was amazing. Everybody was having fun both games. We all played together no matter who was where. Our attitudes were perfect, the way they should be all the time, and if we play like this we’ll be fine. With the way we’re playing right now we’ll play a tripleheader.”
Amspacker was 4-for-4 with four RBIs in game two and when your leadoff hitter is that hot, runs have a tendency to come rather easily.
“She was inside her head early in the season but she broke out. With her speed, if she gets on base she’s going to score,” McCurdy said. “But everybody stepped up today at the plate.”
The Huskies (7-1, 4-1), down 2-0 in game two, added five runs in the second and three in the third to blow open what would become a 10-run rule contest. Eleana Eckley had four RBIs in game two, including a three-run homer to left in the third. Mifflin County added a five spot in the fourth.
“I’m not looking for any particular pitch when I get into the box. You want to have an attitude when you step into the box. Anything can happen. You just have to get in there with an attitude and that’s kind of what I did,” Eckley said. “Our team has very good chemistry right now. We’ve all been playing together since we were 8-years-old and it shows. Whenever we come out you can tell we are all kind of one. It’s awesome being a part of it and seeing what we can do. We have many versatile players who can play multiple spots, so in any game and any situation you can throw them in there and trust them to do the job.”
Ralie Goss had three hits in game two, while Alyssa Schnell and Selena Breneman added two knocks each.
Cumberland Valley (4-3, 4-3) threatened in the third with bases loaded and only one out, but the Huskies turned a picture perfect 6-4-3 doubleheader to end the Eagles’ momentum.
“They were putting some pressure on us there and in my mind I was saying turn that thing. It’s good. Our defense doesn’t usually get contested, but they showed they can rise to the occasion,” McCurdy said. “The girls are playing with extreme confidence and everybody was into the game. If we can sustain that and keep it going, who knows what we can accomplish.”
In game one, Kanagy struck out 12 and walked three to pick up the shutout victory. Amspacker was 3-for-4, while Kanagy finished 2-for-2 at the plate. The Huskies scored two in the second on an RBI walk issued to Emily Bingman and a sacrifice fly RBI to left by Sydney Orwig. Mifflin County added two more in third on an RBI base hit by Sabrina Stuck and a Eagle error that plated Kanagy.
An Amspacker RBI base hit and a sacrifice fly to center field by Kanagy brought home two more runs in the fourth to close out the scoring.
Mifflin County travels to Upper Dauphin on Monday.
“I hope they come with that same swagger on Monday. Everybody got a chance to play today and that’s good because we are still trying to identify our best players,” McCurdy said.
Game one
Mifflin County 6, Cumberland Valley 0
Cumberland Valley 000 000 0 – 0-6-3
Mifflin County 022 200 x – 6-8-0
WP: Hanna Kanagy. LP: Macey Shawver. SO: Shawver, Abby George (CV); Kanagy 12 (MC). BB: Shawver 3 (CV); Kanagy 3 (MC). 2B: Jocelyn Foreman (CV); Kanagy, Sydney Orwig (MC). MH: Alyssa Flanagan 3-for-4, Trystan Salvador 2-for-4 (CV); Maddie Amspacker 3-for-4, Kanagy 2-for-2 (MC). RBI: Amspacker, Kanagy, Sabrina Stuck, Emily Bingman, Orwig (MC).
Game two
Mifflin County 13, Cumberland Valley 2 (5 innings)
Mifflin County 053 50 – 13-17-0
Cumberland Valley 200 00 – 2-6-1
WP: Cassidy Wilson. LP: Falon Kelley. SO: Kelley, (CV); Wilson (MC). BB: Kelley, Abby George, Macey Shawver 4 (CV); Wilson (MC). HR: Katie Wingert (CV); Eleana Eckley (MC). 2B: Selena Breneman, Ralie Goss, Alyssa Schnell, Wilson (MC). MH: Sydney Hucheson 2-for-3, Wingert 2-for-3 (CV); Amspacker 4-for-4, Goss 3-for-4, Wilson 3-for-4, Schnell 2-for-3, Breneman 2-for-3. RBI: Wingert 2 (CV); Amspacker 4, Eckley 4, Wilson 2, Hannah Fitzgerald, Breneman, Sabrina Stuck.
COMMENTS