Brian Hagberg
RUSSELL, Pa. – A 10-run third inning lifted Saegertown to a 12-8 win at Eisenhower in a District 10 Region 2 contest.
The Panthers scored nine of the 10 runs in the inning with two outs. Eisenhower rallied to cut the deficit to three through four innings, but Saegertown held on for the win.
Trailing 1-0 in the third, Alyssa Arblastor drew a 1-out walk and moved to second on Rhiannon Paris’ single. Maggie Triola followed with a single that scored Arblastor and tied the game at 1-1. One out later, Hailee Gregor walked to load the bases. The next four batters reached on errors and the Panthers found themselves ahead 6-1.
Batting for the second time in the inning, Arblastor hit a 2-run single to push the lead to 8-1. Paris reached on an error before Triola drove in a pair with a single to center to give Saegertown a 10-1 advantage.
The Knights got one run in the bottom of the inning when Emilie Jones walked, moved to second on an error, stole third, and scored on a wild pitch.
Saegertown plated another run in the fourth when Kylie Stafford reached on an error.
The Knights answered with six runs in the home half of the inning.
With one out and runners on second and third, Cali Chapman made it to first on a dropped third strike. Kendra Danielson scored on the throw. During the next at-bat, Tracey Jakubczak and Chapman each scored on a wild pitch to cut the lead to 11-5. Emilie Jones followed with a walk and Julia Gesing reached on an error to put runners at first and second.
Payton Frank punched a ball into centerfield that rolled past the outfielders and to the fence. Jones and Gesing raced home with Frank hot on their heels. The Panthers got the ball to the plate in time, but Frank slid under the tag and Saegertown’s lead was down to 11-8.
The Panthers added another run in the sixth on an error.
All told the teams combined for more errors (15) than hits (14).
Triola led the Panthers’ offense with two hits and three RBIs. Arblastor scored twice and drove in a pair, while Braymer had two hits and scored a run, and Paris had a hit and scored twice.
Arblastor picked up the win allowing eight runs, three earned, on eight hits with seven walks and two strikeouts. Mikaila Obenrader threw three scoreless innings of relief. She didn’t allow a hit or a walk and struck out all nine batters she faced.
Frank, Sam Childs, and Lexi Pascuzzi each had two hits for the Knights. Frank had a pair of RBIs and scored twice. Childs drove in a run.
Jones took the loss allowing 10 runs, one earned, on five hits with two walks and four strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings. Childs allowed one unearned run on one hit with no walks and a strikeout in 3 2/3 innings.
