ATHENS DROPS SEASON OPENER TO CV, 12-

By: Tim Birney  /  March 25, 2022  /  Photo: David Alliger

ATHENS — Cowanesque Valley erupted for eight runs in the top of the third inning en route to a season-opening, 12-2, win over Athens here Friday afternoon in NTL softball action.

“First of all, take nothing away from CV,” said Athens coach Mickey Farrell.  “They played how we expect to play . Their pitcher threw strikes , they put the ball in play, with some nice timely hitting, they were aggressive on the base paths, and they played very good D. We did none of those .

“We had one bad inning, and it was too much to come back from,” noted Farrell.  “My kids never gave up, though. We just got beat by a better team — plain and simple.”

The Lady Indians took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on an RBI single bu Mackenzie Surine.

CV added two more runs in the second inning by Tabbitha Piper and Huzey.

In the decisive third-inning rally, the Lady Indians sent 13 batters to the plate. Shrine singled and scored twice, and Ruby Sherman and Katie Adams each added singles,

Athens got on the board in the home half of the third inning when senior Caydence Macik reached on an error, and scored on a two-out RBI single by freshman Savannah Persun.

CV extended the lead to 12-1 in the top of the fifth when Surine led off with a single and eventually scored.

Freshman Jules Pack led off the home half of the fifth with a single, and circled the bases on passed balls to close the gap to 12-2, but Sherman retired the next three Athens batters to end the game via the 10-run rule.

Pack singled twice and scored one run to pace Athens at the plate, while freshman Ella Coyle, Persun, and sophomore Marissa Butler each singled, and Macik scored one run

Macik was tagged with the loss. She struck out three and walked three.

Sherman got the win for CV, going five innings and giving up two runs on four hits with one strikeout and one walk.

Surine collected four hits for the Lady Indians, while Adams, Sherman, Labarron, Piper and Huzey all added singles in the win.

Athens returns to action Thursday when it hosts Canton.