CLARION, Pa. (D9Sports) — Led by leadoff hitter Lexi Holt, Redbank Valley scored runs in six of its seven times up to bat and saw the final eight runs of the game cross the plate in a 14-6 win over Clarion at Paul A. Weaver Park Monday afternoon.
Listen to the game.
Holt was on base all five times she came to the plate and finished the day 4-for-5 with two runs scored and three RBIs. She scored Redbank Valley’s first run in the first inning after reaching on an error on a hard-hit ball to third and added a pair of bunt singles before also lacing a two-run single to center in the sixth to break the game open pushing the Lady Bulldogs’ lead to 11-6 with the hit.
The Hager Paving Player of the Game, Holt talked about the win.
As she mentioned, Holt was far from the only Redbank Valley hitter to have a fine afternoon, as five Lady Bulldogs collected at least three hits including Macey Shumaker and Kristen Shaffer, who each joined Holt with four knocks.
Shumaker was 4-for-5 with two RBI singles and a run scored, while Shaffer was 4-for-5 with a pair of runs scored.
Lauren Rearick and Sami Leasure each added three hits with Lauren Rearick going 3-for-4 — Hope Spence who courtesy ran for the catcher scored three times — and Leasure going 3-for-5 with a run scored, a double and three RBIs out of the eight hole.
In all, Redbank Valley had 19 hits on the day, which was plenty of support for starting pitcher Alyssa Burkett.
After a rough start to the game that saw her battling with a hole in front of the rubber that seemed to be throwing off her mechanics, Burkett settled in and allowed five Clarion base runners over the final four innings.
Her final line was seven innings pitched, six runs, two earned, on seven hits and five walks while striking out six. She only walked one after the third inning, which was the third straight inning Clarion scored two runs in.
Clarion actually led 4-1 after two innings of play thanks to a two-run double by Sadie Rudesyle in the first innings, an RBI single by Carly Best in the second and a bases-loaded walk to Maya Thornton also in the second.
But Redbank Valley, which led briefly 1-0 after a half inning, retook the lead with a five-run third that started with a triple by Kara Hicks which was followed by a Shumaker single and an infield single by Shaffer followed by a single to right by Lauren Rearick that skipped past right fielder Liz Sarver for an error allowing another run to score. An RBI groundout by Becca Kunselman followed before Leasure drove a double to center to make it 5-4 Redbank Valley. Leasure then scored on a two-out bunt single to shortstop by Holt.
Clarion answered right back tying the game without the benefit of a hit in the bottom of the third.
Sidney Kiser led off the inning with a walk and went to second when Lindsey Kemmer reached on an error by Shaffer the third baseman. Sarver then put down a sacrifice bunt, and everyone was safe with Kiser scoring when Lauren Rearick’s throw went into right field. A groundout by Cora Zerfoss then scored Kemmer tying the game.
Redbank Valley answered right back retaking the lead on a two-out single to center by Leasure and a wild pitch in the fourth.
The Lady Bulldogs then tacked on a run in the fifth when Holt singled, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a wild pitch to make it 9-6 Redbank Valley.
Holt’s two-out, two-run single in the sixth off reliever Alexis Constantino, who took over in the circle for her sister Kate, made it 11-6, and Redbank Valley added three unearned runs in the seventh with the first two scoring when Thornton missed a throw at first.
The win improves Redbank Valley to 7-2 on the year. The loss, its fourth straight, sends Clarion to 1-5. Both teams are back in action Tuesday with Redbank Valley hosting Cranberry and Clarion hosting St. Marys.
REDBANK VALLEY 14, CLARION 6
Score by Inning
Redbank 105 212 3 — 14
Clarion 222 000 0 — 6
REDBANK VALLEY — 14
Lexi Holt ss 5243, Kaia Rearick 2b 3000, Kara Hicks rf 5110, Macyee Shumaker 1b 5142, Tori Sayers pr 0100, Kristen Shaffer 3b 5240, Lauren Rearick c 4030, Hope Spencer cr 0300, Becca Kunselman lf 4301, Sami Leasure dp 5133, Torylynn Nelson cf/pr (flex) 0000, Alyssa Burkett p 5000. Totals 42-14-19-9.
CLARION — 6
Cora Zerfoss c 4111, Carly Best cf/3b 4121, Alexis Constantino ss/p 3010, Maya Thornton 1b 2101, Sadie Rudesyle 2b 3012, Sidney Kiser 3b/ss 3110, Haley Frey ph 1000, Kate Constantino p/cf 3110, Hailey Sintobin ph 1000, Lindsey Kemmer lf 2100, MacKenzie DiTullio lf 2010, Liz Sarver rf 2000, Tori Vega rf 2000. Totals 31-6-7-5.
Errors: Redbank Valley 4, Clarion 4. LOB: Redbank Valley 10. Clarion 9. 2B: Leasure, Rudesyle. 3B: Hicks. SB: Holt, Best (2). DP Turned: Redbank Valley 1.
Pitching
Redbank Valley
Alyssa Burkett — 7 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 6 K
Clarion
Kate Constantino — 5 IP 13 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Alexis Constantino — 2 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
TOTALS — 7 IP, 19 H, 14 R, 10 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
Winning pitcher: Burkett
Losing pitcher: Kate Constantino
