Hometown Softball Recap – Elizabeth Forward Warriors – 04/25/2017

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, April 25, 2017 | 9:34 PM

Dancing through raindrops throughout the afternoon, Elizabeth Forward (6-6, 5-3) was unable to overcome seven fielding errors and a hot-hitting South Fayette team, dropping a 16-11 shootout in Class 4-A Section 2 action Tuesday.

South Fayette (9-5, 5-4) was led by James Madison recruit Sara Jubas, who reached base five times, including four hits, five runs scored and an RBI. Lexi Yates added three hits and a pair of RBI and Delaney Ging blasted a 7th inning grand slam for the Lions.

Plagued by defensive miscues and unable to grip the ball for her go-to curveball in wet and muddy conditions, Warriors pitcher Lauren Mathews was tagged with the loss, allowing 8 runs, with 3 earned, on seven hits, while walking four batters in less than four innings for work.

Lexi Argyros pitched 3.1 innings in relief, allowing 8 runs, 7 earned on ten hits. Offensively, Jordan Pinneri and Kaylee Ludwick drove in a pair of runs each and Maddie Porter tried to get Elizabeth Forward back into the game with a 3-run double in the 7th inning.

Jubas gave South Fayette a 1-0 lead after a double a steal of third base and a throwing error to bring her home. But the Warriors answered with three runs in the bottom half of the 1st inning, as Cassidy Kern, Pinneri and Lindsey Crovak all picked up an RBI.

But, as the rain began, the Elizabeth Forward bats went silent, as Lions pitcher Claire Previte retired 13-straight hitters until the 6th inning. During that time, South Fayette scored three runs in the 2nd inning, aided by two more errors.

The Lions would tack on another run in the third, with two more errors factoring into the scoring, and would push their lead to 8-3 by scoring on three Mathews wild pitches. Elizabeth Forward would commit their seventh and final error in the 5th inning, leading to three more runs for the Lions.

Elizabeth Forward would begin to fight back, piping three consecutive singles before scoring a pair of runs on a fielder’s choice play that contained a catching error at home plate, cutting the lead to 11-5.

But the Lions would cap their scoring in the 7th, loading the bases on three singles before Ging’s grand slam bomb to right-center, extending the lead to 15-5. Charley Cribben would plate the 16th and final run on an RBI double.

The Warriors tried ferociously to rally in the bottom of the 7th, sending ten batters to the plate. Ludwick drove in two with double, Pinneri walked in a run and Porter’s double made it 16-11 before Previte got the final out.

Elizabeth Forward will next host Penn-Trafford in a non-section matchup on Wednesday at 3:45 p.m., while South Fayette will be in action Friday in non-section play at Trinity.

Tags: Elizabeth Forward