The Scotia-Glenville Lady Tartans varsity softball team put up ten runs in the top of the fifth inning, and Zoe Purvis tossed a one hitter to defeat the Amsterdam Lady Rams 15-0 in the home finale for AHS on Monday afternoon at Shuttleworth Park.
The Lady Tartans had already clinched a spot in the Foothills Council title game and were looking to remain unbeaten in the league’s South division. Scotia-Glenville led 5-0 entering the top of the fifth inning, and it appeared the score would stay that way as the Lady Rams recorded the first two outs with some strong defensive play. Mia Traficante led of the top of that inning with a single, but couldn’t advance as AHS center fielder Gianna Quatrini made a running catch on a towering fly ball off the bat of Sara Defrascio for the first out. Moments later Traficante was caught trying to take third on a bunt attempt by Jenna Stuart. AHS catcher Ericha Engle put her throw right in front of the bag where third baseman Morgin Durinick made the tag on a well executed play. However, just when momentum appeared to swing the in Lady Rams favor, Scotia- Glenville put together a two out rally with the next eleven batters reaching base, eight of them by a base hit. Doubles by Laila Day and Sam Montague highlighted the frame. Ten of the eleven batters scored before Emma Patrei, who had come on in relief, struck out Montague in her second at bat of the inning. When it was over, Scotia-Glenville led 15-0.
“We played them tough for four and two-thirds innings,” Amsterdam Coach Brendan Cetnar said. “The last inning, I don’t know how that happened. It was all with two outs. [Scotia,-Glenville is] a good hitting team and they a good job of putting the bat on the ball, and we didn’t.”
Amsterdam starting pitcher Michaela Rust worked a perfect first inning getting a ground out by Montague on a sharply hit ball on which Durinick showed some quick reflexes, and a pair of pop ups by Lauren Zegler and Grace Purvis. The Lady Rams got the first base runner of the game in the bottom of the opening inning when Quatrini was aboard and in scoring position on an outfielder’s error. However, the Lady Rams couldn’t capitalize, and SGHS hurler Zoe Purvis settled in and threw strikes.
Purvis struck out the side in the second inning and went on to fan nine of the last fourteen batters she faced, ending up with a total of 11 strikeouts overall. Alyssa McNulty’s lead off walk in the bottom of the third, and Durinick’s hustling infield single to beat a throw with one out in the fourth were the only other chances AHS had to score. Meanwhile, the Lady Tartans built a lead on the strength of Monatgue’s bat. The senior second baseman connected for a home run to straight away center field in the third, and added a pair of doubles, all while scoring three runs and driving in two. Zoe Purvis helped her own cause with a pair of doubles and a single, collecting three RBI’s, and scoring twice.
Lauren Zegler scored a pair of runs for the Lady Tartans. Naudia Smith had an RBI single to give Scotia-Glenville a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Every hitter in the Lady Tartans lineup scored at least one run in the fifth including; Smith, Grace Purvis, Traficante, Defrascio, Stuart, Laura Meade, and Laila Day. Defrascio and Liz Hosner each had a pair of singles for a Scotia-Glenville team that will likely receive one of the top seeds in the Section 2 Class A playoffs.
Durinick also led the Amsterdam defense with four put outs including a diving catch on a line drive off the bat of Smith in the third inning. AHS outfielders Michaela Kelly, Quatrini, and Braelin Aldi each had one put out.
Amsterdam returns to action Tuesday with a 7pm game at Johnstown High School. The Lady Rams also have a crossover game scheduled for Wednesday on the road against a Foothills Council North Division team.
“We want to end on a good note,” Coach Cetnar said.
The Lady Rams defeated Johnstown 8-6 at Shuttleworth Park last Thursday. The game on Tuesday will be their final contest against a Foothills Council South division rival, and it will have a bearing on who they will play in the crossover game on Wednesday.
JV Lady Rams late rally falls short
Trailing 2-0 in the bottom the seventh inning, the Amsterdam High School junior varsity softball team staged a rally against the Scotia-Glenville junior varsity team. Mackenzie Farina, Taylor Ainsworth, and Kelsey Bogdan all came through with singles and the Lady Rams put the winning run on base, but the rally came up short and AHS fell 2-1. Bogdan’s hit was the lone RBI for Amsterdam. The junior varsity squad hosts a double-header against Mayfield on Thursday afternoon at Shuttlewoth Park. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30pm.
