ELY— Ten unearned runs for South Ridge proved a bridge too far for the Ely softball team here on Tuesday as the Timberwolves fell 16-6 to the Panthers to slip to 2-2 in a season shortened by extended snow cover.
The Panthers jumped out early, putting nine runs on the board in the first two innings to take a 9-0 lead. The Wolves notched three runs in top of the third, but South Ridge kept the pressure on, with two more runs in the bottom of the frame. The Panthers added five more runs in the fifth and sixth innings, while Ely put up three in the top of the sixth to round out the scoring.
Despite the lopsided score, the Wolves outhit the Panthers 10-9.
“I was really happy with how the girls battled until the end,” said Ely Head Coach Cory Lassi. “We gave up 16 runs, but only six were earned.”
Freshman Zoe MacKenzie started on the mound for Ely, but was knocked out at the end of the first inning after allowing six runs on five hits. Eighth-grader Amelia Penke came on in relief, pitching just over four innings, allowing four hits and ten runs, six of them earned. She struck out three. “She pitched really well in her varsity pitching debut,” said Lassi.
Penke had a big day at the plate, as well, going 2-3, including two RBIs, while senior Rachel Coughlin added two hits of her own along with an RBI. Seniors Kate Coughlin, Madeline Kallberg, and eighth-grader Peyton Huntington each added hits for an RBI, while sophomore Clare Thomas added a hit.