Slow-Pitch Softball News

by: Slow-Pitch Softball Contributor

In Week 2 of the Slow-Pitch Softball season, the North Allegheny Tigers Slow-Pitch softball team faced off against West Allegheny. The game kicked off with North Allegheny taking an early lead in the top of the 1st inning. Lily Daugherty (sophomore), Ella Mitchell (senior), and Anna Kovacic (junior) each contributed singles, with Kovacic’s hit driving in the first run of the game to give the Tigers a 1-0 advantage. However, the momentum shifted as West Allegheny quickly responded. By the end of the second inning, West Allegheny had turned the score around, leading 4-1 despite solid defensive plays by L. Daugherty at second base and Mitchell in left field.

The third inning saw North Allegheny struggle at the plate with three quick outs while West Allegheny extended their lead to 6-1. Defensive efforts from Mitchell, Emily Clark (junior), and L. Daugherty kept the inning from getting worse. In the fourth inning, North Allegheny’s L. Daugherty hit an impressive triple, however the Tigers were unable to capitalize.

In the bottom of the 4th, Amara Daugherty (sophomore) showcased her defensive skills with two crucial catches in left center field. North Allegheny started to mount a comeback in the 5th inning with singles from Mitchell and Clark, and notable defensive plays including a run down between second and third which resulted in an out with contributions by Clark, Claudia Kushon (junior), and L Daugherty, another out by Clark at third base and a spectacular grab by Mady Daugherty (senior) in right field that almost went over the fence. Despite these efforts, West Allegheny scored again, pushing their lead to 7-1. 

North Allegheny showed their resilience in the top of the sixth inning with singles from Emily Sobehart (senior), A. Daugherty, Asha Vaders (junior), Hannah Anderson (senior), Clark, and Olivia Klaich (junior), but were unable to close the gap, trailing 7-1. The Tiger defense held West Allegheny scoreless in the bottom of the sixth. Kushon connected with first baseman Emily Marangoni (senior) for an out, and Mitchell and M Daugherty caught two fly balls in the outfield. The final inning saw a dramatic turn as North Allegheny rallied with a single by Kovacic. Kushon hit a dramatic triple, bringing Kovacic home. Mitchell walked, and Marangoni and M Daugherty had singles. Sobehart came up to the plate and hit a double, bringing in 2 more runs. A Daugherty was next at the plate and had a double, scoring one more run. Despite the strong comeback effort, West Allegheny held on for a narrow 7-6 victory.

In game 2 of Sunday’s doubleheader, both teams battled hard until the final inning. In the top of the first inning, A Daugherty caught a fly ball in left center field. Kushon connected with Marangoni at first, and Clark made an out at 3rd for the final out. However, West Allegheny took an early lead, and at the end of the first inning, the score was 3-0.

In the second inning, North Allegheny started to rally. The top of the inning saw North Allegheny’s A Daugherty make three quick outs in succession in left center field. In the bottom of the inning, Kovacic hit a double, followed by singles from Sobehart, Marangoni, Clark and M. Daugherty. The Tigers cut West Allegheny’s lead to 3-2.

The Tiger defense continued to shine with Kushon and A Daugherty making outs at short and left center, holding West Allegheny scoreless. North Allegheny’s offense then came alive in the bottom of the third, with Vader’s single and Anderson’s  double driving in a run to tie the game at 3-3. Kushon then hit an RBI, putting North Allegheny ahead 4-3. L. Daugherty and Kovacic continued the offensive push, adding more runs and extending the lead to 5-3.

West Allegheny responded in the fourth inning, but North Allegheny’s defense had key catches by Klaich and Mitchell in the outfield. L. Daugherty and Marangoni connected for an out at first. However, West Allegheny managed to score, making it 7-5. North Allegheny struggled to score in the bottom of the fourth, and West Allegheny held their lead over the Tigers.

In the fifth inning, West Allegheny increased their lead to 8-5, despite standout defensive plays from Sobehart, who struck out a batter and Klaich with an absolutely amazing catch in right center. Marangoni ended the inning with a stellar foul ball catch at first base. At the end of the fifth inning, M. Daugherty had a nice single, but the score remained 8-5 in favor of West Allegheny.

In the 6th inning, despite solid defensive plays from Kushon to Marangoni, and catches by Klaich and L. Daugherty, West Allegheny added another run, bringing the score to 8-6. North Allegheny fought back in the bottom of the inning with a triple from Kushon and RBIs from L. Daugherty and Kovacic, narrowing the deficit to 8-7. Sobehart followed with a single, but the Tigers did not score any more runs.

The final inning was intense, with West Allegheny scoring twice to push their lead to 10-7. North Allegheny’s late-game rally saw Mitchell, M Daugherty, A Daugherty, Vaders, and Anderson drive in runs, bringing the score to a tight 10-9. Despite their valiant comeback efforts, North Allegheny fell just short, with West Allegheny securing a narrow 10-9 victory.