Lady Rams trim Mustangs in B2 semifinals

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Roy-Hart’s Jamie Bower slides into third base ahead of a tag by Medina’s Morgan Allis after banging out a triple. The action took place during the Lady Rams sectional semifinal win over the Mustangs this afternoon at Akron.

What started out looking like it would be a blowout ended up being a nail biter as top seeded Roy-Hart held on to edge No. 4 Medina 8-6 in an all Niagara-Orleans League Section VI Class B2 softball semifinal this afternoon at Akron.

Roy-Hart jumped out to a lightning quick 6-0 lead in the top of the first inning highlighted by a three-run triple by Jamie Bower. An error, a single by Jayden Townsend and a wild pitch plated the other three runs as a hit batter, an error and a walk loaded the bases to set up the threat.

The Lady Rams made it 7-0 in the third inning as Townsend tripled and came home on a single by Ashley Hill.

Medina went down in order in each of the first three innings as Roy-Hart hurler Mallory Steiner struck out seven of the nine batters she faced during that stretch.

Mallory Steiner picked up the win in the circle for Roy-Hart.

However, the Mustangs began to rally in the top of the four inning scoring twice on a single by Ryenn Oliver and a double by Morgan Allis. An error and a single by Alisha Scroger set up the threat.

Roy-Hart got one of those runs back in the home half of the fourth on an RBI single by Bower to make it 8-2.

Medina though came battling back scoring four times in the fifth inning on back-to-back two out two-run singles by Scroger and Oliver to cut the deficit to 8-6.  A single by Lacey Kenward and a pair of walks loaded the bases to set up he opportunity.

Roy-Hart missed scoring opportunities in both the fifth and sixth innings as Maddie Fry was left stranded in the fifth after hitting a triple and then Maddy Glena and Steiner were left on bases after hitting singles in the sixth keeping it a close two run contest.

That set the stage for a tense finish as Medina got the bases loaded in the top of the seventh with only one out after singles by Ashlee Howell, Oliver and Allis.

Roy-Hart though turned back the challenge as Steiner got a clutch strikeout for the second out and center fielder Lexie Lovewell, who made a nifty catch for the first out of the inning, hauled in the final out to preserve the win and advance the Lady Rams to Thursday’s B2 final.

Townsend and Brown both had 2 hits for the Lady Rams while Oliver had 3 and Scroger and Allis 2 each for the Mustangs,

Defensively for Medina, Camri King made 7 putouts in centerfield.

Roy-Hart will now face No. 2 Eden in the B2 title game at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Williamsville North.  Eden nipped No. 6 Akron 1-0 in the other semifinal.

Roy-Hart, which captured the N-O title with a 12-0 record, also edged runner-up Medina (10-2) twice during the league season by scores of 4-0 and 10-6.

Medina’s Alisha Scroger slides safely into second base ahead of a tag by Roy-Hart shortstop Kayla Brown.