PLAY BALL (FINALLY)

First Posted:

KINGSTON — Neither the Wyoming Valley West nor Crestwood softball teams had been on a field until Wednesday afternoon. So they played a little longer than expected until Valley West’s Audi Welles decided it was time to go home.

The Valley West freshman hit a hard liner off an outfielder’s glove in the bottom of the eighth, scoring Melinda Holena with the game’s only run as the Spartans posted a 1-0 victory in the Wyoming Valley Conference opener for both teams.

The game looked headed to a ninth inning when Holena hit a weak grounder with two outs. A throwing error, though, allowed her to reach first. Welles followed with the game-winning hit that was ruled a double.

“With Melinda’s wheels, she is one of the fastest kids I’ve ever seen,” Valley West coach Desiree Hooper said. “She was going the whole time.”

The victory wasn’t just a nice way to start the season, but perhaps a turn in the Spartans’ luck from last year. They lost three consecutive games by a run early in the 2013 campaign.

“For the last two years, I’ve had so many one-run games against me,” Hooper said. “It’s an amazing feeling to get the one-run win.”

For Crestwood, one of its preseason fears came true. The Comets not only let the winning run on base via error, they had a runner thrown out at the plate in the top of the eighth who might have been safe with a slide.

“I was worried about mistakes, and that’s what happened,” Crestwood coach Bob Bertoni said.

Until the eighth, Valley West had just two runners reach second base. Holena stole second after hitting a first-inning infield single that ricocheted off Crestwood pitcher Colleen Borum. Megan Kane singled to left in the fifth and then stole second. Both ended up stranded.

Crestwood didn’t get a runner to second until Bree Fetterman’s double in the eighth.

Obviously, there was a pitching duel going on during the first pleasant day in quite some time.

Valley West starter Chloe Ruckle picked up where she left off last year. The sophomore wasn’t overpowering, striking out three, but had just two balls hit out of the infield through five innings. She allowed five hits.

“That kid is a workhorse day in and day out,” Hooper said of Ruckle, who pitched all but six innings in WVC play last year. “She is 150 percent focused and I don’t think anything can faze that kid. She’s worked hard for us every single game the past two years when other people wouldn’t. She has a hell of a heart.”

Borum started in place of Alyssa Davies, the reigning WVC strikeout leader. Davies has been recuperating from a back injury. Borum, a junior, struck out eight, walked one and gave up five hits.

“Colleen stepped up when Alyssa got hurt,” Bertoni said. “She’s been working really hard. Alyssa could have gone today if we needed her. But I figured Colleen has been working hard, so I’m going to give her a shot.”

Hanover Area 14, GAR 0 5 innings

Mary Kate Penczkewski pitched all five innings and struck out 10 batters as the Hawkeyes earned the shutout victory in five innings.

Haylee Bobos recorded a grand slam while Michelle McNair went 2-for-2 batting with a double and triple.

Valley West 1, Crestwood 0 (8 inn.)

Crestwood`AB`R`H`BI`2B`3B`HR

Jordan Olenginski 3b`4`0`0`0`0`0`0

Bree Fetterman cf`4`0`1`0`1`0`0

Ashlee Oleginski 1b`3`0`1`0`0`0`0

Colleen Borum p`3`0`1`0`0`0`0

Meghan Waite 3b`3`0`0`0`0`0`0

Alyssa Davies dp`3`0`1`0`0`0`0

Maddy Heller 2b`3`0`0`0`0`0`0