Brandon continued its romp through the District 12 Minor Softball bracket Friday night with an 11-3 win over Montoursville at Volunteer Stadium in South Williamsport.
Brandon has averaged nearly 15 runs per game, and did that again Friday night to advance to Section 3 play against Milton.
Lynna Robertson was outstanding protecting Brandon's lead, striking out 14 batters and giving up 3 runs on 3 hits.
Article Photos
Kalindi Maggs, left, and Samantha Reeder, right, congratulate Brandon pitcher Lynna Robertson Friday at Volunteer Stadium. View additional photos at cu.sungazette.com.
"She has been pitching real well for us," Brandon coach Rick Robertson said. "She's been working with the coaches and it really paid off tonight. I couldn't be more proud of her."
And Robertson wasn't afraid to go after Montoursville's hitters. After holding a perfect game through the first three innings, Robertson's bid ended when Taylor Shuman opened the fourth with an infield single. Madison Shaffer then added another single before a Jaylnn Cochran double cleared the bases.
With her perfect game now a far memory after three Montoursville's runs pulled the opposition within 7-4, Robertson responded by retiring the next two batters with her ninth and 10th strikeouts. And she wasn't done there as she bridged the fourth and fifth innings with five strikeouts, retiring the side in the fifth.
"We have a lot of team speed and batters one through nine know how to lay the bunt down," Rick Robertson said. "We wanted to try and make them make mistakes and it worked today."
Brandon, an 11-1 winner over Montoursville in the semifinals of the tournament, opened with two consecutive bunt singles before a walk and Katie Meale double gave it a 3-0 in the bottom of the first. Meale later scored on back-to-back wild pitches, giving Brandon a 4-0 edge.
Brandon's offense continued to produce, scoring at least one run an inning before being blanked in the fifth.
The offense was led by Kalindi Maggs, who finished with two hits, a run and RBI. Meale also had a big night, connecting with three hits and scoring twice.
"Our first two hitters are the speedsters. They get on base," Rick Robertson said. "Our three, four and five hitters have been doing a great job of hitting them in."
Montoursville 000 300-3 3 2
Brandon 421 40X-11 8 0
Taylor Shuman and Jaylnn Cochran. Lynna Robertson and Kalinda Maggs.
WP-Robertson. LP-Shuman.
Top Montoursville hitters: Cochran 2B. Top Brandon hitters: Maggs 2-4, run, RBI; Katie Meale 3-3, 2B, 2 runs, RBI.
