Mounties cruise to win over Southern in softball
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Before South Williamsport coach Tom O'Malley even arrives at practice, all his players are running. Nobody ordered them. They just do it because these Mounties enjoy working.
And that hard work continues yielding positive results.
Alizabeth Schuler scattered four hits, the defense played another error-less game and Sage Lorson went 3 for 3 Friday afternoon against visiting Southern Columbia as South romped to an 11-1, five-inning win. Lily Reidy hit her fifth home run, the Mounties (9-1) pounded out 14 hits and every starter reached base as they won their eighth straight game and remained atop the District 4 Class AA standings.
"You can tell on the bus rides and even during the practices that we trust each other more," Lorson said after producing a double, two RBIs and two runs. "We're coming together as a team better."
"It's always a great feeling when we play well. It's great to see all the players succeed," said third baseman Kendall Cardone who went 2 for 3 with an RBI. "We're a good team, and we bond really well together.'
Most of these players have been bonded together since they first started playing softball, achieving success at every youth level before helping South win the program's first district title since 2014 a year ago. The Mounties reached the state quarterfinals but that run only hardened their desire. O'Malley labels his team old school and loves their collective determined, selfless attitude.
After the players worked throughout the offseason, they continued the grind once spring practices opened. The thing is, they enjoy that grind. Softball is their passion and it showed again yesterday as South dominated all facets, scoring seven first-inning runs and breaking it open with three more in the third, highlighted by Reidy's titanic two-run home run to dead center field. Mackenzie Mitstifier hit a two-out, fifth-inning inning double and scored the winning run on an error as South continued building momentum entering the final two busy weeks of the regular season.
"They work hard, they all do. Each one pushes the other and they feed off of that," O'Malley said. "When you have players pushing each other that helps a lot. It's competition but it's friendly competition where they're helping each other. They all get along, they have good chemistry, and it's a fun team to coach."
South wasted no time starting the fun yesterday. After Schuler retired the game's opening three batters on 11 pitches, South pounded out six hits and scored seven runs in the bottom of the first. Five players produced hits during one six batter stretch with Schuler hitting a two-run double and Lorson following with an RBI single. Reidy smashed an RBI double two batters later before Cardone followed with an RBI single.
And even when the balls were not hit hard, South did damage with some smart baserunning and hustle. When Gianna Goodman (2 for 3) hit a pop up in no man's land between first base and the pitcher's circle, two runs scored with Mikaiya Hills sprinting home from second and making it, 7-0. It doesn't all come together offensively like that every game, but South has nine threats in the lineup and more on the bench, fostering confidence among the hitters that something good can happen at any time.
"You can go 0 for 3 one day and the next batter is picking you up and they hit a double and it just goes on throughout the team," Lorson said. "We all have each other's backs in that sense."
"A lot of us know each other very well and that helps us," Cardone said. "You know you can trust them and they'll all be there for you."
Schuler is displaying ample confidence in her defense and with good reason. The Mounties have played consecutive error-less games, three in four and have just one error in those four contests. Schuler induced 13 groundouts last Wednesday against Midd-West and pounded the strike zone again against Southern, fanning seven and watching her defense make all the plays.
Reidy, the team's catcher, picked a runner off first, Goodman took away a hit at second base and Cardone stopped some hard grounders at third. During this winning streak, South has excelled in all three main areas and that trend continued against Southern.
"Alizabeth has done a phenomenal job. She was getting ahead of hitters, she was aggressive and when she gets ahead, she has some putaway pitches," O'Malley said. "She's been using her defense. She's real confident with the defense, both the infield and outfield."
Lorson has been coming on equally strong offensively and was in the middle of both big South rallies. After hitting a second inning single, Lorson belted an RBI double after Schuler opened the fourth inning with a single. In three games this week, Lorson went 6 for 10 with five RBIs.
"At first it was rough because she was pitching slower, but once I dialed her in everything was OK," Lorson said. "Once I saw the first pitch and I swung and missed, I waited on it longer and aimed for right field."
Lorson scored two batters later when Reidy launched her fifth home run and tied Central Mountain's Madison Hardy for the area lead. Reidy has homered in consecutive games, combining offseason strength training with a strong work ethic throughout this season. The fourth inning was a no-doubter, easily clearing the center field fence and giving South a 10-1 lead.
Reidy was one of eight different Mounties who produced at least one hit against Southern. No doubt, she and her teammates are now ready for the next challenge and will have several next week, starting Monday at Lewisburg. Tuesday at Elm Park, South and Williamsport will resume the Williamsport Tournament championship after it was suspended two weeks ago with South leading 3-0 in the top of the fourth with runners on first and second.
"With the experience that they have had, they've continued to improve and that's only going to help them," O'Malley said. "They're still young in age but they're experienced because of where they've played and what they've gone through."
Southern 000 10--1 4 5
South 700 31--11 14 0
Maddie Yost and Emily Brent. Alizabeth Schuler and Lily Reidy. W--Schuler, (8-1). L--Yost.
Top Southern hitters: Avery Miller 1-2; Emily Reese 1-2. Top South hitters: Sage Lorson 3-3, 2B, 2 RBIs, 2R; Gianna Goodman 2-3, 2 RBIs, R, 2 SBs; Schuler 2-3, 2B, 2 RBIs, 2R; Reidy 2-3, HR, 2B, 3 RBIs, 2R; Kendall Cardone 2-3, RBI, R; Mackenzie Mitstifier 1-1, 2B, R; Aleigha Rieppel 1-3, R; Abby Lorson 1-3.