Lady Panthers notch win over River Valley

Published 12:53 am Friday, May 13, 2011

By JIM WALKER

Tribune Sports Editor

BIDWELL — Winning ugly looks pretty good to Chesapeake Lady Panthers’ coach Aaron Rice.

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Despite allowing nine walks and committing three errors, the Lady Panthers beat the River Valley Lady Raiders 10-7 Wednesday in an Ohio Valley Conference game.

“It wasn’t any thing of beauty, but we’ll take it,” said Rice. “We lost four or five games at the start of the season by one or two runs, so maybe things are starting to even out.”

Sarah Rice got the win as she struck out six but gave up the nine walks. Sarah Mayo provided the offensive punch by going 2-5 with a double and a triple.

Chesapeake (6-10, 4-3) took a 3-0 lead in the second inning with one out.

Macy Allen singled, Anna Mayo was safe on an error, Jordan Porter hit into a fielder’s choice, Ali Ransbottom walked and Sarah Mayo delivered a two-run double.

The Lady Panthers erupted for six runs in the third inning to lead 9-0.

Caitlin Heffner and Myky Harmon singled to start the rally. Anna Mayor hit into a fielder’s choice and Porter was hit by a pitch. Ransbottom and Taylor Riggs both reached on errors for two runs and Sarah Mayo cracked a three-run triple. Sarah Rice capped the uprising with an RBI single.

Three walks, two singles, a double by Chynna Mershon and a triple by Katelyn Birchfield sparked a five-run rally in the bottom of the inning and it was 9-5.

River Valley added a run in the fifth but Chesapeake got the run back in the seventh when Heffner reached on an error, moved up on a wild pitch and scored on a throwing error.

Chesapeake plays at South Point on Friday at 5 p.m. in the Division III sectional finals.

Chesapeake 036 000 1 = 10 7 3

River Valley 005 010 1 = 7 8 5

Sarah Rice and Caitlin Heffner. Katelyn Birchfield and Emily VanSickle. W-Rice (K-6, BB-9). L-Birchfield (K-7,BB-2). 2B-Chesapeake: Sarah Mayo, Jordan Porter; RV: Chynna Mershon. 3B-Chesapeake: Sarah Mayo; RV: Katelyn Birchfield. Hitting-Chesapeake: Sarah Mayo 2-5, Sarah Rice 1-4, Cailtlin Heffner 1-3, Myky Harmon 1-4, Jordan Porter 1-3, Macy Allen 1-4; River Valley: Chynna Mershon 3-3, Katelyn Birchfield 1-3, Kelcie Carter 2-3, Mary Waugh 1-3, Allison Porter 1-2.