Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

The number 18 is big for any teenager, but it proved really big for the St. Joseph Lady Flyers on Monday.
The Lady Flyers banged out 11 hits en route to an 18-2 romp over the Tolsia Lady Rebels.
Alex Holtzapfel worked all five innings in the run-rule victory. She struck out six and walked just one and also went 1-for-3 at the plate.
Ashley Bartram and Kelsey Malone led the offense as they each went 3-3.
Karly Young was 1-2, Alyson Johnson 1-1 and Ellie Cremeans 1-2 for the Lady Flyers’ offense.
The leadoff batter in the game walked for Tolsia walked and scored following an infield hit and a bloop single.
St. Joseph ignore the Tolsia start and sent 12 batters to the plate in the bottom of the inning to score eight runs on five hits and two errors.
Holtzapfel struck out two as she retired the side in the top of the second inning and the Lady Flyers added a run in the bottom of the inning on a double by Bartram, a passed ball and Cremeans’ ground out.
The Lady Flyers turned a slick 1-3-6 double play in the third as Holtzapfel threw to Bartram at first who relayed a throw to Kaitlyn Sheridan covering second.
St. Joseph used the momentum to score four times in the bottom of the inning and it was 13-1.
A double and an error gave Tolsia a run in the fourth but the Lady Flyers rallied for five runs on two hits and eight walks in the bottom of the inning and it was 18-2.
Holtzapfel retired the side in order in the fifth to close out the opening day win.