Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

After the school spring trip to Europe, the St. Joseph Lady Flyers finally got back on the softball diamond.
And the Lady Flyers celebrated with an 11-8 win and an 11-10 come-from-behind win over the Sciotoville East Lady Tartans on Friday.
St. Joseph (4-0) took a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Faith Mahlmeister and Ashley Bartram were both hit by a pitch and Karly Young had a two-run single.
The lead went to 6-0 in the second inning.
Paige Elise and Emma Whaley walked and Kaitlyn Sheridan doubled in a run. Kelsey Malone hit into a fielder’s choice and Whaley scored when the throw home was dropped for an error.
Alex Holtzapfel followed with a two-run single.
East parlayed four hits and two errors to tie the game in the top of the third, but the Lady Flyers got a run in the bottom of the inning to take the lead for good.
Ellie Cremeans reached on a catcher’s interference. Elise and Sheridan walked and Malone was safe on an error as Cremeans scored.
St. Joseph then got four runs in the fourth inning to make it 11-6.
Bartram was safe on an error and Young, Elise and Whaley all walked to force in a run. Sheridan hit into a fielder’s choice as a run scored.
Malone, Holtzapfel and Mahlmeister all walked forcing in the final run.
East added two unearned runs in the fifth to complete the scoring.
Holtzapfel got the win as she struck out eight, walked two and allowed only three earned runs.
In the second game, the Lady Flyers needed to take advantage of 16 walks as they committed nine errors.
East took a 3-0 lead in the first inning one just one hit and four errors.
The Lady Tartans got two more runs in the second on one hit and an error.
St. Joseph then got a run in the bottom of the inning when Sheridan walked, stole second and third, and scored on a wild pitch.
The Lady Flyers closed to within 5-4 in the third.
Holtzapfel walked, stole second and scored on a hit by Malone. Bartram, Young, Cremeans, and Isabella Griffith all walked and two wild pitches scored runs.
The Lady Flyers were guilty of four errors in the fourth inning as East scored five unearned runs.
But the Lady Flyers answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning.
Holtzapfel singled, Malone reached on an error and Whaley and Sheridan walked to force in a run. Cremeans walked to drive in a run and Mahlmeister delivered a two-run single.
St. Joseph the put together the winning three-run rally in the fifth.
Alyson Johnson, Holtzapfel and Malone all walked to load the bases. Bartram single home two runs to tie the game and Malone came home with the winning run when Whaley reached on an error.
First Game
Sciotoville    006    02    =    8    8    4
St. Joseph    241    4x    =    11    3    4
Alex Holtzapfel and Kelsey Malone. K. Burgess and A. Steele. W-Holtzapfel (K-8, BB-2, ER-3). L-Burgess (K-4, K-4, BB-9, ER-8). Hitting-East: Burgess 2-3; SJ: Alex Holtzapfel 1-4, Kaitlyn Sheridan 1-2, Karly Young 1-2.
Second Game
Sciotoville    320    50    =    10    3    2
St. Joseph    013    43    =    11    4    9
K. Burgess and A. Steele. Kelsey Malone, Alex Holtzapfel (4) and Ellie Cremeans, Ashley Bartram (2), Kaitlyn Sheridan (4). W-Holtzapfel (IP-2.0, K-2, BB-1, ER-0). Malone (IP-3.0, K-8, BB-2, ER-1). L-Burgess (K-4, BB-16, ER-10). Hitting-East: Fannin 1-2 2B; SJ: Faith Mahlmeister 1-1, Alex Holtzapfel 1-1, Ashley Bartram 1-3, Kelsey Malone 1-3.