The Ellwood City Softball team started their 2023 campaign with two impressive wins this week over Steel Valley on Tuesday and Keystone Oaks on Wednesday. Both were five inning mercy rule victories.
On Tuesday, Ellwood City opened their season with a convincing 12-1 victory over Steel Valley behind freshman Amber Mcquistion who earned her first varsity victory on the mound and swatted two hits at the plate.
The offense got things started in the second inning as Sara Schwarz and Ellie Kalantzis led off with back to back walks and both later scored to push the Wolverines out to an early 2-0 advantage. Lexi Beck brought home Schwarz with a groundout to second base and Kalantzis scored when Natalie Gillin’s ground ball was misplayed by the second baseman.
A fourth inning, base-clearing triple by Amber Mcquiston.
The Wolverines made it 7-0 as they scored run runs in the fourth inning powered by a base-clearing triple by Amber Mcquiston.
Steel Valley ended the shutout in the fourth as they scored on an error and double.
Ellwood City tacked on another five run in the fifth inning as Gillin once again got things started with a double. Courtesy runner Folino scored on an RBI single by Nardone and Garroway collected an RBI sacrifice fly to center field. Nardone then scored on a line drive single to right by Mcquistion. Rozanski scored on a wild pitch and courtesy runner Delaney Sturgeon scored the twelfth run on an error to the shortstop off the bat of Schwarz.
Mcquistion struck out the side in the home half of the fifth to invoke the mercy rule. Mcquistion tossed a three hitter in her five frames. She fanned 9 and did not walk a batter.
Nardone led the eight hit attack with 3 hits. Gillin and Mcquisiton added two hits while Leviere contributed a single.
On Wednesday, the Lady Wolverines brought home another five inning mercy rule victory, this time with a 11-1 victory over Keystone Oaks.
The offense heated up quickly as they plated four runs in the home half of the first inning. Julia Nardone led off with a walk and advanced to third on a bunt single by Ellie Kalantzis. Aliya Garroway advanced Kalantzis to second with a flyout to left field and Amber Mcquistion plated Nardone with a groundout to third base. Kalantzis scored on a two base error to center field off the bat of Sara Schwarz. Keira Rozanski brought Schwarz in with a single and Natalie Gillin scored Rozanski with a single.
Kalantzis swats a two-run single vs Keystone Oaks
The Wolverines made it 10-0 in the third with six runs. Gillin singled with one out as Delaney Sturgeon entered as a courtesy runner. A walk to Lexi Beck put runners on first and second and a double steal put them on second and third. Sturgeon scored on a groundout to second by Kiley Leviere as Beck moved to third. Nardone plated Beck with a single and Kalantzis followed with a single of her own to bring in Nardone and Leviere. Back to back walks to Garroway and Mcquistion loaded the bases for Schwarz who laced a single to center scoring Kalantzis and Garroway.
The Lady Wolverines ended things in their half of the fifth as Garroway led off with a walk and advanced to second on a groundout by Mcquistion. Garroway scored on a single to left by Schwarz as Ellwood City improved to 2-0 on the young season.
Kalantzis, Schwarz, and Gillin paced the victors with two hits apiece. Nardone and Rozanski contributed singles to the cause.
Freshman pitcher Amber Mcquisiton is growing up in a hurry as she scattered five hits over five innings for the win. She fanned 9 batters for the second consecutive game and yielded just 3 walks. She has yet to give up an earned run on the season.
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