Lady Cats Open 2018 Softball Season With Victory Over Lady Oilers (03/26/18)
(By Coach Dan Shofestall)
The Clarion Bobcats opened their 2018 softball season with a 16-2 win over Oil City in 5 innings. With patchy snow scattered all around the field the Bobcats bats began thawing out after a scoreless first inning. Sadie Rudesyle led off the top of the second inning with a triple. She scored the first run of the game as MacKenzie Ditullio reached on an error. Tori Vega was then hit by a pitch and both runners would eventually score on wild pitches to give Clarion a 3-0 lead.
The Bobcats tacked on three more runs in the third inning as Alexis Constantino, MacKenzie Ditullio, and Tori Vega all scored runs to increase the lead to 6-0.
Meanwhile Clarion pitcher Sadie Rudesyle kept the Oilers bats at bay. The senior right hander was perfect facing the minimum amount of batters through the first three innings. Clarion had their biggest offensive inning in the fourth as The Lady Cats plated six runs. Sydney Kiser, Alexis Constantino, Maya Thornton, Rudesyle, Tori Vega and Brenna Campbell all scored to widen the lead to 12-0.
Oil City broke up Rudesyle’s perfect game in the fourth inning as Nicole Skokowski and Lizzie Hoovler both scored to cut the lead to 12-2. The Bobcats added some extra insurance in the top of the fifth scoring four more times. Thornton, Rudesyle, Ditullio and Ava Kiser all touched home plate to extend their lead to 16-2 going to the bottom of the fifth.
With the big lead Rudesyle recorded two strikeouts and Sydney Kiser recorded the final out as she raced into the right center field gap to cut off the ball and gunned down the final Oiler runner at second base to end the game.
The Clarion bats pounded out 10 hits with Rudesyle leading the way with three hits including a triple and double. She scored three runs and had an RBI. Also scoring runs for Clarion were Ditullio 3, Vega 3, Alexis Constantino 2, Thornton 2, Sydney Kiser 1. Campbell 1 and Ava Kiser 1.
- Alexis Constantino finished with 2 hits. S. Kiser, Ditullio, Vega, Ava Kiser and Kaitlyn Constantino also had a hit apiece. Kaitlyn’s hit was a big triple in the fifth.
Ditullio, Vega and Ava Kiser all had a pair of RBI’s. Kaitlyn Constantino, Sydney Kiser, Alexis Constantino, Rudesyle, Dottie Kalinowski and Lindsey Kemmer also chipped in with an RBI.
Rudesyle’s final pitching line showed 5 innings pitched. She gave up 5 hits, 2 earned runs, 6 strikeouts and 0 walks. The Clarion defense played flawless behind her as they did not commit an error.
Clarion hosts Clarion-Limestone on Tuesday March 26 in both teams league opener.
(Thanks to Coach Shofestall for this article. GREAT START TO THE SEASON, LADY CATS!!!!)