North Adams’ Jerzi Tong delivers a pitch in the first inning of the Lady Devils’ loss at Paint Valley on April 2.(Photo by Tim Daulton)
North Adams shortstop Karis Tumbleson (10) takes a throw at second base on a steal attempt in action from the Lady Devils’ 7-5 loss at Paint Valley. Second baseman Carlee Garrison, right, backs up the throw. (Photo by Tim Daulton)
By Mark Carpenter
People’s Defender
After a 16-14 win over Huntington on March 25, the North Adams Lady Devils softball squad was mired in a three-game losing streak when they traveled to Paint Valley on April 2 to tangle with the Lady Bearcats. The attempt to snap the streak fell short as the Lady Devils could not overcome an early deficit, their rally falling short in a 7-5 defeat.
The Lady Devils took a short-lived lead in the top of the first when a two-bagger to center off the bat of Carlee Garrison scored Jerzi Tong, who had singled to lead off the inning. That advantage evaporated quickly as the Lady Cats struck for four runs in their half of the first off of North Adams starter Tong.
The Lady Devils got one of those back in the top of the second. Karis Tumbleson led off the frame with a base hit to right and later with two outs, came home on a single to right by Tong that made it 4-2.
North Adams head coach Paula Armstrong put Carlee Garrison in the center circle for the bottom of the second but the Paint Valley offense picked up right where they left off int heir first at-bat, scoring three times to push their lead out to five runs.
Neither team plated any scores in their next two at-bats until the Lady Devils broke through in the top of the fifth with three runs. Garrison led off with a base hit to center and came all the way around to score on a Paige Evans double.. Evans came home on a ground out by Marley Whalen to make it 7-4. Riley Woods followed with an infield hit and stole second and moved to third on a Tumbleson single. With two outs, Woods came home on a base hit by Anna Armstrong to pull the visitors within two.
North Adams went down in order in the sixth and with one last chance to come from behind, did the same in the seventh, Tumbleson popping out to shortstop for the game’s final out.
Even in defeat, the Lady Devils banged out 13 hits, getting two knocks apiece from Tong, Garrison, Evans, Tumbleson and Armstrong. The two hits for Evans were both doubles as she bumped her average to .650 through six games.
The now 1-5 North Adams squad was scheduled to be back in Southern Hills Athletic Conference play on Tuesday, April 8 with a trip to Fairfield and again on Thursday, a home date with Eastern Brown.
North Adams
110 030 0 —5
Paint Valley
430 000 x —7
N.Adams Hitting (AB-R-H-RBI): Tong 4-1-2-1, Garrison 4-1-2-1, Evans 4-1-2-1, Whalen 4-0-1-1, Woods 4-1-1-0, Tumbleson 4-1-2-0, Taylor 3-0-1-0, Armstrong 3-0-2-1, Parker 3-0-0-0, Team 33-5-13-5.
Extra-Base Hits: Evans 2B (2), Garrison 2B, Taylor 2B
P. Valley Hitting (AB-R-H-RBI): Stauffer 4-1-2-1, Mannion 4-2-2-0, Littler 3-1-2-0, Cantrell 3-2-1-1, Hamilton 2-1-1-2, Miller 2-0-0-0, Burton 3-0-2-2, Crouch 3-0-0-0, Allen 3-0-0-0, Team 27-7-10-6.
Extra-Base Hits:Cantrell 2B, Littler 2B, Stauffer HR
N. Adams Pitching:
Tong (L)- 1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
Garrison- 5 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
P. Valley Pitching:
Cantrell (W)- 7 IP, 13 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 K
