By Rob Potter
SULLIVAN COUNTY — April 27, 2004 – The Eldred Lady Yellowjackets withstood two rallies by Tri-Valley on Saturday afternoon to win the 2004 Sullivan County Softball Officials’ Tournament.
Eldred had built a 10-1 lead by the fourth inning of the title game, which was played at the White Sulphur Springs Fire Department’s Gary A. Bradley Memorial Field.
But in the bottom of the fourth, T-V scored eight runs to cut the Eldred lead to just 10-9. Lady Bears Heather Bachmann and Lacey Moore each hit two-run triples in the rally.
After Eldred scored once in the top of the fifth, T-V responded with two runs in the bottom of the frame to knot the score at 11-11.
However, the Lady Yellowjackets scored a run in each of the sixth and seventh innings to earn a 13-11 win and the first place trophy.
Eldred is 3-1 on the season, while T-V is 3-4.
With two runners on base and two outs in the sixth, Eldred’s Steph Berger singled up the middle to bring teammate Jeanna Harris in to score.
In the top of the seventh, an RBI single by Jenn Leibmann allowed Jessica Cherry to score the Lady Yellowjackets’ final run of the contest.
While the Lady Bears had two runners on base in the bottom of the seventh, Eldred pitcher Meg Shafer struck out one batter and got another to fly out to end the game.
Although T-V erased two Eldred leads – first the nine-run lead and then a two-run advantage – the Lady Yellowjackets remained focused.
“We hung in there,” Eldred Coach Jolene Porter said. “We didn’t give up.”
Porter noted that her team has displayed a great deal of perseverance in the 2003 season and this year as well.
“We were 0 and 15 last year and didn’t give up,” she said. “So, I don’t think we’re going to give up this year.”
Leibmann finished the game 4-for-5 with two RBI, while Kim French and Jene Shafer each went 3-for-5 at the plate. French had two doubles and two RBI. Shafer recorded a pair of singles, a triple and an RBI.
“We came alive with our bats and our baserunning in that inning,” T-V Coach Mary Feusner said of the bottom of the fourth, when her squad sent 11 batters to the plate and scored eight times. “I just wish we could have kept that momentum going a little bit longer.”
Bachmann had three hits and two RBI for the Lady Bears.
In the first round of the four-team tournament, Eldred defeated Monticello and T-V topped Liberty.
In the Eldred vs. Monticello game, which was played at the Swan Lake Firefighters’ Max Eronimous Field, the Lady Yellowjackets rallied to defeat the Lady Panthers.
After Eldred grabbed a 9-4 lead in the first four innings, Monticello responded with a six runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 10-9 advantage.
Eldred answered with five runs in the sixth and five in the seventh to post a 19-10 victory.
The key hit in the sixth inning was a one-out, bases loaded double by French that gave the Lady Yellowjackets a 13-10 lead.
In the T-V vs. Liberty game, Lady Bear pitcher Lindsay Nuzzo allowed only two hits as T-V defeated the Lady Indians, 9-4.
Nuzzo struck out nine batters to pick up the win.
Maria Jeltsch had two hits and an RBI for the Lady Bears.
Liberty’s Kate Sarno registered one hit and scored two runs in the contest.