By Rob Potter
MONGAUP VALLEY — July 6, 2010 — Klein & Sons Logging overcame an early deficit and rallied for a big win against Squires’ Cleaning on Thursday night in a Sullivan County Women’s Softball League (SCWSL) “A” Division game at Edward M. Collins Memorial Park in Mongaup Valley.
After falling behind 3-0 in the top of the first inning, Klein & Sons took a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the first. Klein & Sons (6-3) then gradually extended its advantage to record a 28-8 victory.
Squires’ Cleaning (3-7) took its three-run lead in the top of the first on an error and a two-run single by Natalie Cillis.
But Klein & Sons quickly tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the frame as Kayla Scanell hit a two-run single and then scored on a base hit by April Velasco. Klein & Sons grabbed a two-run advantage when Kris Stant and Susan Waddell hit consecutive RBI singles.
In the top of the second, Shana Irwin crossed the plate on a single by Becky Decker to make it a 5-4 game. Unfortunately for Irwin, Decker and their Squires’ Cleaning teammates, that was as close as the score would be for the remainder of the evening.
Klein & Sons scored four times in the bottom of the second to push its lead to 9-4. Most of those runs were scored when Scanell hit a three-run inside-the-park home run to left field.
Michelle Ross had a three-run single and a two-run single to spur an 11-run third inning for Klein & Sons. Barb Ward-Blank ripped an RBI double to right field, Stant hit a two-run single and Velasco, Chris Price and Jill Hubert-Simon each added an RBI single as Klein & Sons took a double-digit advantage.
Squires’ Cleaning answered with four runs in the top of the fourth to cut its deficit to 20-8. Amanda Irwin hit a two-run single and Tabatha Smith belted a two-run double to left field.
Klein & Sons scored eight runs in the bottom of the fourth. The key hit was Scanell’s three-run inside-the-park home run to center field. Once Klein & Sons had a 28-8 lead, the game ended due to the SCWSL’s mercy rule. The rule ends a game when a team is ahead by 20 runs in the third or fourth inning or when a team has a 15-run lead in the fifth or sixth inning.