By Rob Potter
MONGAUP VALLEY — Despite very cool temperatures and a steady rainfall, Charlie’s Angels and Cooper Paint played their scheduled Sullivan County Women’s Softball League (SCWSL) “A” Division game on Tuesday night at Edward M. Collins Memorial Park in Mongaup Valley.
The cool, wet conditions caused both teams to commit more errors than usual and made running the bases a bit more challenging.
Both teams gave it their best, however, and at the end of seven innings of play, Cooper Paint recorded a 16-9 victory.
With the win, Cooper Paint improved its record to 2-1 on the young season. Charlie’s Angels, which lost only one game last season on its way to capturing the SCWSL “A” Division regular season and playoff titles, fell to 0-3.
Charlie’s Angels grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Leanne Mangabang scored on Deb Ackerley’s base hit.
But Cooper Paint answered with five runs in the bottom of the first. Three errors allowed Jen Wright, Kate Yaun and Jackie Litwak to score. Rochelle “Rocky” Irwin belted a double to left field to score Lori Brown and Amanda Irwin crossed the plate on an error to give Cooper Paint a 5-1 advantage entering the second inning.
Charlie’s Angels regained the lead by scoring seven times in the top of the second.
Shannon Dietrich ripped a two-out triple to left field to bring Christine Decker around to score. Dietrich crossed the plate herself when Jo Walls singled to right field.
Tonya Martin hit a two-run single and Analey Dietrich blasted an RBI double to center field to give Charlie’s Angels a 6-5 lead.
Charlie’s Angels scored its final two runs of the inning on Ackerley’s single and an error.
Brown evened the score at 8-8 in the bottom of the second. With two outs and Wright and Yaun on base, Brown smashed a pitch to deep right center field. Wright and Yaun scored easily on the hit and Brown sprinted around the bases for a three-run, inside-the-park home run.
Charlie’s Angels took a 9-8 lead in the top of the third on Jessica Bradley’s RBI single.
It would be the last time Charlie’s Angels would hold the advantage, however.
Cooper Paint scored three runs in the bottom of the third to take an 11-9 lead. Theresa Nietzel scored the game-tying run on a double by Erin Shuart.
Shuart then scored on a base hit by Katie Mahan and Mahan scored when Kate Yaun hit into a double play.
After a scoreless fourth inning, Cooper Paint added a run in the bottom of the fifth to make it a 12-9 game.
Cooper Paint recorded the last four runs of the evening in the bottom of the sixth. Key hits in the frame included RBI singles by Ally McCarthy, Shuart and Wright.
In the top of the seventh, Cooper Paint pitcher Amanda Irwin set down the Charlie’s Angels batters in order to seal her team’s victory.