By Rob Potter
ROSCOE — The visiting Family School Lady Falcons took a lead over the Roscoe Lady Blue Devils in the first inning of Wednesday’s Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association (OCIAA) Division VI softball game.
The Lady Falcons scored three runs in their first at-bat and went on to register a 6-1 victory.
The Family School improved its record to 2-4 overall and 2-1 in Division VI. Roscoe fell to 0-5 overall and 0-1 in Division VI.
Lady Falcons’ leadoff batter Claire Meehan singled to center field on the first pitch of the game.
After Laura Westover drew a walk, Sunny Townsend singled to load the bases.
Meehan scored the first run of the afternoon when Mary Schmieder singled to right field. But Roscoe catcher Taylor DeVantier tagged out Westover at the plate after a good relay throw from the outfield.
Later in the frame, Townsend scored on a passed ball and Schmieder gave The Family School a 3-0 lead when she scored on a groundout by Yacaira O’Connor.
In the top of the second, Westover’s RBI single gave the Lady Falcons a 4-0 advantage.
Denise Tagariello scored on a single by Claire Vagnone in the top of the fourth to extend the Family School’s advantage.
The Lady Blue Devils answered with a run in the bottom of the fourth, however.
The first batter to step up to the plate, DeVantier, struck out. But she safely reached first base when the ball got away from the catcher.
Katelyn Horton then smacked a triple to center field to bring DeVantier around to score and make it a 5-1 game.
But Tagariello, the Lady Falcons’ pitcher, did not allow any more runs in the frame. After inducing an infield pop fly, she tagged out Horton at home plate when Horton attempted to score on a passed ball.
Tagariello then recorded a strikeout to end the inning.
The Family School added an insurance run in the top of the seventh. With two outs, Mary Schmieder ripped a double to left center field. She then stole third base and scored on an error.
Roscoe tried to rally in the bottom of the seventh. With two outs, Britni Brookins hit a triple to left field.
But Tagariello, who finished with nine strikeouts, got the next batter to ground out to third base to end the game.
“We’re playing better as a team than we did at the beginning of the season,” Family School Coach Missy Dunlap said. “We’re starting to work together and play as a unit.”
After only having one outside practice before beginning their season, the Lady Falcons have recorded two straight OCIAA Division VI victories.
Townsend led The Family School offense by going 4-for-5 with a double, while Schmieder was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
This is the first season since 2003 in which Roscoe has had a varsity softball team.
“We are doing better each game,” Roscoe Coach Amanda Davis said. “We need to keep working together.”
While the Lady Blue Devils are still looking for their first win this spring, Davis is pleased with how her players are competing on the diamond.
“I was very proud of the way they played today,” she said. “They did not quit for a second.”
For the Lady Blue Devils, Britni Brookins was 1-3 with a triple and DeVantier went 1-for-3.
Roscoe pitcher Paige Clancy recorded six strikeouts.