Sandy Valley softball rallies from five runs down to defeat Garaway

MAGNOLIA — In a game in which both teams combined for 24 hits, the Sandy Valley Cardinals rallied from an early 7-2 deficit to defeat Garaway 11-8 in an Inter Valley Conference South softball game at the Cardinals' sun-splashed complex Monday evening.

“It was a very good comeback,” said Sandy Valley coach Cortney Geiger whose team pounded out 15 hits. “We’ve been a fighting team all season long and we’ve come from behind in multiple games and our bats kind of erupted again.”

Leading the Cardinals’ offensive onslaught were Nadia Douglas (triple, two singles and two RBIs), Peyton Nicholson (triple, single), Bella Meade (RBI single), Teresa Petro (single, two RBIs), Breeli Faiello (two singles and an RBI), McKenna Burk (two singles and two RBIs), Bre Beckett (two-run home run), Octavia Dazey (two singles) and Logan Mayle (triple and an RBI).

“That’s a great hitting team,” Garaway coach Rick Johnson said of the Cardinals. “Their first three or four hitters we couldn’t figure out how to get them out. We were throwing everything we had at them and they were finding ways to get on base.”

“I’m just proud of these girls in how they’ve kind of grown together,” Geiger said of her Sandy Valley team. “Last week was a tough week for us and they really kind of stepped up and took ownership of our home field and what we want to accomplish this season. The hard work is starting to pay off.”

Pacing Garaway’s nine-hit attack were Nadia Pope (double, single and three RBIs), Belle Tetreault (triple and two RBIs), Grace Yoder (two singles and an RBI), Kayla Miller (single, double and an RBI), Ashley Yoder (single and an RBI) and Zoe Jump (single).

“I’ve got two seniors and one junior and everybody else is freshmen and sophomores,” Johnson said. “We’ve got a bright future. We’re a little low on numbers this year and a little young but the girls have improved all year long and you saw tonight that they fight tooth and nail and try to hang with everybody we play against.”

The winning pitcher for the Cardinals was Bella Meade who struck out four batters and walked just two in a complete-game effort.

Belle Tetreault pitched a complete game for the Pirates. She struck out seven and walked two in absorbing the setback.

With the win, Sandy Valley improved to 12-8 on the season, while Garaway, with just two seniors on its roster, is now 7-9.

Garaway exploded in the first two innings to take a 7-2 lead. The big blow in the Pirates’ five-run second inning was a two-run triple by Tetreault, RBI doubles by Kayla Miller and Nadia Pope and an RBI single by Ashley Yoder. A total of eight of the Pirates’ nine hits occurred in the first two innings.

“We came out of the gate on fire and went up 7-2 after an inning-and-a-half and I thought things were looking good for us but they (the Cardinals) were more consistent with their energy and we kind of had a lull there,” Johnson said.

Sandy Valley answered the early deficit by scoring two runs each in the first three frames, including a two-run home run over the left field fence by Bre Beckett in the third inning. But the Cardinals’ big uprising occurred in a four-run fourth inning when they took the lead for good on an RBI single to center by Meade to take an 8-7 advantage. The Cardinals’ McKenna Burk then stepped to the plate and gave the hosts a three-run (10-7) cushion with a two RBI single to center field.

“McKenna Burk came up with a big shot,” Geiger said. “It seemed like all of our rallies came with two outs, which is huge for us because we’re young for the most part. Everybody came through and everybody through the lineup contributed.”

Geiger also said her team made some big plays on defense to thwart two Garaway comeback attempts.

“We made huge plays on defense, cutting off tweeners and things like that and picking up a double play in a key situation,” she said. “It was huge on Senior Night.”

Both teams traded runs in the fifth inning to close the scoring. Garaway’s Grace Yoder had an RBI single in the top half of the inning and Sandy Valley’s Breeli Faiello countered with an RBI single to center in the bottom half of the frame.

Sandy Valley is idle until Friday when it will host the Rittman Indians in an independent contest.

Garaway returns to action Tuesday when it entertains the Ridgewood Generals on its Senior Night.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Sandy Valley softball rallies for victory against Garaway