DRYDEN –– Eighteen was the magic number for the Dryden softball team in its 19-13 win over Newark Valley Friday at Dryden High School. The Lions scored an astounding 18 runs in the third inning and finished with 18 hits as a team to defeat the Cardinals.
Through three-and-a-half innings, Dryden trailed Newark Valley 4-0, but the Lions quickly changed the narrative in the bottom half of the third.
Dryden went on to score 18 runs on 11 hits to take a commanding 18-4 lead. It was a team effort from the Lions during their rally. Everyone in the batting order reached base and scored and six different players reached base with a hit.
During the third-inning barrage, Laci Prignon went 3-for-3 with three singles, Makaiya Duncan went 2-for-2 with two doubles and a walk, Dana Oltz went 2-for-2 with a single and a double, Kennessy Drake went 2-for-3, Chloe Russell had a single and reached with a walk, Abby Turco singled and walked twice, Nora Anderson singled and was hit by a pitch, Layla-Ann Zimmer walked and was hit by a pitch and Brook Webster walked twice.
Dryden head coach Dave Allen knows he has some standout players at the top of his lineup that can deliver big blows like Russell, Prignon, Duncan, Turco and Duncan, but saw just how good his lineup can be in full when they are having quality at bats and taking good swings.
“Some of the girls at the top of the order can hit the ball all over and even over the fence, but all-around, a lot of them can hit the ball hard,” Allen said. “Every one of them can hit. They’re contact hitters and drive them out there. We had it going in that inning. Sometimes we struggle to have that inning.”
After winning three games in a row against Trumansburg, Dryden went through a recent rough patch, as it lost its last six games coming into Friday’s matchup with Newark Valley. Despite falling behind early, the Lions hung right with the Cardinals and used a big inning to put themselves in control. With a young team going through an up-and-down season, Allen applauds his squad anytime they can put together an inning like the third on Friday.
“Everyone on the team just never gives up,” Allen said. “Sometimes we come out here and if one player is hitting, the rest do. But sometimes if the first couple don’t, the rest don’t. Today everyone hit. We still make some mistakes in the field and on the bases, but they’re young. They have to just keep learning.”
Dryden continued to show it’s no quit attitude the remainder of Friday’s game. Though the Lions got up big in the third, Newark Valley was consistently putting runs on the board right from the start and did not slow down. The Cardinals scored two runs in the fourth, six in the fifth and one in the sixth to make it 18-13.
A strong bottom of the sixth from Dryden gave it some insurance with a run on four singles from Webster, Anderson, Turco and Russell. The Lions then had their strongest inning defensively, not allowing a run or hit in the top of the seventh to shut the door on their win.
Russell and Prignon finished with three singles, Turco had two singles and a double, Duncan had two doubles, Oltz had a single and a double, Anderson and Drake had two singles and Webster had a single.
Dryden plays again at 4:30 p.m. on Monday at Whitney Point.
BASEBALL
HOMER 12, ITHACA 2
Four players had multi-hit days for Homer and Max Franco recorded his first win of the season as the Trojans won their fifth game in a row. Franco went 5.2 innings, allowing two unearned runs on three hits and three walks with six strikeouts.
Mitchell Earle led the offense, going 3-for-4 with a walk, an RBI and two runs, Evan Sullivan was 2-for-4 with a triple, an RBI and two runs scored, Tristan Allen was 2-for-5 with two RBIs and Tyler VanEtten finished 2-for-3 with a run. Maddox Johnson and Graydon Hickey each singled, drove in a run and scored once, Andrew Kline singled, walked and scored twice, Eli McMahon singled, walked and scored once, Zach Henson walked and scored, Peter Verfuss drew a walk and Jack Bertram scored a run.
Allen got the game’s final out on a strikeout.
BOYS LACROSSE
WESTHILL 11, HOMER 6
Cooper Swartz scored three goals as Homer took a 6-4 lead into halftime, but Westhill’s defense locked the Trojans down in the second half to avoid the upset.
Dan Stiles also added a goal and an assist and Jack Brady and Alex Votra each scored a goal.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
BASEBALL
Southern Cayuga at Moravia, 4 p.m. today
Homer at Westhill, 4:30 p.m. Monday
Southern Cayuga at Marathon, 4:30 p.m. Monday
Stockbridge Valley at McGraw, 5 p.m. Monday at Gutchess Lumber Sports Complex
Dryden at Whitney Point, 4:30 p.m. Monday
Tully at Onondaga, 4:30 p.m. Monday
DeRuyter at Otselic Valley/Cincinnatus, 4 p.m. Monday
Moravia at Union Springs, 4:30 p.m. Monday
Cortland at Mexico, 5 p.m. Tuesday at NBT Bank Stadium
McGraw at Sandy Creek, 5 p.m. Tuesday
SOFTBALL
Cortland at Jordan-Elbridge, 10 a.m. today
Homer at Solvay, 12:30 p.m. today
Marathon at Union Springs, 10 a.m. today
Marathon at Trumansburg, 4 p.m. today
Jordan-Elbridge at Homer, 5 p.m. Monday at Gutchess Lumber Sports Complex
Marathon at Southern Cayuga, 4:30 p.m. Monday
McGraw at Cincinnatus, 4:30 p.m. Monday
Newfield at Groton, 5 p.m. Monday at Ross Field
Dryden at Whitney Point, 4:30 p.m. Monday
Moravia at Union Springs, 4:30 p.m. Monday
Cortland at Mexico, 5 p.m. Tuesday
Homer at Westhill, 4:30 p.m. Tuesday
Cincinnatus at Onondaga/LaFayette, 4:30 p.m. Tuesday
Tully at Cazenovia, 5 p.m. Tuesday
BOYS LACROSSE
Marcus Whitman at Dryden, 11 a.m. today
Chittenango at Cortland, 7 p.m. Tuesday
Tully/F-P at Jordan-Elbridge, 6 p.m. Tuesday
GIRLS LACROSSE
Cazenovia/Hamilton at Cortland, 5 p.m. Tuesday
Southern Hills at CBA, 5 p.m. Tuesday
TRACK & FIELD
Mexico, Living Word at Homer, 4:30 p.m. Monday
Marathon at Groton, 4:30 p.m. Monday
Lansing, Elmira Notre Dame, Newark Valley at Dryden, 4:30 p.m. Monday
Moravia at Odessa-Montour, 4:30 p.m. Tuesday
BOYS GOLF
Marathon at Candor, 3:30 p.m. Monday at Catatonk Golf Course
Cincinnatus at Madison, 3:30 p.m. Monday at Barker Brook Golf Club
Dryden at Waverly, 4 p.m. Monday at Shephard Hills Golf Course
Stockbridge Valley at DeRuyter, 3:30 p.m. Monday at Apple Creek Golf Club
Marathon at Union Springs/Port Byron, 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at Wells College Golf Course
Southern Cayuga at Groton, 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at Stonehedges Golf Course
Moravia at Dryden, 3:15 p.m. Tuesday at Elm Tree Golf Course
BOYS TENNIS
Cortland at Mexico, 5 p.m. Monday
Westhill at Homer, 4:30 p.m. Monday
Newark Valley at Moravia, 4:30 p.m. Monday
Homer at Skaneateles, 5 p.m. Tuesday
Moravia at Southern Cayuga, 4:30 p.m. Tuesday
