HAMBURG, N.Y. – La Roche softball opened AMCC play on Saturday afternoon with a doubleheader against Hilbert. In game one, the Redhawks locked in for a 4-2 victory, then in game two, the Hawks got the best of La Roche in a 12 inning marathon, ending the day in a split.
GAME ONE: La Roche 4 Hilbert 2
La Roche was the first to crack the scoreboard, as Garrah Milochik drove Cassidee Fitterer with an RBI fielder's choice to make it 1-0.
The Hawks would counter in the bottom of the third, coring both of its runs in the game to take a 2-1 lead, doing so behind an RBI groundout and a sacrifice fly.
The Redhawks wasted no time regaining the lead, scoring a pair of runs in the top of the fourth, thanks in part to a Hilbert error that allowed the runners to cross, making it 3-2.
Fitterer would pull through in the top of the seventh to give La Roche some insurance, as her RBI double drove in Ashtin Hoover to make it the eventual final, 4-2.
Maura Wade got the start in the circle and in the complete game victory allowed two runs, eight hits, two walks and struck out three.
Offensively, La Roche had 11 hits, with Hoover's (3-for-4) leading the way. Fitterer and Kynnydy Lewis both included 2-for-4 showings at the dish.
GAME TWO: Hilbert 6 La Roche 5 F/12
Game two was a pitching clinic, as both teams went scoreless in the regulation seven innings and in the eighth inning.
In the first eight innings, both teams combined for 11 hits, with the Redhawks having eight of those 11.
Timely hitting wasn't on La Roche's side, as the Redhawks would strand a runner at second in the first, runners at second and third in the third, a runner at third in the sixth, at second in the seventh and runners at second and third in the eighth.
La Roche would open the scoring in the top of the ninth as Fitterer scored on a Milochik RBI single. Later in the inning, Briana Wynn made it 2-0 scoring on a wild pitch.
Hilbert would respond, tying the game 2-2 in the bottom of the ninth, thanks to a pair of RBI singles.
The Redhawks picked up a leading run in the 10th inning on an RBI ground out by Emma Bizay.
The Hawks picked up yet another tying run in the bottom of the 10th after a La Roche error.
The Redhawks for the second time in extra innings put two runs on the board in the 11th inning, as Makenzie Formeck singled in Wade, then Milochik singled in Formeck to lead 5-3.
Once again, the pair of runs couldn't hold, as a pair of Hilbert RBI singles in the bottom of the 11th to tie the game 5-5.
After only having a hit batter in the top of the 12th, La Roche was unable to hold on, as the Hawks walked off the game with an RBI single.
In game two, Klover Haberthier pitched five scoreless innings, allowing just two hits, one walk and struck out one.
Lewis threw four innings of relief, allowing a run, four hits, two walks and fanned two.
Emma Kaufman took the defeat, pitching 2+ innings, allowing one run, four hits, one walk and set down one Hawk.
Offensively, the Redhawks racked up 12 hits, with Hoover (2-for-4), Bizay (2-for-5) and Milochik (2-for-5) all having multiple hits.
La Roche has a busy week upcoming, with four doubleheaders on the docket. It begins in non-conference action as the Redhawks travel to Penn State Dubois on Monday, Apr. 8. First pitch for game one is slated for 5 p.m.