BETHANY, W.Va. – La Roche softball took to the road on Wednesday for a twin bill against the Bethany Bison. In game one, Bethany took the victory, winning 13-3 in five innings, but the Redhawks would flip the script in game two, defeating the Bison 9-5.
GAME ONE: Bethany 13 La Roche 3 F/5
Errors haunted La Roche in game one of the season, as five total led to the eventual run rule final.
It was 4-0 after the first, as the Bison plated runs by way of a sacrifice fly, two RBI singles and an RBI double.
A pair of runs came across for Bethany behind an RBI triple and another sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second to build a 6-0 lead, then in the bottom of the third, five more scored, highlighted by a two-run home run.
The Redhawks finally broke through in the top of the fourth, making it 11-3 with a trio of runs.
Brandi Clyde's RBI single opened the scoring to cross Emma Bizay, then Garrah Milochik plated Klover Haberthier with a sacrifice fly.
The final run scored by Makenzie Formeck came by way of a wild pitch.
Scoring closed in the bottom of the fourth inning, as the Bison plated a pair to make it the eventual final of 13-3.
Maura Wade took the circle for La Roche, tossing 1.2 innings, allowing six runs, seven hits and one walk.
Kynnydy Lewis in relief allowed four runs (three earned), four hits and a walk in 0.1 inning, then Haberthier closed the game allowing three runs (two earned), three hits and a walk in two innings.
Three relievers entered the circle for the Redhawks, including Klover Haberthier who allowing five runs (three earned), four hits and walked three, while Kynnydy Lewis and Emma Kaufman combined for the final two innings, allowing just one hit and striking out two.
Offensively, La Roche had four hits in the game, with Bizay's 2-for-3 leading the charge.
GAME TWO: La Roche 9 Bethany 5
Game two was a completely different story, as the Redhawks handed Bethany its first loss of the season after its 12-0 start, doing so behind an offensive explosion in the first inning.
La Roche jumped ahead 8-0 right away, bringing 13 batters to the plate in the opening half-inning.
After a pair of singles and a double to load the bases right away, Formeck drove in Bizay to make it 1-0.
Clyde followed with an RBI single to score Wade, making it 2-0, then Milochik brought in Foremeck and a second run scored on the play by way of error to make it 4-0.
With two outs and the bases reloaded, Bizay came through with her second hit of the inning, this time a two RBI to make it 6-0.
Wade followed with her second double of the inning, this time also driving in a pair to make it 8-0.
The Bison were able to trim the deficit in half in the bottom of that run filled first inning.
Four runs crossed for Bethany, the first after a Redhawk error, then an RBI double that also had an error bring in a second run and an RBI single.
Pitchers took over innings two through six as neither team scored a run and both teams combined for eight hits, La Roche picking up five of them.
Bizay capped off a fantastic game two with an RBI double in the top of the seventh to score Katie Gaughan, then the Bison ended the scoring in the bottom of the seventh with an RBI double of their own.
Haberthier toed the rubber for the Redhawks in game two, pitching a complete game allowing five runs (three earned), eight hits and struck out one.
La Roche belted 16 hits in game two, with Bizay and Ashtin Hoover combining for half of them, both having 4-for-4 outings.
Clyde (2-for-4) and Wade (2-for-5) each had themselves a multi-hit night cap of the twin bill.
The Redhawks saw their Saturday doubleheader against Swarthmore be postponed, so will now return to action on Sunday, Mar. 24 with their home opener. The opponent is St. Vincent, a make-up doubleheader originally scheduled for Monday, Mar. 18 and first pitch is set for 1 p.m.