I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love covering athletics at Mt. Markham! Whether it be a Friday night lights football contest when the whole community comes out for the game, a basketball game or a soccer match, it just doesn't matter, because the ride through the rolling hills and pristine green pastures surrounding the Unadilla River Valley is truly a piece of small town America.
Visit Perfect Game Imaging for a photo album
Today at Mt. Markham, the lady Mustangs softball team entertained the Ilion lady Golden Bombers in a Center State Conference game.
The Bombers are enjoying a solid start with 6 wins and 3 losses so far, while the relatively inexperienced Lady Mustangs have been slow out of the gate with just 1 win in 8 games.
Paige Atwell took the mound for the Mustangs against Samantha Giruzzi for Ilion. Neither team was able to plate a run in the first inning, but Ilion got things going in the top of the second.
(Mount Markham pitcher Paige Atwell delivers a first inning strike.)
Emily Gilman drew a one out walk and advanced to third on consecutive wild pitches. Janell Risi knocked Gilman in with a single and later scored after a fielder's choice and another wild pitch from Atwell to Ilion's Ariel Brewer.
After Mount Markham went quietly in the bottom of the second, Ilion struck again in the top of the third when Sarah Alexander drew a two out walk and was later knocked in by a double by Samantha Giruzzi and we went to the bottom of the third with the Lady Bombers holding a 3-0 advantage.
Neither team was able to get on the board again until the home half of the fourth when the Lady Mustangs pulled within 3-2 on the bats of Paige Atwell who singled, Vaness Lynk who tripled Atwell home and Tori Roberts, who then calmly knocked Roberts home, to put Mount Markham back in the game.
(Mount Markham catcher Amanda Drake (2) waits at home to put the tag on Ilion's Ariel Brewer (9). Brewer was called out on a perfect relay from right field.)
Ilion made it 4-2 in the top of the 5th when Amanda Alexander smacked a one out triple and later scored on a sacrafice fly by Janelle Risi.
Amanda Drake smacked a home run in the bottomg of the fifth to pull Mount Markham to within 4-3.
Ilion tacked on 4 more runs in the top of the 6th when Marisa Fowler, Ariel Brewer and Jessica Boulia drew consecutive walks. Sydney Putnam singled to score Fowler and Sarah Alexander knocked in Brewer with a fielder's choice.
Consecutive one out singles by Amanda Alexander and Samantha Giruzzi put the Lady Bombers up 8-3, which is the way we'd head to the bottom of the 6th inning.
(Ilion shortstop Sarah Alexander comes up looking at first after making a big diving catch.)
Mount Markham put two on the board in the bottom of the 6th, when Jamie Lyncourt and Vanessa Lynk scored on an infield error and two past balls by the Lady Bombers defense, pulling the Lady Mustangs within 8-5 after six innings.
Head Coach Patrick Whalen's Lady Bombers put this one out of reach in the top of the seventh when Ariel Brewer drew a leadoff walk and was quickly sacrifice bunted to second by Jessica Boulia.
A two out walk to Sarah Alexander set the table for Amanda Alexander, who knocked her in on an infield hit to make it 9-5 Ilion.
Amanda Alexander later scored on a single by Giruzzi to make it 10-5. Giruzzi plated Ilion's 11th run of the game after a single by Emily Gilman and an RBI infield hit by Janell Risi.
Mount Markham closed the gap to 11-6 in the home half of the 7th when Paige Atwell helped her own cause with a two out single and scored on the next pitch which was driven to right center by Jamie Lyncourt for an RBI double.
Samantha Giruzzi put the fire out by getting Vanessa Lynk to ground out end the game.
Ilion improves to (7-3), while Mount Markham drops to (1-8) on the season, despite keeping this one close for nearly the entire game.
(Ilion pitcher Samatha Giruzzi lets one fly.)
Samantha Giruzzi went all 7 for Ilion, allowing 6 runs on 7 hits, striking out 8 and walking 3 for the win. Paige Atwell also went the distance for the Lady Bombers, allowing 11 runs (5 earned), on 11 hits and striking out 5 in the losing effort.
Samantha Giruzzi led Ilion offensively going 3 for 4 with 2 singles a double, 2 RBI and 2 runs scored. Mount Markham's Paige Atwell went 2 for 4 at the plate, with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI.
Ilion 11 Mount Markham 6
Box Score
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Ilion 0 2 1 0 1 4 3 11 11 1
Mt. Markham 0 0 0 2 1 2 1 6 7 3
