by Gregg Meadows
Coach Brian Sterling’s Tri-Valley softball team hit a bump in the road last week when they lost back-to-back games to Sheridan, but have since rebounded with three straight wins.
Monday night, Apr. 29 at home, the host Lady Dawgs defeated visiting Maysville by a 9-0 count to improve to 17-5 overall.
Lady Dawg junior Paiton Murphy led the winners, pitching seven innings on the mound, giving up just two hits, two base-on balls, and eight strikeouts while going 2-3 at the plate, and knocking in two runs.
Murphy had plenty of help on the offensive end, as Ally Peterson led Lady Dawg batters, clubbing three doubles, scoring a run, and knocking in three runs, Caity Journey went 3-4 with two doubles, an rbi and two runs scored, Alivia Reffitt had a double and run scored, Kylan Brock added two hits with an rbi, and Larsyn Holdsworth chipped in a big way with a third-inning two-run home run.
On Friday, Apr. 26 at Indian Valley, the visiting Lady Dawgs defeated the host Lady Braves 7-2 and were led by Paiton Murphy at the plate with her 2-3 night that included a double and a triple, two rbi’s and a run scored, followed by Alivia Reffitt who went 2-4 with a triple and knocked in a pair of runs and scored one as well, and Larsyn Holdsworth, who clubbed a double, single, knocked in a run and scored a run as well for the winners.
Ashlyn Davis brought the mound win back home to Dresden, giving up just two runs with no base on balls, and five strikeouts of Indian Valley batters.
On Thursday, Apr. 25 at Morgan, the Lady Dawgs snapped their three-game losing skid with a 6-1 win at Morgan over the host Lady Raiders.
Cydnee Wolford led Lady Dawg batters with her 2-4 night that included a double, rbi and run scored, with plenty of help from Caity Journey (2-4, rbi and two runs scored), and Paiton Murphy who enjoyed a 2-4 night as well at the plate. Alivia Reffitt and Kylan Brock added doubles for the winners, who were benefactors of another strong performance from pitching standout Paiton Murphy, who threw six strong innings of four-hit, three KO ball, with relief help from Ashlyn Davis, who mowed down two of the three batters she faced on strikes.
On Wednesday evening, Apr. 24 in Dresden, Muskingum Valley League juggernaut John Glenn came to town and defeated the host Lady Dawgs by a 9-3 count in extra innings.
The visiting Lady Muskies and host Tri-Valley were tied at 3-3 after seven innings, but visiting JG plated six runs in the top of the eighth inning, then kept the home team Lady Dawgs off the scoreboard in their last at-bat to record the big win.
Larsyn Holdsworth led the Lady Dawgs at the plate, going 2-4 with two rbi’s and Katelyn Paxson, who went 2-3 with a double and run scored.
Preceding the John Glenn loss were costly back-to-back losses to the Sheridan Lady Generals – first on Tuesday night, Apr. 23 at Kenny Wolford Park as the host Lady Dawgs fell 13-6, then on Monday night, April 22 in Somerset, where the black–and-gold fell 5-2 to the host Lady Generals.
In the Apr. 23 defeat at home to SHS, Ally Peterson led Lady Dawg batters at the plate with her 3-4 night and two doubles, while Kylan Brock slugged a three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh for the hosts. Katelyn Paxson, Paiton Murphy, and Cydnee Wolford also added doubles for the home team.
In the Monday night, 5-2 April 22 loss to host Sheridan, Kylan Brock led the Lady Dawg offense going 2-3 at the plate with a double, while Caity Journey went 1-4 with an rbi fifth-inning double that scored Katelyn Paxson, and Ally Peterson added a second-inning leadoff home run.
Paiton Murphy pitched six innings, giving up eight hits and five runs, while striking out six Lady Generals batters.
Coach Jody Williams’ Lady Dawg junior varsity team upped their record to 15-4 on the season with their Monday night, Apr. 29, 20-0 win over host Maysville.
In the win over the host Lady Panthers, TV was led at the plate by Brooklyn Cox who went 3-4 with a triple and two rbi’s and four runs scored, and Felicity Grable, who went 3-3 at the plate with a pair of rbi’s and two runs scored as well. Winning pitcher Rion Harmon threw six strong innings, giving up five hits and striking out nine Lady Panther batters. The winners also got doubles from Cameron Morrison, Brooklyn Toler, and Natalie McCarty.
Previous wins in recent TV JV play included an Apr. 25 win vs. Morgan with a 15-4 score in favor of Tri-Valley, who got a 4-4 night at the plate from Brooklyn Cox with three rbi’s and three runs scored, multiple hit nights from Felicity Grable, Taylor Harney (a double), Arianne Fitz (with a double and two rbi’s), a double from Natalie McCarty with two rbi’s, and a solid pitching performance from Rion Harmon who threw six solid innings, giving up just three hits, two walks, and striking out seven Lady Raiders.
On Monday, April 22 at home vs Sheridan, the Lady Dawg JVs beat Sheridan’s reserves 18-4, clubbing 15 hits in a five-inning mercy win. Gracie Hutton and Rion Harmon combined their mound talents to get the win, with Hutton mowing down seven Lady Generals and Harmon four while allowing just two hits. The Lady Dawgs got multiple hits from Lauren Leas, Cameron Morrison, Rion Harmon, Natalie McCarty, and Julia Carpenter.
