Somers 12u can't hold early lead against Yorktown

SOMERS, N.Y. - On Thursday, July 23, the smoke had long since cleared, and Somers' 12U team returned to the diamond against Yorktown. At Primrose Field, the Tuskers combined timely hitting with effective pitching to build a 4-1 lead, but the home team couldn't hold on.

Yorktown rallied to tie the game in the fourth inning before pulling away for a 13-6 victory.

The Huskers struck first. After Samantha Thomas recorded the first two outs on a pop-up to Melina Olivera and a ground ball to Isabella Villareale, Leah Bellor sparked a two-out rally with a single to left. Marissa Calvert followed with a triple to deep center, giving Yorktown a 1-0 lead.

Thomas quickly settled back in. She induced a ground ball to third, where Olivera handled it cleanly to end the inning.

Leading off the bottom of the first, Thomas drew a walk and stole second before being thrown out trying to take third. The unsuccessful steal loomed larger when Grace Magnotta reached on an error.

Thomas didn't let it affect her in the circle. After Villareale made a diving play for the first out of the second inning, Thomas struck out the next two batters to retire the side.

Yorktown starter Addison Rizzo was equally sharp early, striking out the first two batters she faced in the second before snagging Bridgette Murphy's comebacker to send the game to the third.

Thomas answered with two more strikeouts and a groundout, keeping Rizzo under pressure.

This time, Somers broke through. Rizzo walked Jazmin Marcano and Thomas before Olivera's groundout advanced both runners. Magnotta then hit a ground ball to shortstop, trading an out at first for two runs that gave Somers the lead.

With the momentum on its side, Somers kept hitting. Sadie Siena dropped a bloop single behind first base, Elizabeth Spallina followed with an infield single, and Hadley Stephens lined an RBI single up the middle. Villareale capped the four-run inning with a single to right, stretching the lead to 4-1.

Unfortunately for Somers, the advantage didn't last.

Olivera entered the circle but struggled to find the strike zone, walking one batter and hitting two others. Yorktown picked up a run on a wild pitch, though Olivera struck out the next two hitters and appeared poised to escape the inning.

Juliana Dugan then lifted a pop-up behind the plate, but Magnotta's diving attempt came up just short. Another wild pitch followed before an infield single tied the game at 4-4.

Somers was unable to answer in the bottom of the fourth, and the game slipped away from there. Yorktown capitalized on more control issues to score nine runs over the final two innings. Somers added two runs in the sixth but couldn't mount a comeback, falling 13-6.