Manning, Bellefonte shine on Monday showdown with PV

By rscaife
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Updated: April 23, 2018

By Kenny Varner
BELLEFONTE -What a way to start your varsity career.
After playing well on the JV squad, freshman Bellefonte pinch hitter Addy Manning made her presence known at the varsity level immediately as she sent a screaming Home run over the right field fence in her first varsity at bat.
Her team faired just as well also as the Lady Raiders defeated Penns Valley 11-5 at their home field Monday night.
“She’s a freshman and it was her first varsity at bat. The JV coaches told me she has been swinging the ball well and seeing the ball well. I wanted somebody to hit and we gave her a shot and MAN did she make the most of it,” Bellefonte coach Fred Caldwell said.
It would be the shot heard around Bellefonte as Manning took the first pitch she saw and landed into the crowd.
Early on though, the Rams made a statement early, taking a short lead before the Bellefonte bats would warm up and scatter 11 hits over its six innings at the plate.
Multiple hitters for Penns Valley on the afternoon was Allie O’Brien who went 2-for-3, run.
Bellefonte has numerous multiple hits. They were from Alexis Wetzler 2-for-4, run, Maddie Tice 2-for-3 3RBI, Lexi Rogers 2-for-4 RBI, and Taylor Kerr 2-for-3, run, RBI.
“I told them in our post game meeting that I was glad to see that they fell behind and then came back and then took the lead again and we came back again,” Caldwell said. “I think that speaks to the character of the team and I was really happy to see us not fold up and give up.”
Lexi Rogers got the win while Lydia Collison took the loss.
In the first, before the game even settled in Collison took a Rogers pitch and sent it over the left field fence for the solo shot, sending the game into a 1-0 advantage with the Raiders coming to bat.
The Rams Achilles heel on the night came from errors. In all, Penns Valley finished with four.
Mallorie Smith started off Bellefonte’s First with a walk. She then reached second on an error by the catcher. She later scored on a RBI single by Tice, tying it at one.
In the bottom of the second, the Lady Raiders took the lead when DeHaas reached on an error and moved all the way to third on two wild pitches. She scored to take the lead on an RBI single by Taylor Kerr, making it 2-1.
Penns Valley battled back in the third and took the lead scoring three.
Collison, Kaylah Thompson and Kendra Baumgardner all reached the plate, leading 4-2.
Bellefonte rallied to tie things in the bottom of the inning, thanks to two more Rams miscues.
In the fourth, Bellefonte took the lead for good plating two more runs as Wetzler and Smith would score.
Smith would run hone on a wild pitch, breaking the tie while teammate Wetzler scored on an RBI single by Tice.
Holding onto the 6-4 lead, Manning’s 2-run home run all but iced the game for the Red Raiders, making it 8-4.
Rogers would keep the Penns Valley offense at bay, allowing just a run the rest of the way while her offense put three more in the board to walk away with the 11-5 victory.
Bellefonte is back in action Tuesday as it hosts Clearfield.