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By Andy Stine
astine@altoonamirror.com
ALEXANDRIA -- Down 1-0 in the bottom of the fourth inning of Thursday's District 6 Class 1A first-round softball game against 10th-seeded Williamsburg, seventh-seeded Juniata Valley was looking for a spark for its offense.
They got double of what they asked for from the bats of Taryn Stewart and Kassidy Watson, who both launched home runs in the bottom of the fourth to jump-start the Lady Hornet offense. It continued the rest of the way in an 11-3 victory over Williamsburg at Juniata Valley High School.
"We started a lot slower than what I anticipated or wanted," Juniata Valley coach Robbie Hall said. "After the first couple innings, I thought, 'We're asleep here. We have to wake up.' About the fourth inning, we finally did."
Stewart's homer led off the frame as she knocked a 1-2 pitch out to left-center field to tie the game. After Carly Rowe reached on an error, Watson crushed a 1-1 pitch well over the left field fence that just snuck inside the foul pole to give Juniata Valley a 3-1 lead.
From there, the floodgates opened as the Lady Hornets scored one more time in the fourth, three more in the fifth, and four in the sixth.
"I think after me and Taryn both hit home runs, we kind of turned it on and put it in gear," Watson said.
"Taryn's home run started everything, and then Kassidy just unloaded on one," said Hall. "She pounded that ball."
That came after Williamsburg pitcher Kara Lansberry silenced the JV bats for the first three innings. The Lady Hornets managed just two hits in those first three innings before unleashing in the fourth.
But along with Juniata Valley's bats coming alive, the Lady Pirates' defense didn't do itself any favors with six errors on the day.
"We could have done better this season," Williamsburg coach Debbie Fay said. "We had a lot more errors than we should have this season, and it held us back from playing better. But Juniata Valley played well today, and we want to wish them the best of luck the rest of the way."
While her offense waited a few innings to get going, Juniata Valley freshman pitcher Braelyn Hall did well to keep her team in the game. After allowing a sacrifice fly to Williamsburg's Chelsea Lane in the top of the second, she didn't allow another run until the sixth inning when her team was up 7-1.
For the day, Hall allowed two earned runs on seven hits, walked three and struck out eight.
"That has to feel good for her as a freshman," Hall said. "Williamsburg has a couple good sticks. I thought she pitched very well today. I'm really pleased."
Stewart, Rowe, Makenna Hartman, and Hall all had two hits on the day for the Lady Hornets. Ava Allison added a triple.
Williamsburg got a pair of hits from Laney Prough and MeCenzie Calderwood.
Juniata Valley advances to play at second-seeded Glendale on Monday in the quarterfinals at 4 p.m.
WILLIAMSBURG (3): Harnish cf 311, Norris 3b 401, Lansberry p 411, Prough 2b 402, Calderwood ss 312, Brubaker lf 200, Lane 1b 100, Rinalli c 300, Barroner dp 200, Tomasiello ph 100, Bowmaster (flex) rf 000. Totals -- 27-3-7.
JUNIATA VALLEY (11): Allison c 411, Thompson cf 410, Stewart 1b 432, Rowe 2b 422, Watson dp 321, Coffman rf 310, Morgan ph 100, Hartman 3b 302, Walters ss 400, Hall p 312, Brown (flex) lf 000. Totals -- 33-11-10.
SCORE BY INNINGS
Williamsburg…………. 010 001 1 -- 3 7 6
Juniata Valley…………000 434 x-- 11 10 1
E --Norris 3, Calderwood 2, Bowmaster; Walters. LOB--Williamsburg 7, Juniata Valley 6. 2B--Prough, Calderwood. 3B--Allison. HR--Lansberry (Solo, 6th inning); Stewart (Solo, 4th inning), Watson (1 on, 4th inning). SF--Lane. SB--Thompson, Hall. CS--Brubaker (by Allison). RBI--Prough, Calderwood; Allison, Thompson, Stewart 2, Rowe, Watson 3, Hartman 2, Hall.
PITCHING
Williamsburg: Lansberry (L) -- 6 IP, 10 H, 11 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 7 SO.
Juniata Valley: Hall (W) -- 7 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 8 SO.
Records: Williamsburg (3-17); Juniata Valley (11-7).