Those days seem to be very well in the rear-view mirror, and the Lady Blue Devils crossed off another much-needed milestone for the program on Monday with a 9-2 victory over rival Tyrone at George O. Martin Memorial Field.

“It was tough. Seasons were very long,” Quick said. “It was hard to keep kids interested, and it was hard to even get kids out for the team because we weren’t winning. We kind of had an idea of what was coming.

“The three seniors (Parker Martin, London McKee, and Amyra Snyder) and (junior) Palynn Gregg have stuck by this program, and they’ve put us where we are today.”

Gregg was a key in the Lady Blue Devils’ (7-2) success on Monday, tossing the first four innings and allowing an unearned run on four hits. She also added a hit and scored twice.

Bellwood-Antis courtesyrunner Izzy Higgins-Sweet advances on a passed ball under Tyrone third baseman Sage Harris. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

She handed the ball to freshman Lainey Stinson the rest of the way, and Stinson’s speed was even more brutal on the Tyrone lineup as she whiffed eight batters in the final three frames.

Stinson also contributed at the plate with two hits and also drove in two runs.

“I think we throw so many different things, and I think it works really well that we tag team together,” Stinson said. “We both have different speeds and different pitches.”

Tyrone (4-4) had its opportunities, including leaving the bases loaded in the top of the second, but could only muster a run each off the two Bellwood pitchers.

“They have speed and they have movement, and that’s hard to beat,” Tyrone coach Hilary Soellner said. “We didn’t cash in on runs when we had runners on base. It’s hard to win when we’re leaving runners on base.”

After Gregg stranded the bases loaded in the top of the second, she got Bellwood’s first rally started in the bottom of the second with a base hit. It was the first of only two hits in the inning, the second being Karlie Sweigert’s 2-run single to score Izzy Sweet and Avery Conlon.

The Lady Devils also got two more runs in the bottom of the third on RBI singles from Stinson and Amyra Snyder to go up 4-0.

Tyrone scored its first run in the top of the fourth when Paisley Fix singled and wound up at third base on an outfield error. She later scored on a groundout.

Bellwood added another unearned run in the bottom of the fourth before Stinson took the circle. The freshman struck out the side in both the fifth and sixth innings, and got two more strikeouts in the seventh inning.

“They complement each other so nicely,” Quick said. “It’s a 1-2 punch. That’s what we’ve been calling it, and it’s been working.”

Bellwood exploded for four more runs in the bottom of the sixth to put the game out of reach.

Tyrone picked up a run on a 2-out single in the top of the seventh from Amariah Sprankle to set the final.

Bellwood smacked 11 hits for the afternoon.

“We have a strong group of girls this year, and we have the potential to go far,” Stinson said.

Both teams are back in action on Thursday. Tyrone hosts Hollidaysburg, while Bellwood-Antis visits Central.

TYRONE (2): Rockwell p 310, Naylor cf 300, Sprankle ss 401, Harris 3b 402, Fogleman c 300, Fix 1b 312, McNelis 2b 200, Beeman lf 300, Harper rf 301. Totals — 28-2-6.

BELLWOOD-ANTIS (9): Sweigert 2b 312, Martin ss 402, McKee 3b 400, Weeks pr 000, Clabaugh dp 421, Gregg p-1b 221, Stinson 1b-p 312, Snyder lf 402, Conlon cf 310, Johnsonbaugh ph 100, Taylor c 221, Moore (flex) rf 000. Totals — 30-9-11.

SCORE BY INNINGS

Tyrone 000 100 1–2 6 3

Bellwood-Antis 022 104 X–9 11 2

2B–Harris (T). RBI–Harris (T), McNelis (T); Sweigert (BA) 2, Martin (BA), McKee (BA), Clabaugh (BA), Stinson (BA) 2, Snyder (BA) 2. WP–Gregg. LP–Rockwell. SO–Rockwell (T) 6; Gregg (BA) 2, Stinson (BA) 8. BB–Rockwell (T) 5; Gregg (BA) 1, Stinson (BA) 2.

Records: Tyrone (4-4); Bellwood-Antis (7-2).