EBENSBURG — Central Cambria softball started out the season at 8-0, and five of those games were decided by 10 or more runs.

The Lady Red Devils were handed not just one, but two of their toughest tests of the season on Friday in Bellefonte pitchers Adrienne Masullo and Abby Herr.

Although Central Cambria had its openings at the plate, it was the bat of Masullo that proved to be the X-factor. Masullo ripped an RBI double in the top of the eighth inning to hand Central Cambria its first loss of the season, 3-2, in eight innings.

It was Masullo’s third hit of the game in the eighth inning, and all of them went for extra bases. One of them was blasted for a solo home run off Central Cambria pitcher Rowyn Ruddek.

“She was a tough out,” Central Cambria coach Steve Ruddek said. “We really struggled to just figure her out. (Rowyn) was pretty confident in the pitch that she threw when she hit the home run. She said, ‘Dad, it was there. It moved like I wanted it to.’ She just went and got it, and that’s going to happen. Good hitters are going to do that.

“This was a game I felt like we could win, and we just didn’t come out and put our best effort out there. I give credit to that team. They played an excellent game.”

Masullo had three of her team’s five hits.

“She works really hard,” Bellefonte coach Erica DeVinney said. “She sees the ball really well, and she’s been seeing it really well. Today was an awesome day for it.”

While she did plenty of damage at the plate, Masullo was also solid in the pitcher’s circle for the Lady Raiders. She allowed just one hit, a solo home run to Kaydence Sinclair, in the bottom of the second inning.

Bellefonte scored in the top of the first inning with Masullo cracking her first double before scoring on a pair of wild pitches.

After Sinclair’s solo homer tied it in the bottom of the second inning, the two teams were kept off the board for the next three frames.

Masullo’s homer came in the top of the sixth to give Bellefonte a 2-1 lead, but the Lady Devils got their lone run of the game in the bottom half.

Katie Scott blooped in an RBI single to plate Ruddek with one out, but Herr struck out the next two batters to keep the go-ahead run at third base.

Masullo’s second double of the game in the top of the eighth sealed the signature victory for Bellefonte.

“It just shows how much we’ve been working, and how hard we’ve been working,” DeVinney said. “We’ve only played five games so far, and I think it shows the growth that we’ve had so far. I’m just really proud right now. They fought for eight innings.”

Herr picked up the win for Bellefonte, allowing one earned run on three hits, walking one and striking out seven.

“Their pitchers both threw really well,” Coach Ruddek said. “They kept us off-balance a little bit. We’ve just got to do better at the plate for ourselves.”

Rowyn Ruddek went the distance and struck out 13 batters and walked two while giving up five hits.

Central Cambria hosts Altoona today at noon.

BELLEFONTE (3): Moore ss 411, Masullo p-1b 423, Santostefano cf 200, Rimmey 3b 300, E. Herr c 400, A. Herr 1b-p 301, Carson lf 300, Roan 2b 300, Kellogg dp 300, Osman (flex) rf 000. Totals — 29-3-5.

CENTRAL CAMBRIA (2): Ruddek p 311, Matlin cf 401, Scott c 401, Sinclair ss 311, Biter 2b 300, Ferguson 1b 300, Neves 3b 300, Saylor dp 300, Springer lf 200, Claar ph 100, Trimble (flex) rf 000. Totals — 29-2-4.

SCORE BY INNINGS

Bellefonte 100 001 01–3 5 2

Central Cambria 010 001 00–2 4 0

2B–Masullo (B) 2; Matlin (CC). HR–Masullo (B); Sinclair (CC). RBI–Masullo (B) 2; Scott (CC), Sinclair (CC). WP–A. Herr. LP–Ruddek. SO–Masullo (B) 5, A. Herr (B) 7; Ruddek (CC) 13. BB–Masullo (B) 0, A. Herr (B) 1; Ruddek (CC) 2.

Records: Bellefonte (3-2); Central Cambria (8-1).