NTL SOFTBALL: TOWANDA POWERS ITS WAY PAST ATHENS, 11-2 (6 PHOTOS) (2024-04-19)

Valley Sports Report
ATHENS — Towanda took a while to find its groove at the plate, but reeled off 11 unanswered runs on its way to an 11-2 win over Athens here Friday afternoon in NTL Large School Division softball action.

The Wildcats scored an unearned run in the bottom of the second inning to take a 1-0 lead, and held that lead through the end of the third inning.

Towanda, which was held hitless through three innings by Athens’ junior hurler Savannah Persun, found its offensive footing in the top of the fourth with four hits and a sacrifice fly to take a 3-1 lead.

The Knights added two runs in the fifth inning on an Aleah Johnson home run to take a 5-1 lead, then tacked on four more runs in the sixth inning in a rally that included another two-run round-tripper by Johnson to extend the lead to 9-1.

Athens got back on the board in the bottom of the sixth on a one-out double by junior Jules Pack, a single by sophomore Savannah Finan, and an RBI single by Marissa Butler to make it 9-2.

Brynsen Vargason added a two-run homer in the top of the seventh for the Black Knights to provide the final margin.

Pack doubled and singled, and scored one run, senior Ashlynn VanFleet singled twice and scored one run, Finan singled twice and drove in one run, and sophomore Maddie Hiley singled twice to pace Athens at the plate.

Butler singled and knocked in one run for the Wildcats, and junior Ella Coyle, and Persun each added a single.

Johnson had three hits, including a pair of home runs, and four RBI, and TaeLynnn Brabant was 3-for-3 to pace Towanda at the plate.

Shaylee Greenland earned the win for Towanda, allowing two runs — one earned — on 11 hits, while striking out eight and walking none.

Athens, now 2-4, travels to Sayre Saturday for a 1 p.m. start.

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PHOTOS BY MATT PATTON.