Ariella Bell scores on wild pitch as part of five-run first inning for Electric City Shock.
By Sean Reilly
The Electric City Shock has traveled from their base in Scranton, Pa., to Diamond Nation this weekend with their sights set on a championship at the Aces Stars and Stripes Softball Tournament.
With one day complete at the holiday weekend event, the Shock is well on the way toward achieving its goal.
Electric City won all three of its games on Saturday, opening with a 10-0 victory over Finch’s Aces 12U, followed by a 9-1 triumph over Maryland Black Ice 12U. It then beat Syracuse Sports Zone, 11-1, to earn the top seed for Sunday’s four-team playoffs.
“We’re looking to win it,” said Ariella Bell, whose day included a four-inning shutout pitching performance against the Aces and a walk, single and an RBI against the Black Ice. “We have to keep playing hard.”
After the impressive win over the hometown Aces in the opener, Electric City carried the momentum into the next game by scoring five runs in the bottom of the first against the Black Ice for a 5-0 lead.
The first five batters in that frame all scored, on just one hit. Leadoff batter Riley Grambo was hit by a pitch, stole second and then scored on two wild pitches with Bell at the plate.
Bell walked, as did third batter Avarie Roscioli. With cleanup batter Cameron Forgione at the plate, a wild pitch scored Bell for a 2-0 lead. Forgione then walked, at which point the Black Ice changed pitchers.
With Gabriella Carra at the plate, a wild pitch scored both Roscioli and Forgione. Carra then singled on a full count pitch to left field. She stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch, before scoring the fifth run on a safety squeeze bunt by Anna Havenstrite.
Maryland Black Ice third baseman Eva Kozloski is set to tag out Electric City runner.
Maryland Black Ice 12U got three of their five hits during a four-batter span in the top of the second. It started with Reisyn Hailstorks lining a single off the leg of pitcher Anna Clemontoni, who was shaken up but remained in the game. Ruby Piet hit a single that dropped in shallow center field, and after a strikeout, Hailey Marquette hit an RBI single to right field.
Electric City then scored three times in the bottom of the frame for an 8-1 lead. With the bases loaded and one out, Bell hit an RBI single to center. With the bases still loaded, Roscioli smacked a two-run double to right center, with the third base runner erased at the plate.
The final run scored in the bottom of the third. Carra led off with her second hit, a single to left field. She stole second, moved to third on a ground out, and then scored on a wild pitch with Havenstrite at the plate.
Clementoni pitched all five innings for the win. Aside from yielding five hits, she struck out seven and walked one.
Maryland Black Ice finished the day with a 2-1 record. It won its first game, 9-8, over Syracuse Sports Zone and closed with a 9-6 decision over Finch’s Aces 12U.
In the Sunday evening playoffs, Maryland Black Ice meets Finch’s Aces at 5:30, followed by Electric City against Syracuse Sports Zone at 7. The winners play for the championship at 8:30.