Home Local Sports Big innings carry St. Elizabeth past Ursuline in softball: Photo gallery

Big innings carry St. Elizabeth past Ursuline in softball: Photo gallery

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St. Elizabeth batted around twice in a victory over Ursuline. Dialog photo/Mike Lang

BRANDYWINE HUNDRED — St. Elizabeth fell behind Ursuline, 3-0, in the first inning of their game March 29. But the Vikings stormed back, batting around twice en route to a 20-5 win in six innings at the Talleyville Girls Softball fields.

Ursuline, fielding a team this season for the first time since 2016, is heavy on youth. The Raiders’ starting lineup against the Vikings included two eighth-graders, a freshman and four sophomores. But they got the bats going early against St. Elizabeth pitcher Hailey Rambo, another freshman.

Eighth-grader Kate Lovett opened the bottom of the first with a single. She scored when the next hitter, Ava Panunto drove a triple to right-center field. Audrey Pachuta walked and stole second. After a strikeout, Maddie Cherry and Lainey Wriggins each delivered a run-scoring single.

Rambo scored in the second after leading off the inning with a single to begin the Vikings’ comeback. They took the lead in the third with the first of three big innings. Skylar Gallucio reached on an infield single, and two walks sandwiched around a strikeout loaded the bases. Hannah Steenkamer singled up the middle, scoring Gallucio, and Rambo and Brooke Ainsworth came around when the ball got past the centerfielder. Jenna Bozzo knocked in Steenkamer with a single, giving the Vikings a 5-3 advantage.

St. Elizabeth extended the lead to eight with a six-run fifth. With one out, the Vikings loaded the bases with two singles and a walk. Two walks drove in runs, and Erin Donohue picked up a run batted in with a fly ball. A Gallucio double scored two, and she eventually scored on a bases-loaded walk.

Pachuta smacked a two-RBI triple in the bottom of the fifth for the Raiders, but St. Elizabeth batted around again in the sixth, this time putting up nine runs. Annabella Zagame had the loudest hit, a run-scoring triple.

A box score was not posted as of late Monday night, but Rambo reached base all five times she was up, scoring four times and driving in a pair of runs. Bozzo also was on five times with three runs scored and two RBI. Rambo had nine strikeouts. The Vikings improved to 2-1 and will travel to Red Lion on Tuesday at 4 p.m.

For the Raiders, Lovett and Panunto each scored twice. Ursuline (0-3) is not scheduled to play again until April 15 at Newark at 4 p.m.

All photos by Mike Lang.