(Oakland) Riverside and AHSTW were fully engaged in a pitcher’s duel on Monday evening. The Lady Dawgs pushed in a run on a bases loaded walk in the 8th inning to win 2-1.
Riverside senior Kenna Ford allowed four hits, no walks, one unearned run, and struck out ten. She surpasses 500 career strikeouts, having entered the game with 493. AHSTW 8th grader Sienna Christian also struck out ten batters on the night. She surrendered six hits, four walks (one intentional), and two earned runs. Ford said after the game of her milestone, “It’s pretty cool. I didn’t know, so it was pretty exciting.” Ford fanned six of the first nine batters she faced.
In the decisive 8th inning, Elly Henderson set the table with a one out single. Henderson had four of the team’s six hits on the night. Ford’s bunt single moved Henderson to 3rd. “I called time and ask (coach) if I could do it. He said only if I could get there. I told him usually I’m hitting so I don’t think they’ll expect it. So I did it and I guess it worked out for the best.” Katie Messerschmidt was intentionally walked to create a force at every base. In stepped Izzy Bluml who induced a walk to score Henderson and end the game at 2-1.
Each pitcher was especially sharp after giving up runs in the 3rd inning. Christian allowed only one walk and one hit from the 4th through the 7th. Ford fired five consecutive 1-2-3 frames and earns her 62nd career pitching victory.
AHSTW briefly held a 1-0 lead thanks to a Graycen Partlow triple in the top of the 3rd. She scored on a throwing error when the catcher tried to pick her off at 3rd base. Riverside tied it in the bottom of the 3rd at 1-1. Morgan Heiny singled and her courtesy runner Ayla Richardson moved up to 2nd and 3rd on wild pitches. Richardson scored on a single by Henderson.
Riverside has won five of their last six games. They avenge a prior 7-6 loss to the Lady Vikes and are now 10-9 on the season. AHSTW has their four game win streak snapped and falls to 10-7.
