Already, the Bishop Ludden softball team has found a place in the state Class C top 10 — the no. 9 spot, to be exact. And it has every intention to stay unbeaten and move up those rankings.
And on the surface, Friday’s home game with Bishop Grimes appeared to be a simple one. After all, the day before Ludden had gone to East Syracuse and beaten the Cobras 22-0, so there was little reason to think the rematch would be diffrent.
Something turned around in 24 hours, though, as Grimes pitcher Sarah Oberton hurt the Gaelic Knights many different ways in a 4-3 upset.
All the trouble began in the first inning, when Grimes tagged Ludden pitcher Grace Rooney for a run. Then, in the top of the second, Oberton stepped up and, with two on, socked a pitch over the fence for a three-run home run.
Down 4-0, Ludden had to come back against Oberton, and began to do so with a run in the fourth inning. Then, in the bottom of the seventh, the Gaelic Knights scored twice on Kim Balla’s single, pulling within one – but Oberton got the final out.
Before this, the Gaelic Knights bashed Port Byron 17-1 last Wednesday afternoon in its return to action, ignoring the windy conditions to register 18 hits.
A seven-run second inning and five-run outburst in the third decided matters as Rooney blasted a grand slam on her way to a four-hit effort at the plate. Jess Sciore doubled twice, while Kayla Kibling earned four hits of her own, including a double and triple.
Sciore and Beth Jerome each had three RBIs, while Korey Kibling hit her own home run and joined her sister in the two-RBI column.Balla, Catie Graf and Kristen Ryan each got one RBI as Rooney pitched the whole game, earning four strikeouts while holding the Panthers to three hits.
The fun continued Thursday, when Ludden smothered Grimes in the first of back-to-back games. Korey Kibling returned to the pitcher’s circle and threw a three-hit shutout, earning 12 strikeouts along the way.
Seven total runs in the first three innings gave the Gaelic Knights enough to win – but it still scored nine times in the top of the fourth. Rooney and both Kibling sisters bashed home runs, with Ryan joining Rooney and
Kayla Kibling with four RBIs. Jerome, Meg Curry and Korey Kibling drove in two runs apiece as Balla and Jessica Sciore also earned RBIs.
Awakened by the loss in the Grimes rematch, the Gaelic Knights came right back on Saturday, blanking Tully 8-0 as Korey Kibling threw a three-hit shutout and constantly baffled the Black Knights’ hitters on her way to a season-best 19 strikeouts.
All of Ludden’s runs came in the third inning, where it batted around and saw Rooney earn two-run triple. Jerome and both Kibling sisters contributed RBIs, too, before Tully pitcher Tirzah Smith could settle things down.
With that win, Ludden took an 11-1 record into games this week against Onondaga, Pulaski and Port Byron.
