In recent years, few area high school softball teams could contain Solvay as it racked up league and Section III titles, along with a state championship in 2017.
But as things have changed, that gap has gone away, and Jordan-Elbridge illustrated this fact by knocking off the Bearcats 9-7 last Monday afternoon in the OHSL Liberty division opener for both sides.
Solvay was up 2-1 when, in the bottom of the third inning, the Eagles’ bats got going, scoring three times in that frame and then adding three runs in the fourth to take the lead for good.
Even with that, a two-run sixth inning was required to thwart Solvay’s late comeback attempt as Mikaylee Whalen led J-E, going four-for-four with four RBIs.
McKayla Rhomer’s three hits led to two RBIs as she scored three runs. Megan Bard, Mollie Yard and Gabriella Bard drove in one run apiece. Solvay got three hits and two RBIs from Izzy Lambert as Jordan Bamba and Sidney Chaffee each scored twice.
When J-E went for a local sweep on Wednesday against Marcellus, the result proved far different as the Mustangs steadily pulled away and shut out the Eagles 9-0.
Four times in the first five innings, Marcellus had multiple-run rallies, but even one of them was enough for pitcher Aubrey Fraher, who held J-E to three hits while striking out 12.
Not only did Fraher pitch well, she bashed a home run and finished with three RBIs at the plate. Caroline Trytek added two hits and two RBIs as Hannah Durand and Shannon Kellar drove in runs and Emma MacLachlan doubled.
Meanwhile, Solvay rebounded by smashing Hannibal 22-5, remarkably scoring all 22 of those runs in the first two innings with 11-run rallies in the first and second frames.
Amid the barrage, Chaffee and Caitlin McCann each produced four RBIs, with Allie Posnick, Hannah Martineau and Bre Kuhles getting two RBIs apiece. All nine players in the Solvay lineup scored at least two runs.
An even bigger win came on Friday afternoon, when Solvay took on reigning sectional Class B champion CBA and rolled past the Brothers 7-3.
Trailing twice in the early going, the Bearcats battled back to tie it, 3-3, and then took the lead for good with three runs in the top of the fifth, adding a run in the sixth before rain shortened the game.
McCann’s home run was the big blow as she finished the day with three RBIs. Martineau and Lambert both scored twice, Bamba adding two hits. Lambert pitched all six innings, overcoming six hits and four walks.
Marcellus kept going on Thursday with a 20-1 destruction of Mexico that featured an 11-run first inning and another home run from Fraher on her way to three RBIs and four runs scored.
Evelyn Webster went three-for-four and drove in four runs, with Katie MacLachlan, Emily Durand and Samantha Wynne each scoring three runs. Ellie Mahoney and Emma MacLachlan had two RBIs apiece.
