IAC SOFTBALL: BERGHORN'S WALK-OFF HR LIFTS NEWARK VALLEY OVER S-VE (2019-04-25)

Tioga County Sports Report
NEWARK VALLEY — Marissa Berghorn belted a three-run walk-off home run to lift Newark Valley to a 7-4 victory over S-VE in IAC non-division play here Thursday.

With one away in the bottom of the seventh, Wandell reached on an error and April Simmons singled to center field, setting the stage for Berghorn’s heroics.

Berghorn would go 2-for-4 on the day, her other hit being an RBI double. She scored twice.

S-VE didn’t waste any time scoring as lead-off hitter Madison Sousa reached base safely and scored on Abby Kellogg’s base hit.

NV pitcher Cassidy Hoffmier retired the six straight batters before giving up a walk in Sousa’s second at-bat.

Meanwhile, Simmons knotted the score in the bottom of the first, singling and scoring on a Hoffmier single.

Sousa and Rhianna Lawrence reached base in the third with two away, but were stranded. The Cardinals responded by plating a trio of runs in their half of the inning.

Simmons was hit by a pitch, Berghorn doubled her home and Hoffmier reached on an error and scored, giving NV a 4-1 advantage.

The Panthers bounced back with a run in the fifth when Leah Watkins reached on an error and scored.

They tied the score in the sixth when Hannah Harmon singled and scored, McKenzie Jones tripled and scored, and Shannon Connor singled.

S-VE threatened to score again to start the seventh as Sousa singled and Lawrence walked, but the duo was stranded in scoring position.

Lawrence would retire 11 of 13 batters from the third to seventh innings, only giving up a fourth-inning single to Sarah Mertson and a sixth-inning double to Staci Greene during that span.

Hoffmier gave up two earned runs on nine hits, and recorded two strikeouts and three walks.

Lawrence struck out seven and didn’t allow a walk.

Simmons went 2-for-3 with three runs for NV. Hoffmier had a hit, run and RBI; and Wandell, Greene and Mertson added one hit each.

Sousa, Kellogg and Connor had two hits apiece for S-VE while Harmon, Jones and Watkins added one hit each.

NV (7-3) hosts Ithaca at 10 a.m. Saturday while S-VE (3-5) hosts Candor, Notre Dame and Dryden in its own tournament Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m.