STAC SOFTBALL: OWEGO OPENS WITH EXTRA-INNING WIN OVER FORKS (2023-04-05)

Tioga County Sports Report
BINGHAMTON — Owego rallied in the top of the seventh inning to tie its season opener against Chenango Forks, then plated a trio of runs in the eighth to post a 7-4 STAC softball victory here Monday.

With one away in the seventh, Layla Etienne doubled to center field and scored on Maia Smith’s single to center to tie the game.

Indians pitcher Carsten Crawford induced three straight groundouts, two to Brooklyn Gaurnier and another to Smith, to send the game into extra innings.

The bats came to life early in the extra session as Miley Laubach, Jordan Greeno and Gaurnier singled with Gaurnier driving in Laubach.

Sarah Terry doubled to left to score Greeno, but Forks got Gaurnier at the plate. Crawford singled and Maddie Bennett walked to load the bases, then Etienne’s sacrifice fly to center moved Terry home.

The Blue Devils put two runners on in their half of the eighth on an error and a walk, but Crawford struck out the next two batters to end the game.

Owego’s first two runs of the contest occurred after Laubach walked, Gaurnier singled and Terry brought both runners home with a sac bunt.

Forks got a run back on an error walk and two bas hits, but Crawford struck out the side to keep the Indians ahead, 2-1.

A walk and sac bunt allowed CF to tie the game in the third and the Devils parlayed three singles into the go-ahead run in the third. A sac bunt then put Forks up, 4-2.

In the fourth, Gaurnier walked, stole second, advanced to third on an error off the bat of Crawford and scored on Bennett’s ground out to short.

Crawford scattered eight hits and struck out 10 to get the win. She gave up four runs, three earned, and walked five. She also helped her cause at the plate by going 2-for-4.

Gaurnier paced the team’s 11-hit attack with a 3-for-3 effort that included two hits and an RBI while Terry drove in a trio of runs while going 1-for-3 with one run.

Smith was 2-for-4 with an RBI, Etienne went 1-for-3 with a run and RBI, Laubach was 1-for-3 with a pair of runs and Greeno went 1-for-4 with a run.

Owego hosts state runner-up Chenango Valley Monday.