To the softball purist, a pitchers’ duel usually is a lot of fun.
In Thursday’s Shore Conference Class B South matchup between Manchester and Central, the Hawks had the fun.
In the top of the 10th inning, Katelyn Kettman sacrifice bunted Madison Leppert to third base and Leppert scored on passed ball for the only run of the game, as the Hawks (5-3, 5-1) edged the Golden Eagles (4-4, 3-3), 1-0.
Alyssa Hampton gave up three hits and two walks while striking out 11 to earn the victory, while Stephanie Pepper, who doubled at the plate, came up on the short end, despite 15 strikeouts and allowing a trio of hits.
Two of the Hawks’ three hits were doubles by Nicole Penna and Taylor Goss.
HOWELL 4, MARLBORO 3: Winning pitcher Alexis Ruiz reached on an error, before singles by Annemarie Bartow and Emily DeGenova loaded the bases and Paige Eckert cleared the bases with a double in the top of the seventh, as the Rebels (5-1, 3-1) got by the Mustangs in an A North clash.
Marlboro (1-5, 0-4), which has lost four one-run games so far, went ahead, 3-2, in the sixth when Macie Ditillo and Brooke Kaminski singled, Danielle Triolo advanced them with a sac bunt and Jenny Frometa squeezed a run in before a single by Lindsey Fhima scored the third run.
Ruiz struck out two and walked one in a relief effort.
HENRY HUDSON 3, POINT BEACH 2: Kendall Keelen’s five strikeouts all came in crucial situations, as she scatteed eight hits and allowed no walks for the victory in the circle and the Admirals were the beneficiaries of four Garnet Gull errors.
Alexa Russell and Sam Kelly each went 2-for-3 with RBI doubles in the first and fourth, respectively, but Henry Hudson scored on an error in the top of the fifth to swipe the B Central contest with just two hits.
RB CATHOLIC 3, MONMOUTH 2: After Megan Mego slugged a two-run homer to give the Falcons a one-run lead in the top of the seventh, the Caseys (5-5, 5-3) bounced back to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh and added a run in the eighth to win a Class A Central game.
Gabby Bram, who was 3-for-4, drove in Anne Flego with the tying run in RBC’s seventh at-bat, and Maggie Rue drilled a homer to lead off the home eighth to end the game.
Jen Mancino struck out 15 and walked one to gain the victory.
JACKSON MEMORIAL 5, TR SOUTH 1: Kara Molnar allowed five hits, fanned six and walked none, and Jill Parinello hit a pinch-hit single to bring in Teresa Carr, who was hit by a pitch with one out, in the sixth to snap a 1-1 tie, as the Jaguars (6-2, 4-2) grabbed the A South victory.
Dana Varriello, who whacked a triple, Jordyn Calderon, Jordan Barcus and Molnar each had two hits to pace the Jackson Memorial offense. Harley Gowdy had two of the Indians’ hits.
