Hidden Valley broke open a tight game with 5 runs in the fourth inning and the Titans cruised to the 10-0 softball win over River Ridge District foe Patrick Henry Thursday afternoon at Titan Field in a game shortened to five innings by the 10-run rule.
Titan starting pitcher Julie Nelson picked up the win in the circle for Hidden Valley, going 4 2/3 innings before giving way to reliever Mary Walters for the final out in the fifth.
Patriot starter Taylor Eichelberger kept things close for three innings before the Hidden Valley bats heated up.
The Titans got things going in their half of the first when leadoff hitter Jordan Johnson singled, stole second and scored on a fielders choice. Kianna Cook followed with a double off the right field fence to make it 2-0 Hidden Valley.
Patrick Henry had its best chance in the third when it had runners at first and third, but Nelson got a strikeout for the third out to end the PH threat.
The Titans’ five-run fifth started with a single by Lauren Pauley and Walters being hit by a pitch. Both advanced on a passed ball and later scored on a wild pitch and infield error by the Patriots. After Johnson reached on an infield hit to load the bases, Madi Cupp blasted a 2-run double off the center field fence. Sidney Agee singled home Cupp for the fifth Titan run of the inning that put Hidden Valley up 7-0.
Hidden Valley closed out the game in the bottom of the fifth. With two runners on base, Cupp doubled to left, scoring one and putting runners on second and third. Agee secured the 10-run gap with a single that plated the final two Titan runs, sending the teams to the traditional post-game handshakes.
Bill Turner