TITANS TOP RAMS IN PAIR OF SOFTBALL GAMES

Greg Dedrick
ccSCOOP Sports Editor

04-16-09 - Taconic Hills remained undefeated in the Patroon Conference after notching a pair of wins Monday in Craryville against Rensselaer. The Titans improve to 5-0 overall, 4-0 in the league. The Titans return to league action next Monday when they travel to Maple Hill.

In the first game, Taconic Hills overcame a slow start to pound the Rams 14-0. After scoring just one run through the first two innings, the Titans exploded for five apiece in the third and fourth innings en route to the win. "It took us a couple innings to find our timing, but once we did, there was no stopping our bats," said Titans coach Angela Webster via email.

Aleshia Link and Nicole Torchia combined for a one-hitter in the win. Link threw four strong innings striking out 11 while giving up no hits, no walks, and no runs. Torchia came to the mound for the final three innings of relief work and allowed just one hit and no runs while walking one and striking out five. "Both pitchers had another strong performance," added Webster.

At the plate nine different Titans racked up a hit, but leading the way was lead-off hitter Alyssa Van Alphen who went 5-5 with four runs scored and an RBI. Elyse DeRuzzio collected two triples, 3 RBI, and 2 runs, while Kelsey Campbell, Link, and Alexis McComb each scored twice. Erika Yasinski added a solo home run, two RBIs, and a run in the win.

In Game Two, the Titans started quick piling on the runs before cooling off in the middle innings and again finishing strong. Taconic Hills scored 1, 2, and 10 in the opening three innings before being held scoreless over the next three, but in the seventh, they put up four more runs to keep the game out of reach, finishing at 17-3.

Link again started on the mound for the Titans, and Torchia came in to relieve her. Link threw two innings of hitless ball while walking two and striking out five. Torchia threw the final five, giving up three runs, only one earned, on three hits and three walks while striking out four.

Game Two saw eight different hitters collect a hit for the Titans and ten different runners cross the plate for a run. Nicole Havlik, DeRuzzio, and McComb each collected two hits on the day for the Titans, while Link scored three times and collected two RBIs. Van Alphen, DeRuzzio, Campbell, Yasinski, and Becky Edgeworth each scored twice in the win.