York Mayhem rallies to defeat Sting in first game
The York Mayhem lost to the Clover Sting 8-5 in Monday’s York Parks and Recreation Department 16U Girls’ Softball Tournament title game, after the York team’s 10-9 win in the first game.
In the first game, trailing 9-3 in the top of the seventh inning, Mayhem staged a rally.
Taylor Pittman got things started with a single. Ryanne Neff reached on an error by the second-baseman, with Pittman eventually scoring on an errant throw.
Neff scored when the ball got away from the catcher after a strikeout. Natalee Graham walked and stole second. Graham and Madison McCartney later scored.
Hunter Neely, Mayhem’s hurler, hit a ball to left field that was bobbled, allowing Za’Niyah Blake, who had reached base on a single to centerfield, to score.
Kendall Lynah reached on an infield single and scored what proved to be the winning run on a wild pitch.
The Sting had a runner in scoring position with one out in the bottom of the seventh until the Mayhem team converted a double play to end the game.
Graham fielded the ball at shortstop and threw to Pittman at first base for the out. Pittman rifled a throw to third-baseman McCartney, who tagged the Clover Sing runner for the game-ending double play.
“It was exciting,” said Mayhem head coach Rusty Graham. “We were down pretty bad throughout the game. To rally and come back to end the game on a double play like that was just phenomenal and gave the kids momentum to go into the second and final game.”
Graham said the Mayhem team stayed within striking distance of the Sting in the second game.
“We just couldn’t quite pull it out,” he said. “I’m proud of all of the players. We’ve got a lot of new kids and they got better throughout the year. The players that were experienced, they pretty much did their thing. All in all, we had a great year.”
Mayhem scored its first run of the second game in the bottom of the second inning. Grayson Correll walked and later scored when Neff beat the throw to first-base.
The Mayhem team pushed two runs across the plate the bottom of the fourth, both on wild pitches.
Trailing 8-4 in the final inning, Mayhem mustered up a run. But it wasn’t enough as the Clover team prevailed 8-5.
This story was originally published June 30, 2015 at 10:25 AM with the headline "York Mayhem rallies to defeat Sting in first game."