NEW BETHLEHEM, Pa. (EYT/D9) – Mackenzie Parks is a nightmare to face these days.
The A-C Valley slugger rarely makes outs. In fact, opposing pitchers have only been able to keep her off base 13 times this season.
The junior is batting .649 with two home runs and 25 RBI so far.
In a 13-3 win over Redbank Valley Tuesday, Parks was again a tough out, going 2-for-3 with a homer and five RBIs.
“I just try to make contact with the ball, and when everyone else starts to hit as well, I feel like I need to keep the streak going,” Parks said.
The entire A-C Valley lineup is flourishing. Avah Burke continued her recent tear at the plate with a 2-for-4 day that included a triple and two RBI for the Falcons, who had 12 hits on the day.
A-C Valley got things started early.
The Falcons led 7-0 after two innings and 10-1 after three. The lead swelled to 13-1 in the bottom of the fifth when Redbank scored twice, but that wasn’t enough to avoid the mercy rule.
LeighAnn Hetrick was the star at the plate again for the Bulldogs with her slap-hitting style.
Hetrick had three slap hits in three at-bats, scored a pair of runs and also stole two bases for Redbank.
Shania Whitmer got the win for A-C Valley, giving up three runs on eight hits in five innings.
Mackenzie Foringer got the loss. She gave up 13 runs, but only four earned, and struck out six in five innings.
Lexi Bauer had a pair of doubles, Maddie Hurrelbrink was 2-for-3 and scored three runs and Meah Ielase scored three runs and also doubled for the Falcons.
CLEARFIELD 9, HOLLIDAYSBURG 3 – Lauren Ressler had a monster day, going 4-for-4 with a double and three RBI as the Bison used a big fourth inning on the way to this win.
Alexis Cole, Ruby Singleton, Emma Hipps, Olivia Bender and Ressler each drove in runs during a seven-run fourth for Clearfield that turned a 1-0 game into an 8-0 lead for the Bison.
Bender hit a two-run homer during that huge inning.
Singleton was 2-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and two RBIs.
Emma Hipps picked up the win, striking out 14 with no walks in seven innings. She scattered six hits and gave up three runs – two earned – in the victory.
Of Hipps’ 100 pitches, 80 were for strikes.
