WALES — Oak Hill needed a spark. Miranda Kramer delivered.
That spark — a high line drive that sailed over the head of Hall-Dale’s right fielder and to the fence for an inside-the-park home run — lit the Raiders’ offense on fire for two innings, lifting it to a 6-1 win over Hall-Dale in a Mountain Valley Conference softball game Wednesday.
“I was trying not to over-think in the box, just swing, and I was watching as I was running down first-base line,” Kramer said, “I was rounding the bases and I got to third and I was like, ‘Okay, I’m ready to slide,’ and (coach Allyson Collins) kept going. I was like, ‘Oh, OK.'”
The Raiders (8-2) and Bulldogs (5-6) were knotted at one after one inning when Kramer stepped to the plate to lead off the bottom of the second.
“We really needed that after … only four hits in the Madison game. We really needed a spark, and Miranda’s a spark anyway,” Collins said. “She has a really fun personality, so to see her come through, and her be that person, we talk about, ‘Who wants to be the person’s that going to get us going?’ And today it was her, so that was awesome.”
Oak Hill left Rylea Swan stranded at third after doubling later in the inning, but the Raiders kept the bats hot into the third. Kiera Young led off with a single, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Abby Nadeau’s single. Molly Flaherty singled as well, moving Nadeau to third, and an error brought Nadeau home. Kramer drove in a third run with a sacrifice grounder and Emily Ahlberg brought in the fourth and final run of the frame with a sacrifice bunt.
“We just had that one bad inning … and I think they just capitalized on our mistakes that one inning,” Hall-Dale coach Steve Acedo said. “Other than that it’s a 2-1 game.”
The Raiders were held in check the rest of the way by Bulldogs freshman pitcher Sarah Benner, a fact that left Collins still a little leery of her offense.
“We had a few other scoring opportunities, and I wish we could have capitalized on those, but it was a little better than last game, so hopefully Friday will be a little better than that,” Collins said.
Hall-Dale took advantage of Oak Hill’s only error in the top of the first. Molly Flaherty struck out the first two batters, but Isabella Marino was able to make contact, and her high fly ball into right field fell in. Grace Begin immediately followed with a hard liner off the tip of center fielder Mahala Smith’s glove for a double, scoring Marino and giving the Bulldogs a quick 1-0 lead.
The Raiders answered back in the bottom half of the inning. Smith singled with one out, moved to second on a wild pitch, third on Young’s groundout, and then scored on another wild pitch.
Benner allowed just three hits in her final three innings after the Raiders tagged her for seven in the first three.
“She’s been keeping us in games,” Acedo said. “She’s not overpowering yet, but she’s right up there with most pitchers in our league this year.”
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