SHADYSIDE - Shadyside entered Division IV girls' sectional softball action riding a two-game losing streak that saw the Tigers blanked in both outings.
That streak was snapped with a 7-4 win over Toronto Wednesday.
The Tigers doubled their way to the win as they banged out nine hits, with half-a-dozen of them being two-baggers.
The Red Knights (14-10) struck first with a run in the top of the second, but the designated hosts countered with a 3-spot in the bottom of the inning when Kenzie Fielding doubled home Hayley Holenka, who had also doubled, and Angelina McKeever's single knocked in Tierney Duncan. Fielding crossed the plate with the third tally.
Toronto added two more runs in the third without the benefit of a base hit to deadlock the contest at 3-3.
Shadyside made it 4-3 in its third at-bat as Shelby Benedetta dropped down a bunt that was thrown wildly down the right field line as Benedetta scampered to third. She would hustle home on Holenka's one-out grounder.
The Red Knights once again took the lead without a hit in the fourth.
Brittany Anderson reached on a one-out error and scored on a wild pitch. That would be all the damage the Jefferson Countians would do on the afternoon as Shadyside freshman Megan Heagney settled down. She retired 10 of the last 12 batters she faced.
Heagney allowed just three hits, but only one after the second inning. She struck out 13 and walked four, but was victimized by a handful of dropped third strikes.
While Heagney was stifling the Red Knights' bats, her teammates scored once in the fifth to take the lead for good and then added a pair of insurance markers in the sixth.
Karli Bonar doubled to lead off the fifth. Benedetta bunted back to the mound and was thrown out at first, but as Bonar advanced to third the throw got away and she raced home with what turned out to be the game-winning run.
Sarah Dierkes and Bonar had run-scoring hits in the sixth.
Bonar and Holenka each doubled twice, while McKeever had a single and double.
Cari Horne clubbed a first-inning double for Toronto. She also fanned three and walked two in taking the mound loss.
Becca Schaming added a double and RBI, while Maddie Stoica and Mindy Meadows each added an RBI.
Shadyside 7, Toronto 4
Toronto 012 100 0 - 4 3 2
Shadyside 031 012 x - 7 9 2
TORONTO (14-10): Horne (LP, 3K, 2BB) and Brown; Horne D, rbi; Stoica rbi; Schaming D, rbi; Meadows rbi.
SHADYSIDE (16-6): Heagney (WP, 13K, 4BB) and McKeever; Bonar 2D, rbi; Holenka 2D, rbi; Fielding D, rbi; McKever S, D, rbi; Dierkes S, rbi; Heagney rbi
