LAVALE — No. 2 Allegany led No. 3 Keyser 8-1 after four innings.
With all signs pointing to a runaway victory to open the Campers (1-0) season, the Golden Tornado (1-1) stormed back.
Bibs Felton hit a pair of home runs to give Keyser life, but a seven-run deficit was too much to overcome as Alco held on for a 10-7 win on Friday at LaVale Lions Field.
“A great team win, a new year, new group of girls,” Allegany head coach Dave Winner said. “They stepped up, withheld a couple Keyser rallies. I thought every young woman that was in there contributed.”
Trailing 8-1 heading into the fifth, Ivy Bromhal and Brielle Root drew walks.
With one out, Felton stepped into the batter’ s box and sent a fly ball deep to left center for a three-run blast.
“It rejuvenated the girls because it was a little quiet in here,” Keyser head coach Cody Spotts said. “Those two home runs, I don’t want to say the girls lost hope, but it gave them hope. Realize we’re not dead in this game. We can keep going.”
Avery Miller answered for the Campers in the bottom of the fifth.
Miller returned to softball after missing last season to focus on track, and the Penn State track commit sent a low line drive to center field.
Miller rounded the bases on a two-run shot that pushed Alco’s lead to 10-4.
In the top of the sixth, the Tornado’s first two batters struck out.
Brielle Root kept the inning alive with a no-doubt solo blast to dead center.
Leighton Johnson drew a walk, setting up Felton who sent a fly ball to left center for a two-run home run.
“You got Bibs Felton, you got Root, they can both hit,” Winner said. “Jordyn (Sneathen) threw six innings and going through a lineup a third time, she did wonderful today. Bibs and Root, those girls can hit. You let a ball over the plate, they’re gonna hit it. Respect to them, they’re gonna win a lot of games.”
Felton finished 2 for 3 with two home runs, five RBIs and a walk.
Now trailing 10-7, Kailynn Burns hit a ground ball past the shortstop for a single in the top of the seventh.
“It just shows you this team has a ton of heart and there’s no quit in them,” Spotts said. “We’re gonna be in battles all year long. I think this is a perfect example of we’re not gonna lay down to anybody.”
However, Savannah Walton struck out the next two batters to end the game, earning a save in 1 1/3 innings with one hit and three punch outs.
Keyser took the early lead in the first on a throwing error by the catcher that scored the runner from second.
Alco answered in the bottom of the second on a line drive off the bat of Maylee Blank.
Blank took second as one run scored, then after the left fielder was unable to field the ball, took third as another run crossed home plate.
Now leading 2-1, the Campers added three runs in the bottom of the third.
A fielding error in left field, an RBI double from Tyiss Jessie and a sacrifice fly extended Allegany’s lead to 5-1.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Campers pushed the lead to 8-1.
“We were getting some timely hits,” Winner said. “One through nine, we were hitting. Everything was working, I’ll take 10 runs every game.”
Jessie hit a hard line drive to left for a two-run double, then following a pitching change, Sneathen drove in a run on a base hit down the left field line.
Jessie and Blank each had two hits for Alco and combined for five RBIs.
Sneathen earned the win in 5 2/3 innings, allowing eight hits, six earned runs and seven walks with eight strikeouts.
Johnson took the loss in 3 2/3 innings, charged with five hits, five earned runs and four walks with five strikeouts.
Suzy Cosenza and Mady McIntyre each recorded two hits and a walk for Keyser.
“We’re young, I only have one senior and four juniors,” Spotts said. “Some girls this year, they kind of got thrusted into different positions they’re not used to. Everything this offseason happened so quickly, but we’ve improved every single day.”
Allegany heads to Bedford on Monday at 4:30 p.m.
Keyser hosts Pendleton County on Tuesday at 6 p.m.