TROY – A much-improved and quite impressive Lady Vikings team won both ends of a doubleheader with the Lady Raiders on Thursday afternoon. The hosts won Game One 10-1 in five innings and took Game Two 9-1 in six innings.
It was a sunny but very windy day on the ridge above the Hudson River. The wind gusted to nearly 30 mph, blowing out to right field. Still, both teams' outfielders adjusted well to the playing conditions.
Photo: FM pitcher Brittany Keator gets the out at first base
Game One
Hudson Valley's Maggie Miller pitched a very strong game, limiting FM batters to just three hits. But the Lady Raiders made Miller work for her win. FM center fielder Ally Ostrander led off the game with a fine at-bat. Miller finally won that confrontation, but not until Ostrander had worked the count full, then fouled off three more pitches.
The Vikings enjoyed a big first inning. They crossed the plate seven times, making the most of three doubles, bunts, and stolen bases.
Photo: Catcher versus catcher – Viking catcher Abby Coyne slides home safely before FM catcher Alix Leo can apply the tag
FM pitcher Alyssa Palmateer recovered nicely after the first inning. The Vikings scored on a bloop single in the second, and they did not hit the ball out of the infield in the third.
Left fielder Kelsey Taber lined a one-out triple that went to the right field fence in the top of the third inning. (See photo at the bottom of this page.) However, the Raiders were unable to bring Taber home.
First baseman Rebekah Reichard has been meeting the ball well of late. She had two of FM's three hits.
The final score was 10-1. The game was shortened to five innings by the run rule.
FM 000 01 1-3-2
HV 720 1x 10-6-2
Palmateer and Leo, Oeser (2); Miller and Coyle
Game Two
The Lady Raiders welcomed Brittany Keator back into the circle. Keator had pitched for FM in 2013 but began the current season rehabilitating an injury. She was cleared to pitch this week, and the got the start for Game Two.
FM took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a double-steal following Alix Leo's single. Ally Ostrander led off the inning with a walk. Keator got Ostrander to second with a sacrifice bunt. Leo singled, and FM had runners on the corners. Head Coach Meg Power then signaled for the double steal, and it brought Ostrander home.
Photo: Ally Ostrander returns safely to second base after Brittany Keator's sacrifice bunt
The Raiders made an alert double play in the home half of the first. Hudson Valley had a runner on second when a fly ball went deep into left field. Kelsey Taber hauled it in, then threw to second base to double off the Viking runner.
The Lady Raiders are now 4-8 (4-6 conference). Hudson Valley is 11-3 (10-2 conference).
FM's next outing will be on Saturday when they host Finger Lakes CC. Game time is 1:00 p.m.
FM 100 000 1-2-3
HV 105 102 9-10-0
Keator and Oeser; Miller and Coyle
C.J. Bonny, website writer
Photo: Kelsey Taber arrives safely at third after her triple in Game One
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