PINE GROVE - Caitlyn Herndon, Morgan Alisauckas and Kyra Bulino have played a lot of softball for Pottsville.
All seniors, Herndon's a four-year starter, with Alisauckas and Bulino entering their third year as varsity regulars.
All three brought their bats Tuesday afternoon, hitting early and often to lead the Crimson Tide to a 10-0, six-inning victory over Pine Grove in the Schuylkill League Division I opener for both teams.
The trio combined for seven hits (including four doubles), six runs scored and four RBIs.
Herndon crushed a two-run double over the center fielder's head and Julie Bulino followed with a sacrifice fly to give Pottsville (2-1, 1-0 D-I) a 3-0 lead in the top of the
first inning. Herndon finished 2-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBIs.
"Coming off our last game, with like no hits, we really worked this past week,'' Herndon said. "Honestly, I think it was just all in our heads after that last game. So coming up that first inning and getting runs, it really helped us throughout the whole game.''
That last game was a 2-0 loss to Daniel Boone on March 27 in which the Tide managed one hit. In their first two games, they had five hits total.
Pottsville smacked 14 hits Monday, with nine players tallying at least one.
"I'm really, really happy with the way we swung the bats,'' Pottsville coach Chuck Rinaldo said. "... They made the adjustments. We scored the three in the first inning and got them down early.''
A wild pitch and Rachael Setlock's RBI single in the third inning extended Pottsville's lead to 5-0.
In the fourth, Kyra Bulino doubled home a run and Alisauckas lined an RBI single to left. Bulino went 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles, one run scored and one RBI. Alisauckas went 3-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
Also for Pottsville, catcher Courtney Dusel went 2-for-2 and designated player Gabriella Bentz drilled a two-run double.
All of that offense supported the pitching of junior right-hander Sara Tobin. Beginning her second season in the varsity circle, Tobin tossed a four-hit shutout, striking out three and walking none.
She retired nine of the final 10 batters she faced.
Trailing 5-0 in the third inning, a pair of errors helped Pine Grove load the bases with one out.
Jeena Sidleck then hit a sinking line drive to left field. Setlock raced in to make a diving catch and quickly threw to third base to complete an inning-ending double play.
Pine Grove (0-1, 0-1) has a new head coach in Ryan Leffler and has to replace five starters from last year's 19-3 team that won the Schuylkill League Division I championship.
"I told them, 'Hey, it's only one game.' The biggest thing is we have to stick together and get better,'' Leffler said. "We're going to get better as a group. The kids are talented.
"We just didn't take advantage of some opportunities to put the pressure back on them,'' he added. "Give credit to Pottsville. They hit the ball a ton.''
