By: Elliot Schneider
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
PETTISVILLE (April 15, 2025) – Pettisville secured the mercy-rule victory over North Central to begin BBC league play on Tuesday, winning by a score of 12-2.
It may have been a cold and windy night, but Pettisville brought the heat, showcasing their offensive firepower and dominant pitching.
The Blackbirds may have secured the mercy-rule victory, but the first two innings of the game were dominated by both starting pitchers.
Both teams went three up and three down to begin the game, with Pettisville’s Macy Hoylman throwing three straight strikeouts to start the game.
The second inning only saw one player reach base for either team, when Addyson Turner was walked. Pettisville went three up and three down in the second inning as well, with Amara Wright securing two strikeouts in the inning.
The scoring began in the top of the third for the Eagles. Bre Gendron and Wright both reached base on singles. Emmi Hollstein then followed with a two run double to right field, bringing home Gendron and Wright.
The third inning saw Pettisville enter the scoring column as well. With players reaching base on a walk, a single, and an error to start the inning, the bases were quickly loaded. Olivia Miller was up to bat and saw four straight balls to earn the walk and the Blackbirds first run.
Hoylman immediately followed with a hard hit ball to right, bringing home Jalyssa Molina. North Central’s Alexa Smith struggled to field the ball, and the Blackbirds took advantage with Kelsey Bennett and Miller scoring on the error, pushing their lead to 4-2.
North Central came out in the top of the fourth and looked to even up the score. Instead, with the bases loaded, the Eagles grounded into a fielder’s choice and then struck out swinging to end the inning, leaving the runners stranded.
The Blackbirds continued to build on their momentum in the fourth, scoring another eight runs, doubling their lead by the end of the inning.
The scoring run started when Molina ripped a double into the gap in center field, plating Abbi Opdycke and Sophie Beltz.
Bennett followed with a hard hit triple down the line in right, bringing home Molina. Hoylman, Bailey Booth, and Kendall Vickery all followed with RBI singles, extending the Blackbirds lead to 10-2. By the innings end, Pettisville had taken complete control of the game.
In the top of the fifth, the Eagles could only secure one hit, with a single from Turner. Aside from the third inning, North Central struggled to generate any offence against Hoylman. She was consistent all night, securing seven strikeouts and only four total hits.
Pettisville secured the mercy-rule in the fifth inning, where they only needed two runs. With one out, Bennett secured her second triple of the game, making it easy for Miller to bring her home with an RBI single.
Naomi Richer secured the win for the Blackbirds when she drilled a double into left, bringing home Miller, making the score 12-2.
With the mercy-rule victory, Pettisville secured their first league win of the season. They will look to continue their winning streak when they play at Holgate on Thursday. North Central will look to bounce back against Stryker.
NCHS 00200 – 2 4 1
PHS 00462 – 12 10 1
Records: NCHS 1-8, 0-1 BBC; PHS 5-4, 1-0 BBC
WINNING PITCHER: Hoylman (5 innings, 4 hits, 2 runs, 7 strikeouts, 1 walk)
LOSING PITCHER: Wright (3.2 innings, 6 hits, 10 runs, 6 strikeouts, 6 walks)
LEADING HITTERS: (North Central) Hollstein – double, 2 RBIs; Wright – single; Turner – single; (Pettisville) Bennett – 2 triples, 1 RBI; Molina – double, single, 2 RBIs; Richer – double, RBI