LOCAL SPORTS: West Armstrong Athletics 10U Softball Team Remains Undefeated

by Jake DeLuca

On Wednesday afternoon the West Armstrong Athletics 10U (10 and under) went up against Valley in the first round of the Alle-Kiski-ASA League playoffs.

The ASA League is a summer softball program for kids from ages fifteen to under eight.

Unlike little league softball, the ASA League has their own set of rules.

“In 10U after there are four balls there are no walks. It’s a lot more exciting because they aren’t just walking all the time. The coach has to come in to pitch after four balls, so it makes the kids field the ball a lot more. If not then all you get (in the game) is strikeouts and walks and that’s all it ever was. When we came to the ASA (Alle-Kiski League), it made things a lot better. There’s a two hour time limit and out of our fourteen or fifteen games, only one of them has been called because it was going too long.” Ryan Bowser, coach of the Athletics 10U team said.

The Athletics are undefeated this season, are in first place in their league, and won the regular season championship; on Thursday, however, they faced a Valley team that didn’t want their season to end.

It was a gritty game, with the highlight being the stellar pitching from both sides, but in particular the Athletics three pitchers were dominant.

Jenna Clowntz opened the game for the Athletics and went three innings striking out five batters and allowed no runs. For the last three innings the Athletics used two pitchers, Olivia Yancy and Emma Paul. The two would combine to go three innings, striking out seven batters and allowed only one run.

Along with good pitching from the start of the game, the Athletics were able to put together two runs in the first inning. Emma Paul led off the inning with a single and was able to steal both second and third base, before being hit home by Jenna Clowtz. Avery Jack was able to hit Clowtz home later in the inning.

Though two runs would have been enough to win this game, the Athletics were able to score three more runs in the third inning to make the score 5-0. Cecilia Bowser and Selina Fox drove in the runs.

Valley would end up getting one run in the fourth inning, but at that point it was too late to start a rally for the away team. Emma Paul was able to strike out four of the six batters in the final two innings to help get her team the win.