photo by: Kim North

Wheeling Park’s Ava Harris is greeted at home plate by her Patriot teammates after belting a three-run homer that highlighted a five-run outburst in the bottom of the fourth inning Tuesday against visiting Martins Ferry in a 10-4 victory. Harris also tripled in a run as the Patriots posted their first home win of the season.

WHEELING – For the second consecutive season, Wheeling Park has shocked Martins Ferry in softball action at the Wheeling Park Athletic Complex high atop the Friendly City.

The Patriots (6-5) took advantage of some uncharacteristic defensive mistakes by the previously undefeated Purple Riders (10-1) to post a 10-4 triumph for their first home victory of the season on a crisp Tuesday afternoon.

Last season the Patriots scored a 11-3 decision.

“It was nice to finally get our first home win of the season,” Wheeling Park head coach Pat Durkin said. “The girls finally started hitting the ball when we needed them and we played really good defense for the first four innings. Harmony (Bittner) kept their bats silent for the most part.”

Despite outhitting Wheeling Park 10-9, four costly throwing errors doomed Martins Ferry.

“I’ll take the blame for the way we played today. I saw in pre-game that we weren’t real sharp,” veteran Martins Ferry head coach Jerry Magistro said. “We keep telling the girls that you’ve got to work hard to improve every day, and I could tell in pre-game that we weren’t ready, and Wheeling Park made us pay for it.”

The Patriots, who play a tough schedule, built a 9-0 lead after four innings before the Purple Riders scored four late runs.

Five of Wheeling Park’s tallies came in the bottom of the fourth when Martins Ferry had three of its errors. Ava Harris capped the outburst with a three-run line drive home run to deep center. She added an RBI triple in the fifth.

Bittner helped herself with two singles and three runs batted in. She also struck out six and walked four. Kylah Cunningham singled and doubled. She drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.

“We still had some kids hit the ball hard, but it was right at them and they caught them,” Magistro added. “Little things here and there and it ended up like it did. You can’t make mistakes against a good hitting team like Wheeling Park, but I know one thing … these kids will bounce back.

“We just had a little talk and we feel, starting tomorrow, that we’re going to try and win every game,” he added. “I feel they are up for that challenge.”

Maddie Lucas swung a hot bat with two doubles and a home run, which was the Purple Riders lone earned tally. Makayla Cole also had two singles.

“Hopefully this victory will jump-start us,” Durkin said. “We are a very young team that is trying to find itself. Today was a good step in that direction.”

Martins Ferry treks out 70 west to Cambridge to meet the Bobcats at City Park on Wednesday. Wheeling Park visits Weir on Wednesday.

Wheeling Park 10, Martins Ferry 4

M. Ferry 000 030 1 – 4 10 4

W. Park 103 510 x – 10 9 2

MF-M. Lucas lp (1K, 1BB), Tedeschi (5), (1K, 1BB) and Rose; M. Lucas 2D, HR, rbi; Cole 2S; Keigan Brandon 2S

WP-Bittner wp (6K, 4BB) and West; Tipton S, rbi; Cunningham S, D, SF, rbi; Bittner 2S, 2rbi; Harris T, HR, 4rbi