Bethel Ladies Upset Rochester
By Laurie-Jean B. Gauthier

Whitcomb first baseman Tia McKenna catchs the throw while Rochester runner Sam Mishkit dives back to the base. (Herald / Joyce Hunt)

The Lady Hornets traveled over the mountain to Rochester and faced the Rockettes for the second time this season and walked off the field victorious with an 8-6 upset win over their hosts.

Neither team scored in the first inning, but that all changed for the Hornets in the next four innings as they batted their way around for two runs, three runs, two runs and one final run for their eight-run round up. Leading all the way the Hornets never looked back as they held a comfortable 5-zip lead after three.

Rochester came up empty handed in the second and third innings before they were able to get anything going and finally succeeded in the fourth with one run, just enough to end Molly Taylor’s bid at a shutout. The Hornets led 7-1 entering the fifth. A single run for Whitcomb was followed by a four-run Rockettes rally that still had Rochester lagging behind 8-5.

Rochester held the Hornets scoreless in both the sixth and seventh innings, but only managed one more run in the sixth before Taylor took the Rockettes out one, two, three to end the contest.

Four doubles in a row by Emily Wright, Taylor, Virginia Wortman and Leanne Ketner had the Hornet fans making lots of noise. Taylor delivered Wright across the plate, and Ketner brought in Wortman, for the eighth grader’s sixth RBI of the season.

In the seventh inning Wortman went down with an ankle injury putting freshman Jennell Soule on to run. Rochester’s pitcher, Bennett McPhetres struck out two and tagged Soule out stealing home. Catcher Tia McKenna came up big for Whitcomb in the bottom of the seventh, when, first she tagged out a returning runner, then threw out the runner going to first, and a direct hit down the first base line had McKenna running for the base and the tag-out.

Taylor pitched all seven innings for Whitcomb. Rochester struggled on the mound, with Megan Pratt pitching three and a third innings and McPhetres finishing the game. McPhetres’ approach and delivery were questioned by the field umpire on three separate occasions, forcing coach Brandi Sargent to her rescue.

Whitcomb now stands at 5-4 and faces the Cabot Huskies today in Cabot. They host South Royalton Saturday, May 17 at 11 a.m. and the Craftsbury Chargers on Monday, before heading to West Rutland on Tuesday, May 20. All afternoon games are at 4:30 p.m.

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