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RICHMOND -- Giving a team free bases is deadly. That was certainly the case for the Edison softball team Wednesday against Jefferson County rival Big Red.
Big Red tallied eight runs in the top of the first inning and never looked back en route to an 18-3 win against the Wildcats in five innings on an overcast evening out at the Edison Unified Sports Complex.
The Wildcats suffered multiple self-inflicted wounds in the first as the Red and Black took advantage of four walks, three errors, two wild pitches and one hit batter on their way to scoring eight runs in the first. The visitors sent 13 batters to the plate in the inning.
"I should be ecstatic, but we just do things that if you do them at the end of the year, they are going to come back and bite you," Big Red (7-2) head coach Gus DiMarzio said. "We are just making too many small mistakes. If it gets to a game we have to win and it is crunch time, we will not be ready for it."
Edison ended the game with eight walks and seven errors.
"Big Red is a really good team," Edison (6-6) head coach McKenzie Morrison said. "We were not ready to play today."
Isabella Cadllie picked up the win for the girls in white. Cadllie struck out eight and walked two. She allowed three runs on four hits.
The Wildcats were forced to use three pitchers – two in the first inning – in the game.
Ali Shrieve started in the circle and took the loss for the Silver and Black. Shrieve did not record a strikeout while walking three in 1/3 of an inning. Leighann Anderson relieved her with one out in the first, and Anderson struck out one and walked three in her 2/3 of an inning of work. Mylie Powley came on to start the second, and the junior pitched the rest of the way. She struck out one and walked two.
"Edison has good kids and a good coach," DiMarzio said. "They have a really good coach. They have got a great staff. They are going to keep plugging away. They are going to get better. It is going to happen. It is just a hard thing to do. They are in a funk right now. I have been there. You just have to play your way out of it. McKenzie is a great coach. She is going to get things going the right direction. She does a good job. They are a good team."
Both teams hit two home runs in the game. Big Red outhit Edison, 12-4. Big Red had four extra-bases hit in the win, while the home runs were the only two extra-base hits for the girls in black.
Sophia Zorne and Addy Meyer drew back-to-walks to start the first, and Sena Smith reached on an error to load the bases. A force out at home accounted for the first out of the game, however, Paige Matteson drew a walk scoring Meyer to give Big Red an early 1-0 lead. Sagan Smarella was then hit by a pitch, scoring Sena Smith to make it 2-0, and then Riley Zorne was issued a walk to score Matteson to increase Big Red's advantage to 3-0.
Emily Tuttle followed with a two-run double to make the score 5-0, Gena Smith brought home a run when she reached on an error and then Meyer brought home a pair with a two-out single to extend Big Red's advantage to 8-0.
Edison answered with a solo home run by Shrieve to make it 8-1.
The victors plated two more runs in the second. Matteson, who walked, and Smarella, who singled, both scored on a single by Tuttle to make the score 10-1.
Big Red ended up leaving the bases loaded in the second, and that was after they stranded runners on second and third to end the first.
Big Red erupted for eight more runs in the third to build an 18-1 advantage.
Sadie Edwards did the most damage in the inning as the third baseman led off the inning with a solo home run to give Big Red a 10-run advantage before adding a three-run shot later on in the inning to make the score 18-1.
Sophia Zorne and Sena Smith each singled home a run in third, and Meyer recorded a two-run double to give her three RBI on the day.
Tuttle collected three hits in the game, while Matteson contributed a base hit.
DiMarzio gave his younger players at-bats in the final two innings of the game.
"We tried to give them some at-bats," DiMarzio said. "We wanted them to see the ball from someone other than me or a pitching machine. They did well. They battled. I am proud of them. They don't get a lot of playing time. They came in cold and did what they had to do. It's not easy coming in cold like that."
Shortstop Sophia Henderson singled with one out in the home half of the fourth, and he scored on a two-run home run by Abby Boka to cut the Wildcats' deficit down to 18-3. Bella Cronin then drew her second walk of the game, but Cadllie retired the next two batters to get out of the inning.
Mady Cornell singled in the fifth for Edison, but Cadllie struck out the next two batters to end the game.
"Give Big Red credit," Morrison said. "They have got good pitching, good hitters and they are always good. We have to come back tomorrow ready to play. We have got some big games this week. We are looking to the future."
Edison is scheduled to play Weir at 5 p.m. today on the road at the Roberta "Birdie" DeFrancis Softball Field. The Red Riders defeated the Wildcats, 7-1, March 31 at Edison in the two team's first meeting of the season.
Big Red is off today before taking part in "The Battle For The Belt" Tournament Friday and Saturday at Nitro City Park in West Virginia. Big Red is scheduled to play Greenbrier East at 3 p.m. Friday before taking on Ravenswood in their second game of the day at 7 p.m. Game times on Saturday will be determined by Friday's results.
Big Red 18, Edison 3
Big Red 828 00 – 18 12 0
Edison 100 20 – 3 4 7
BIG RED (7-2): Cadllie WP (8K, 2BB) and Smarella. S. Zorne S, RBI; Meyer S, D, 3RBI; S. Smith 2S, RBI; Edwards 2HR, 4RBI; Matteson S, RBI; Smarella S, RBI; R. Zorne RBI; Tuttle 2S, D, 4RBI; G. Smith RBI.
EDISON (6-6): Shrieve LP (1/3IP, 0K, 3BB), Anderson (2/3IP, 1K, 3BB), Powley (4IP, 1K, 2BB) and Hanlin. Cornell S; Shrieve HR, RBI; Henderson S; Boka HR, 2RBI.