Harvey improved to 2-0 on the season after holding off Hawken in a Chagrin Valley Conference Chagrin Division showdown on Tuesday, 10-8.
The Red Raiders scored two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth, which proved valuable as the Hawks threatened in the top of the seventh.
“It was a back-and-forth game the whole time,” said Harvey coach Betsy Hada. “It was a matter of who was going to strike last, and we threw the last punch. We scored in five out of the six innings our team was at the plate.”
A leadoff error followed by a Callia Holland RBI single gave the Hawks an early 1-0 lead, but Harvey responded with a run in the bottom half of the first to tie the game.
Lola Thomas drew a leadoff walk and moved to third on Dayanna Soto’s single. Thomas stole home to even up the score.
The Red Raiders put up three runs in the second.
Keera Bafford was hit by a pitch with one out and Veronica Pacheco singled. Thomas drew a walk to load the bases and then Soto earned an RBI the easy way when she drew a six-pitch walk that forced in the go-ahead run.
A putout at first base led to the second out, but Alexa Bailey walked to reload the bases and then Alyssia Franklin and Dana Ramirez both drew walks to push the Harvey lead to 4-1.
Hawken responded to Harvey’s big inning with one of its own.
Hazel Krizman reached on an error to start the four-run inning and Helena Yanchar ripped a triple to cut Harvey’s lead to 4-2. Holland was intentionally walked and stole second, which allowed Yanchar to score. Augusta Halle then hit an RBI single to tie the game at 4-4.
Halle later would advance to third and stole home for a 5-4 Hawken lead.
The Hawks added two more runs in the top of the fourth on a pair of two-out walks.
Hawken’s lead didn’t last long as the Red Raiders scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game at 7-7.
“We proved to ourselves today that we could take a hit and keep going,” Hada said.
Pachecho and Thomas walked, and Soto hit an RBI single. Bailey followed with an RBI double, and Franklin hit an RBI single.
Bailey added an RBI single in the fifth and an error and a pair of walks followed by Thomas’ two-run double helped the Red Raiders take their 10-7 lead into the seventh inning.
A walk and an error led to one Hawken run, but Bailey struck out the next batter to end the game.
Bailey allowed five earned runs on just three hits and struck out 14 in her complete-game victory. She also was effective with the bat in her hand as she finished the game 2-for-3 with a run scored.
“Alexa stayed the course today,” Hada said. “She battled through adversity and made adjustments throughout the game to keep the Hawken hitters off balance.”
Soto went 2-for-4 with two RBI and Thomas, Franklin, and Pachecho also had hits for the Red Raiders.
Ramirez was 0-for-1 with a pair of walks, but her defensive effort helped the Red Raiders seal their victory.
“Dana Ramirez has taken over the duties at shortstop this season,” Hada said. “She played with confidence and made some big plays when we needed her to today.”
Yanchar, Holland, and Halle recorded Hawken’s only hits in the game.
“The win today gets us off on the right foot in CVC play,” Hada said. “Our young players are proving to themselves that they can handle the pressure.”
