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Delone rallies behind pitching dominance


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Littlestown's Amanda Dyson hit a solo homer to push Littlestown ahead of Delone Catholic in the top of the third. Instead of rattling Delone Catholic pitcher Maggie Rickrode, the blast signaled the start of something special.

Rickrode's retired the final 15 Littlestown hitters, and her dominance allowed Delone to rally for an 8-4 victory in YAIAA crossover softball action on Friday afternoon in McSherrystown.

Rickrode finished off the complete-game effort by striking out the side in the seventh.

"Dyson is a very good hitter and she had a good swing on that home run," Delone coach Don Smith said. "After that, Maggie started hitting her spots much better."

Delone (8-2, 8-1 YAIAA Division IV) struck for two runs in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead back, and then it added three in the fifth for the final margin against the Bolts (6-5, 5-3 D-III).

The Squirettes slapped together nine hits, receiving two each from Sydney Keith and Rickrode. The Delone lineup combined for just one strikeout and earned five walks.

"After striking out 20 times against York Catholic last week (a 2-1 win in 10 innings), we had to change our approach at the plate," Smith said. "We started choking up with two strikes, cutting down on our swings and going for contact."

Rickrode went the distance and allowed one earned run and four hits with six strikeouts and one walk.

"I feel like, outside of a couple errors early, that we played the way that we are capable of today," Smith said.