STEUBENVILLE – The Steubenville softball team doesn’t shy away from competition, and Big Red proved that once again as they took on Conotton Valley in a doubleheader.

The Rockets have captured five-straight OVAC championships, but the girls from Tuscarawas County did not have an answer for the Red-and-Black as Big Red swept the doubleheader, 3-1, 8-7, Saturday afternoon up at the Crimson Complex.

“There was a lot of stress, but we pulled out the win,” first-year Big Red (8-2) head coach April Minniefield said. “They are a good team, and we talked to the girls about trying not to underestimate any team. It was a slow walk, but we came out with two wins.”

Big Red fell behind early in Game 2, however, each the girls in black rose to the occasion and answered the Green-and-Gold right back.

“It is very important for us to answer right back,” Minniefield said. “We don’t want to fall too far behind. We don’t want to have to wait until its late in the game to try and score. We want to answer right back.”

After falling behind by three runs, the victors built a three-run advantage before holding on for a one-run victory.

Big Red has now won four-straight games.

Sophomore pitcher Isabella Cadille delivered both wins inside the circle for the hosts. Cadille tallied six strikeouts and two walks in the first game before striking out eight without walking a batter in the second one.

“She pitched well in the first game,” Minniefield said. “She pitched well in both games. She was strong. She pitched two good games. She keeps us in it. She keeps us in games.”

The visitors used two pitchers on the day.

Madison Kelley started Game 1 in the circle, and she was saddled with the loss. The senior struck out two while walking two in her three innings of work. She was replaced by Ava Williams, who pitched the final three innings. Williams tallied one strikeout and two walks during her relief appearance.

Williams started Game 2, went the distance and took the loss. She finished the game with seven strikeouts and four walks.

The Rockets outhit Big Red, 15-14, on the day, but the girls from Jefferson County collected six extra-base hits in the wins, while Conotton Valley ended the day with three.

The home team had a 6-4 advantage hits in the opener, one of which was a triple. The Rockets recorded four singles in the game. The visitors had an 11-8 advantage in hits in the nightcap, but Big Red had a 5-3 advantage in extra-base hits. Both teams hit one home run in the second game.

In Game 1, Big Red had an opportunity to score in the bottom of the first inning as Addy Meyer and Riley Zorne reached on back-to-back singles to start the inning, however, Kelley was able to get out of it unscathed thanks to a fielder’s choice and two groundouts.

She would not be so fortunate in the second.

Smith singled with one out, and Cadille walked to give the home team two runners on base. Then after a strikeout, Meyer plated Gena Smith with a single to left giving Big Red a 1-0 lead.

Big Red extended its lead in the third.

With one out, Sadie Edwards delivered a triple to right field, and the University of Akron commit scored when Sophia Zorne reached on an error to give Big Red a two-run advantage. Zorne ended up on second on the play, she moved to third on a passed ball and scored on a groundout by Smith to make the score, 3-0.

“We did not have a lot of hits, but we got them when it mattered,” Minniefield said. “In the second game, we wanted to come out and jump on them early. We wanted to come out faster in the second game.”

Conotton Valley got a run back in the sixth.

Arionna Spano drew a one-out walk, and she advanced to second on a single by Delilah Williams before scoring on Kelley’s single to right to cut the Rockets’ deficit down to 3-1, however, Kelley was caught stealing and Cadille induced a groundout to end the inning.

Conotton Valley was unable to score in the seventh bringing the game to a close.

Jenia Frutig contributed a pair of singles in the game for the visitors.

There was a short break before Game 2 commenced.

The Rockets got off to a fast start in Game 2 as Conotton Valley collected three runs on three hits in the top of the first inning to take an early 3-0 lead.

Ava Williams led off the game with a single, and she moved up to second on a one-out single by Delilah Williams before both runners scored on Kelley’s double to center giving the visitors a 2-0 lead, and Kelley advanced to third on the throw. Kelley ended up scoring her team’s third run on a passed before Cadille tallied her second strikeout of the inning to bring it to a close.

Meyer led off the home half of the first by reaching on an error and after a strikeout, the centerfielder sprinted home on Sagan Smarrella’s triple to right to cut her team’s deficit down to 3-1. Then, Smarrella and Edwards both scored on the same passed ball as Sophia Zorne ended up drawing a walk out of the at-bat. Next, Tuttle contributed a double to left scoring Zorne to give the girls in black the lead at 4-3. Tuttle moved up to third on a groundout, but the third baseman would be stranded there as the inning came to a close on a strikeout.

The girls from Tuscarawas County tallied a run in the third to tie the score at 4.

Delilah Williams started the inning with a single, but Bella Higgins, who came in to run for the Conotton Valley catcher, was out at second when Kelley reached on a fielder’s choice. Kelley moved up to second on a pop-up to left before scoring on a single by Frutig to knot the score at 4. Cadille retired the next batter on a groundout to get of the inning without giving up any more runs.

The locals missed out on an opportunity to answer right back in the home half of the inning.

Edwards doubled with one out, and Sophia Zorne to give the locals two runners on base. Both runners moved up on a passed pall giving Big Red two runners in scoring position, however, the pair was stranded there thanks to a strikeout and a groundout.

Big Red’s opportunity to regain the lead in the third was denied, however, that would not be the case in the fourth.

Cadille and Addison Luther delivered back-to-back singles to start the inning, and Briella Gunthrum collected a triple to scoring Cadille and Kaliyah Chamberlain, who came in to run for Luther, giving Big Red the lead back at 6-4. Zorne followed with a groundout to second to score Gunthrum to increase their lead to 7-4.

“There was a little more offense in the second game,” Minniefield said. “We kind of woke up a little bit.”

Big Red had the opportunity to add to the lead as with two outs as Edwards walked and Sophia Zorne singled with Edwards taking third on the throw while Zorne moved up to second. The hosts had two runners in scoring position, however, a pop-up ended the inning.

The Rockets responded with two runs in the fifth.

Delilah Williams doubled with one out, and Kelley singled to center scoring Leah Haney, who came in to run for Williams, to make it 7-5. Then after another Cadille strikeout, Frutig singled home Kelley to cut Conotton Valleys deficit down to just one run at 7-6, but a groundout prevented any more runs being scored.

“Conotton Valley has a great program,” Minniefield said. “They were OVAC champs last year. I expected a lot of them. I knew they were going to bring their A-game. In the first game, I thought we were a little flat, but we came back in the second game. I was a little nervous, but we were able to pull it out.”

Big Red got a runner on base in the bottom of the inning, but she was stranded at first. Ava Williams singled in the sixth for the Rockets, but Cadille recorded a strikeout to end that inning.

Edwards delivered an insurance run for Big Red in the sixth as the senior standout launched a solo home run over the fence in left field with two outs extending Big Red’s advantage to 8-6.

That run proved to be very important as Conotton Valley countered in the seven when Kelley belted a solo home run to center to make it 8-7 with just one out, however, Cadille settled down and retired the next two hitters on groundouts to end the game.

Gretchin Rolli collected a base hit in the loss for the Rockets.

“Things are going pretty good,” Minniefield said. “We are going to continue to grow. We are making mistakes, but we are making new mistakes. We continue to grow. We are making mistakes, but they are not the same mistakes. I look at that as progress.”

Conotton Valley is scheduled to play Buckeye Trail at 5 p.m. Monday on the road.

Big Red is slated to play John Marshall at 5 p.m. Tuesday at home. The Monarchs defeated Big Red, 3-2, March 26 at home.

“We are definitely looking for a little revenge,” Minniefield said. “I don’t want to take anything away from John Marshall. They have a good program.”

Game 1

Big Red 3, Conotton Valley 1

Conotton Valley 000 001 0 – 1 4 1

Big Red 012 000 0 – 3 6 0

CONOTON VALLEY (5-4): Kelley LP (3IP, 2K, 2BB), A. Williams (3IP, 1K, 2BB) and D. Williams. D. Williams S; Kelley S, RBI; Frutig 2S.

BIG RED (7-2): Cadille WP (7IP, 6K, 2BB) and Smarrella. Meyer 2S, RBI; R. Zorne S; Edwards T; S. Zorne RBI; Smith S, RBI.

Game 2

Big Red 7, Conotton Valley 6

Conotton Valley 301 020 1 – 7 11 1

Big Red 403 001 X – 8 8 1

CONOTTON VALLEY (5-5): A. Williams LP (7K, 4BB) and D. Williams. A. Williams 2S; D. Williams 2S, D; Kelley S, D, HR, 3RBI; Frutig 2S, 2RBI; Rolli S.

BIG RED (8-2): Cadille WP (8K, 0BB) and Smarrella. Gunthrum T, 2RBI; Smarrella T, RBI; R. Zorne RBI; Edwards D, HR, RBI; S. Zorne S; Tuttle D, RBI; Cadille S; Luther S.