Photo by Andrew Grimm Big Red head coach April Minniefield greets Sagan Smarrella as she rounds third base after blasting a home run against Edison on Wednesday evening. Big Red pulled away for an 11-3 victory.

Both teams got off to fast starts as the clubs combined for seven runs in the first inning. However, Big Red’s start was a little better and they were able to build on it later, pulling away for an 11-3 victory over the Wildcats at the Edison Unified Sports Complex.

“We came through,” Big Red head coach April Minniefield said. “We started strong, went flat a little but picked it back up. We made some changes to see what would happen and it worked today.

“That’s a big win for us against a great team. They have hitters up and down the line up. I told them coming in it wasn’t going to be easy, we were going to have to work for everything and that’s what they did. It’s a big win for the OVAC points.”

Steubenville (6-2) plated four runs in the top of the first inning, which proved to be enough to leave Richmond with a victory. They added three more in the third and two each in the fourth and seventh to create some added separation.

Photo by Andrew Grimm Edison shortstop Sophia Henderson makes a throw across to first base for an out.

Edison battled back in the home half of the first, Abby Boka blasting a two-run homer and Bella Cronin’s RBI single making it a 4-3 game with no one out. From there, though, the next three batters went down in order and Edison would not get another run off of Big Red starter Isabella Cadile.

Cadile finished with seven strikeouts with just one walk and a hit batter.

“She did a really good job of settling in and shutting it down,” Minniefield said of Cadile. “She focused and maintained energy. I told her just get the ball over the plate, you have a good defense behind you.”

It was the second-straight game Edison fell in an early hole and could not fully recovery as they also got down early Monday in a loss at Oak Glen.

The Wildcats (7-3) had their opportunities with runners on, but the majority of their nine hits came with the bases empty.

Photo by Andrew Grimm Big Red pitcher Isabella Cadile fires a pitch against Edison.

“We both had about the same amount of hits, we left a lot of runners on base,” Edison head coach McKenzie Morrison said. “We have got to quit leaving so many runners on base. We need to get the hits when its time to get the hits. We were hitting the ball, we were fielding the ball, they were just hitting it where we weren’t and they were getting their hits with people on. They were getting the timely hits and we weren’t.

“They’re a great team, we always know when we play they it’s going to be good competition.”

Big Red’s big first inning included an RBI double from Riley Zorne, who then scored from third after stealing, an RBI double from Sadie Edwards and an RBI groundout from Sophia Zorne.

Still clinging to a 1-0 lead two innings later, Edwards and Sophia Zorne added to the lead with back-to-back RBI singles and Emily Tuttle plated another run with an RBI groundout to make it 7-3.

An inning later, Sagan Smarrella blasted a two-run shot over the fence in center. Then, in the top of the seventh, Sophia Zorne and Amira Fogle each hit an RBI single to add some more cushion.

Photo by Andrew Grimm Edison pitcher Bristol Leanza delivers against Big Red.

“We had a couple of really big hits,” Minniefield said. “Sagan’s home run kind of rejuvenated us and got us going again, brought us back to life a little bit.”

UP NEXT

Steubenville: Has a doubleheader on Saturday, hosting Conotton Valley and Morgantown at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the Crimson Complex.

Edison: Has another big OVAC game today with a trip across the river to Weir High.

Steubenville 11, Edison 3

Photo by Andrew Grimm Big Red players celebrate with Sagan Smarrella at home plate after her home run against Edison.

S 4-0-3 2-0-0 2 — 11 12 2

E 3-0-0 0-0-0 0 — 3 9 2

STEUBENVILLE (6-2): Cadile (WP, CG, 3R, 3ER, 9H, 7K, 1BB, 1HBP) and Smarrella. Meyer 2S; R. Zorne D, S, RBI; Smarrella HR, S, 2RBIs; Edwards D, S, 2RBIs; S. Zorne 2S, 3RBIs; Tuttle S, RBI; Fogle S, RBI.

EDISON (7-3): Leanza (LP, CG, 11R, 9ER, 12H, 3K, 3BB) and Hanlin. Cornell D, S; Boka HR, 2RBIs; Henderson S; Hamlin S; Cronin S, RBI; Beckens D; Sommerville 2S.

Photo by Andrew Grimm Edison's Abby Boka makes a throw to first base for an out.

Photo by Andrew Grimm Big Red's Riley Zorne rounds third base on her way to scoring a run.

Photo by Andrew Grimm Big Red's Gena Smith makes a throw in after tracking down the ball in the outfield on Wednesday.