After six-hour wait, Buena beats Shawnee

It was a long wait to play for the Buena softball team.

It wasn't a long wait to win.

Buena won its opening-round game of the Rancocas Valley Elite Tournament on Saturday, 2-1, over Shawnee after waiting more than six hours to play.

Buena, originally scheduled to play Shawnee at 10 a.m., was paced by the stellar pitching performance of Brittany Scott. The junior pitched a three-hitter, striking out 16 and walking one in getting her fourth victory of the season.

"I think Brittany was stellar today," Buena coach Pam Pickett said. "After the delay, she just stayed focused all day. I think she really kept her composure well."

Scott mixed her pitches throughout the game, keeping the Shawnee bats quiet. The Renegades didn't get a hit until first baseman Rice Fazio roped a double into the left-center field gap to start the fifth inning. Fazio later scored Shawnee's only run on a wild pitch.

"We have not seen anyone that fast yet," Shawnee coach Paula Escudero said of Scott, "but late in the game, we made our adjustments. I'm happy they went down fighting all the way."

The tournament's opening round was supposed to be played on three fields at Rancocas Valley Sports Complex. But two of the fields were ruled unsafe because of rain from Friday. That caused four first-round games to be postponed, and Buena and Shawnee to start late.

After the delay, the Chiefs (4-0) wasted no time in scoring.

Second baseman Maria Santiago, who was 2 for 3 in the game, slapped the first pitch of the bottom of the first inning into left field for a double. She later scored on a groundout by Scott.

Buena added to its lead in the second inning when first baseman Natalie Giannascholi, who had advanced to third on an error, scored on a squeeze bunt by center fielder Brittany Goeller.

"It would have been nice to get a few more runs, but I think sitting around kind of made the offensive struggles happen," Pickett said.

After the two early runs, Buena was kept in check by an impressive performance from Shawnee starter Kelley Dickinson. Dickinson scattered seven hits over six innings, striking out two and walking two. She also went 1 for 3 from the plate.

"We can't make errors behind Kelley, and we can't keep giving up leadoff base runners if we're going to win at the varsity level," said Escudero, whose team allowed the leadoff batter on base in four of six innings.

Shawnee (0-1), the No. 7 team in The Inquirer Top 10, had a chance to take the lead in the seventh after a controversial call.

With one out and Kirsten Soprano on first, Hannah Shontz hit a groundball right to Scott. Scott turned and fired to second to get the lead runner.

However, the umpire said the second baseman missed the bag, and Soprano advanced to third amid the confusion. That gave Shawnee runners on the corners with only one out.

After gathering infielders on the mound, Scott got a strikeout and a groundout to escape the threat.

Despite the mixup, Scott remained as she had been all game: unfazed.

"I knew we were playing hard. We've been put in pressure situations before, and I know my teammates have my back," Scott said.

Shawnee   0000100 - 132

Buena   110000x - 270

WP: Brittany Scott. LP: Kelley Dickinson. 2B: B-Maria Santiago; S-Rice Fazio.