RUTLAND — Rutland hung on for an 11-10 victory over the Otter Valley Union High School softball team on Wednesday in a game moved to Rutland because of field conditions at OV; the Otters still served as the home team.
The Raiders took a 10-1 lead as OV pitchers Mallory LaPorte and Gabriela Paolino struggled with their control. In all, the Raiders had a combined seven hits and 13 walks off the two hurlers. Rutland scored eight times in four innings off LaPorte and three times in three innings off Paolino.
But the Otters rallied after trailing by 10-1 in the fifth. Their early run came on singles by Livia Bernhardt, Shayla Phillips and Katie Coolidge.
Pinch-hitter Mia Politano’s double then keyed OV’s four-run fifth that made it 10-5. The Raiders led entering the bottom of the seventh, 11-6, but OV scored four times, including on RBI hits from Livia Bernhardt and Coolidge and hits by Paolino and Bell Falco, but the Otters left the tying run in scoring position.
Falco and Bernhardt both finished with three hits to lead OV.
Rutland pitcher Skyler Bird earned the complete-game win, allowing 13 hits and three walks while striking out eight.