A PITCHERS DUEL — Paden City’s Kim Davis strikes out Tyler Consolidated’s Kaitlyn Goudy Friday evening in Kidwell. Davis struck out 10 Silver Knights total after pitching a no-hitter against Williamstown on Wednesday. Goudy would get the last laugh, however, as she struckout 16 Wildcats and recorded the shutout win.

TYLER CONSOLIDATED 4, PADEN CITY 0

Tyler Consolidated and Paden City also met on the softball diamond, but as opposed to the baseball game, this turned out to be more of a pitchers duel.

There wasn’t a lot of offense by either team as the Wildcats and Silver Knights combined for four hits. Instead, there was a lot of swinging and striking out.

Knights’ ace Kaitlyn Goudy fanned 16 Paden City batters while the Wildcats’ Kim Davis got the third strike called on 10 Tyler Consolidated players.

The difference came with the walks and few basehits. Davis walked 10 Knights while Heather Lynch knocked a double for two runs batted in. Sami Jones added a single with an RBI.

PADEN CITY 12, WILLIAMSTOWN 1

Starting off a season with a win is always a good thing for a pitcher to build up confidence. When you no-hit the opposition, it’s even better.

That’s exactly what senior Kim Davis did last Wednesday as the Paden City Lady Wildcats opened up the 2009 campaign with an impressive 12-1 win over Williamstown. Davis’ gem included 11 strikeouts and five walks in the mercy-rule shortened five inning game.

As some would expect given the score, the Lady ‘Cats didn’t swing the bats much on the night, but then again, they didn’t have to. Instead, the good eyes of the Paden City batters took advantage of 15 bases on balls to generate the offense.

Williamstown actually just gave up one hit to Vicki Yurisko with a double. She registered three RBIs in the game.

Many of the Yellowjackets’ issued to the Wildcats came in the first inning. Between the walks and running the bases well, Paden City scored seven runs and never looked back.

Three more runs came in the third and two came in the fourth to complete the scoring for the ‘Cats. Williamstown avoided the shutout by plating a runner in the bottom of the fifth, but couldn’t build any momentum before the final out.

TYLER CONSOLIDATED 2, ST. MARYS 1

Tyler Consolidated’s softball squad opened the season in great style last Thursday with a win over LKC rival St. Marys in Belmont.The Lady Silver Knights were engaged in a pitchers’ duel that saw each team register only three hits, but it was the visitors that were able to move the baserunners and narrowly defeat the Blue Devils 2-1.

The Knights took the advantage early with a run in their first at bat. Thanks to the masterful pitching of senior Kaitlyn Goudy, it would be all they needed. An insurance run was later added in the third inning. The runs were scored by sisters Christy and Sami Jones.

Goudy would give up only one run on an inside the park home run, largely because of the absence of a fence in the outfield. It came in the fourth inning as a Blue Devil batter hit a shot to left center and the ball kept rolling.

Still, Goudy pitched an excellent game that included 11 strike outs and didn’t give up a single base on balls.

On Tuesday, the Lady Silver Knights faced another LKC North foe in Williamstown, but results were not available at press time. This week the Knights start a stretch of home games beginning Thursday with Ravenswood and continuing with Magnolia on Friday and a double-header with Wheeling Central on Saturday.