VALATIE–The Ichabod Crane softball team did battle against South Glens Falls this week in the cold, the wind and even some snow, dropping their season opener 8-2. After jumping out to an early 2-0 lead the Riders offense stalled. “Being our first game, we did not start the season like we wanted to.” said Rider coach Tracy Nytransky after Tuesday’s defeat.

The Riders struck quickly in the bottom half of the first inning. With two outs senior standout Reychel Webster launched a triple and Jen Van Alphen followed that up with an RBI single.

After both teams went down in order in the second, Rider pitcher Shannon Wright survived an error and a double to get out of the inning unscathed. With two outs Jenna Rutkey got on base with a single and Webster again blasted a triple, bringing Rutkey home for a 2-0 lead.

Then, following four hits over the first three innings, the Riders offense came to a halt as they pieced together just two more hits and two walks over the final four innings, while South Glens Falls started to connect at the plate.

In the top of the fourth, South Glens Falls used two singles, two infield singles, a bunt single and an error to bring in three runs, taking a lead that they wouldn’t relinquish. “They started making good contact” said Nytransky. “We made four errors in the game, which helped spark some of their offense.”

Neither team had had much going over the next inning and a half before South Glens Falls again struck in the top of the sixth and seventh innings. In the sixth an error, a walk and a sacrifice bunt set up a two-out, two-RBI double to extend the lead to 5-2. In the seventh it was again a combination of small things that lead to three more runs, as South Glens Falls used two errors, a walk and a pair of singles to bring runners home.

For the game Webster finished with a pair of triples, a run and an RBI. Rutkey added a pair of hits and a run, Van Alphen added a single and a RBI and Aly Funk had a single. On the mound Wright hurled a complete game, allowing 8 runs, 5 earned, on 12 hits, while striking out one.

“It is not the outcome we were looking for, but it does show us what we need to work on,” said coach Nytransky. The Riders return to action Monday, when they will open up their Colonial Council season at home against Mechanicville.