The win was a sweet one for the Knights who avenged a tight 12-11 loss to these same Eagles just six days prior at Eisenhower.

The Knights didn’t waste any time getting to work on pushing runs across the plate during Thursday’s contest. Back-to-back RBI singles from Gesing and Childs gave the Knights an early 2-0 lead and further damage was only avoided after the Eagles forced Ike to leave the bases loaded.

Youngsville would have no such luck slowing down the Knights in the second inning.

Eisenhower sent 14 batters to the plate and scored nine runs in the top of the second to take a commanding 11-0 lead that would never be challenged. The outburst was highlighted by Gafner’s two run single and a bases clearing triple from Highhouse that brought three more runs home.

Youngsville second baseman Madison Carnahan reaches for the ball after knocking down a grounder during Thursday’s 18-2 loss to the Eisenhower Knights at Youngsville High School. Times Observer photo by Allen Seybert

Youngsville got on the board in the bottom of the inning. Kamden Swearingen singled and Madison Carnahan and Ireland Abraham reached on errors before Vanessa Romanosky worked a bases loaded walk. However, the Eagles left the bases loaded as well and the Knights lead stayed at 10 runs.

The run scored by Youngsville was quickly answered in the third when Gafner led off with a double, stole third and eventually raced home on a passed ball.

The 12-1 lead swelled to 13 in the fourth inning as Eisenhower kept hitting. Kita Nelson and Payton Frank led off with singles and Gesing reached on an error to load the bases.

The next two batters hit infield groundballs and Youngsville was able to get forceouts at the plate, but Gafner came up with a clutch two-out, two-run single that plated both Gesing and Childs and kept things rolling for the Knights.

Youngsville scored its second run in the fourth inning when Molly Helman, Swearingen and Carnahan hit consecutive singles. The last hit by Carnahan scored Helman and made it 14-2.

Any chance of an Eagles’ comeback was snuffed in the fifth where Frank and Childs delivered RBI singles, Gafner an RBI double and Gesing an RBI triple to close out the scoring at 18-2.

Youngsville did win the junior varsity contest, 11-8. Raechel Lucks was impressive on the mound for the winners.

The Knights return to action on Tuesday with a home doubleheader against Rocky Grove at 3 p.m. Youngsville travels to Oswayo Valley today.

EISENHOWER (18): Payton Frank, p, 5-4-3-1, Julia Gesing, c, 5-4-4-3, Samantha Childs, 1b, 4-3-3-3, Tracey Jakubczak, ss, 5-0-1-0, Riley Gafner, cf, 4-2-4-5, Kendra Danielson, 3b, 4-1-0-0, Haley Highhouse, 2b, 4-2-2-3, Aliza Olsen, rf, 2-1-0-0, Cali Chapman, rf, 1-0-0-0, Kita Nelson, lf, 3-1-1-0, Totals: 37-18-18

YOUNGSVILLE (2): Alyssa Gentz, c, 3-0-0-0, Marli Rectenwald, lf, 3-0-0-0, Hailey Gray, cf, 2-0-0-0, Molly Helman, p-3b, 2-1-1-0, Kamden Swearingen, 3b-p, 2-1-2-0, Madison Carnahan, 2b, 2-0-1-1, Ireland Abraham, ss, 2-0-0-0, Vanessa Romanosky, 1b, 1-0-0-1, Marissa VanGuilder, rf, 2-0-0-0, Totals: 19-2-4-2

Eisenhower 291 24 – 18 18

Youngsville 010 10 – 2 4

2b- Riley Gafner (E) 2, Julia Gesing (E), Haley Highhouse (E). WP-Payton Frank. LP-Molly Helman.