Photo/JEFF HARRISON MARTINS FERRY catcher Rylie Doyle fields the ball as Cambridge runner Eliana Hines slides across the plate for a run. The Bobcats shut out the previously undefeared Purple Riders, 10-0.

CAMBRIDGE – Martins Ferry entered Wednesday’s game at Cambridge with a 10-0 record and a chance to wrap up the Buckeye 8 South title.

The Lady Purple Riders headed home with their first loss of the season, however, as the Lady Bobcats rode the one-hit pitching of junior Abby Mann and a 15-hit offense to a 10-0, six-inning “mercy rule” victory.

Cambridge, which started the season 0-4 minus several key players, has now won 10 of its last 11 to improve to 10-5 overall and 6-1 in the Buckeye 8 South, the same league record that Ferry now has.

The teams were rained out of their first scheduled meeting on Monday, and that game has yet to be rescheduled. If it is not played, then Cambridge would hold the tie-breaker by virtue of Wednesday’s victory.

The Riders still sit atop the OVAC Class 3A standings with Saturday’s cutoff date looming while Cambridge bolstered its chances of qualifying for the Class 4A Tournament.

Mann was in control from the circle throughout the game, limiting Ferry to a seventh inning two-out infield single by Abby Snedeker while recording nine strikeouts and allowing just two walks.

“She did a great job tonight,” veteran Ferry coach Jerry Magistro said of Mann’s effort. “I think she was hurt in the beginning of the year, but she hits her spots and we were out of sync. We just weren’t disciplined at the plate and we have to be against good pitchers.”

Cambridge broke on top 2-0 in the bottom of the first inning, scoring its initial run when Mann singled and the Riders committed two miscues, allowing Elena Hines who had reached on a fielder’s choice to score from first. Kendal Kenworthy then delivered an RBI single to score Mann.

The Lady ‘Cats built their lead to 5-0 in the third, scoring on RBI singles by Bailey Kenworthy and Janiya Conrad and an RBI groundout by Kenzi Hickman.

A four-run fifth put the game out of reach, with Conrad driving in two runs with a single; Hickman plating one with a base hit and Elaina Hines lofting a sacrifice fly to widen the gap to 9-0.

The Lady ‘Cats finished it off in the sixth as a single by Jazz Bell; a walk to Kendal Kenworthy and an intentional walk to Conrad loaded the bases before Hickman’s sacrifice fly to center brought Bell home with the decisive 10th run.

Kendal Kenworthy and Miranda Cole each had a double and two singles to lead Cambridge while Conrad and Johnson both had two singles. Conrad and Hickman had three RBI apiece.

Magistro hopes the loss will prove to be a wake-up call for his squad.

“Usually, we’re able to come back, but sometimes that doesn’t happen,” said Magistro.

“Maybe they’ll learn a lesson from it because we’ve got a lot of important things coming up now,” added the Riders’ coach, referring to the upcoming OVAC Tournament and the OHSAA postseason. “Now we’ll see how they react after a loss.”

Ferry starter Kelsi Gillespie took the loss, working four and one-third innings with one strikeout and one walk before giving way to Snedeker.