LISBON — Oak Hill used small ball to grab an early lead on its way to a 6-1 rivalry softball win over Lisbon on Tuesday.

“When we start hot, we want to stay hot,” Oak Hill coach Bud Voss said. “We want to continue to keep that momentum through the game. It’s a game of momentum. I like to start it off by being on top and staying that way.”

Oak Hill (3-4) was aggressive at the plate during the top of the first. Izzy Whitaker singled up the middle and then stole second during Carlee Austin’s at-bat. Austin doubled Whitaker home for a 1-0 lead.

Austin moved to third on a passed ball and then scored when Aubrey McElhaney hit a single to left field. Later in the inning, with the bases loaded, McElhaney came home on a wild pitch for a 3-0 Raiders advantage.

“I am always happy when I can help my team, and even small things like that, single and scoring my girl in, that’s all I focus on, is getting that run in, ” McElhaney said. “I don’t care if I get out or not, or pop out, I just want to get that run in.”

McElhaney, one of Oak Hill’s captains, said a pregame speech after suffering a 17-1 loss Monday to Hall-Dale helped spark the Raiders on Tuesday.

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“Last night was really hard for us, and we took a loss,” McElhaney. “We just needed to get back together. We broke apart last night, and today we came together. We had a motivational speech from me and Kelsey Young, the other captain on the bus. We all came back and came to the realization that we can play.”

In its half of the first inning, Lisbon (2-2) had a couple of batters reach base but weren’t able to capitalize.

Oak Hill’s Ava Rivet opened the top of the third with a single. She took second base on a wild pitch, and moved to third on a sacrifice ground out, then scored on a Sierra Lane ground out, giving Oak Hill a 4-0 lead.

“That’s something we have been preaching, if our opponent is going to give us an opportunity, give us a mistake or something we can utilize to our advantage to take momentum — that’s what we are going to do moving forward,” Voss said.

Lisbon got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third when Marina Davis led off with a single and moved to second on a fielder’s choice. She scored when a Maria Levesque single dropped into right field.

Oak Hill added to its lead in the top of the fourth when Austin and McElhaney scored on ground outs to make it 6-1.

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“We showed you just don’t need to smack the ball in the outfield just to get some runs in,” McElhaney said.

Young started in the circle and went four innings for the Raiders, striking out two and allowing one run and four hits.

“She has really good composure; she has been pitching her whole life in travel ball,” Voss said. “She has experience in the circle and she knows how to hit her spots so batters can’t hit her clean.”

Whitaker pitched the final three innings, allowing two hits, and giving up no runs.

Ava Kottman started for Lisbon and gave up six runs on eight hits. Amelia Harvey came relieved Kottman and held the Raiders scoreless while allowing only one walk in three innings.

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