By: Daniel Cooley
PIONEER – The North Central softball team accumulated 14 hits and a season high 17 runs in a 17-11 win over Stryker, in a Buckeye Border Conference (BBC) tilt.
Seven different Lady Eagles had two or more hits in the team’s second consecutive win. Makinzy King paved the way with a team high four RBIs on a double and two singles.
“I was just focusing mentally, and I was excited,” King said. “It was a good team win.”
Next in line was Cailyn Meyers, who mustered three singles and three RBIs. The pair helped North Central tally three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and a 17-8 lead.
Things got a little more interesting in the top of the seventh inning though then North Central coach Joe Fidler liked.
After the first two Stryker batters committed outs, the next four Stryker batters acquired hits, including an RBI double from Laura Leupp and a two RBI double from Sage Woolace.
And it took a great running catch by the North Central centerfielder, in front of the center field fence, to end the game.
“Yes, we won, but teams are scoring a lot of runs on us with two outs,” Fidler said. “I know that’s a problem we have to solve, in order to be successful.”
“Unfortunately, we’ve had a lot of ups and downs. We’ve made a lot of changes and we’re still looking for the right connection.”
For Stryker, it was the same old story, as the team dropped to 0-2 in the BBC and 0-7 overall.
Because of Stryker errors, eight of North Central’s 17 runs were unearned. Stryker hurler Taylore Rethmel went the distance in taking the loss.
“She pitched the entire game and is doing a good job for us,” said Stryker coach Amanda Fritch.
“But defensively, we’re just making too many errors. When we stop doing that, we’ll start winning.”
Isabelle Burnett picked up the win for North Central, in relief. Amara Wright pitched the first 1.1 innings but got into early trouble by walking two straight batters in the top of the second inning and ultimately, five runs.
Burnett hurled the final 5.2 innings, allowing six runs (five earned) on 11 hits, while striking out four and walking two.
Stryker jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, on Oliviah Clingaman’s RBI single.
But North Central fired back with six runs on seven hits in the bottom of the inning, to take a 6-1 lead.
King, Burnett, Brooke St. John, and Alizabeth Pilmore knocked in runs, while Meyers knocked in two runs.
Stryker rallied back with four runs in the top of the second inning, to cut North Central’s lead to 6-5.
Gabby Ramon started things off with a two RBI triple, while Brooke Collins and Leupp also knocked in runs.
North Central then broke the game open by scoring two runs in the bottom of the second inning and five more in the bottom of the fifth inning, to take a 13-5 lead.
In the second, Ashlyn Martin and Burnett each knocked in runs. In the fifth inning, two runs scored on two Stryker errors, while Meyers, Kendall Sutton, and King each knocked in runs.
Stryker tallied three runs in the top of the sixth inning to cut North Central’s lead to 13-8. Leupp, Woolace and Rethmel each knocked in a run in the inning.
Leupp led Stryker with two doubles and two singles and three RBIs and Woolace hit two doubles and had three RBIs.
With the North Central lead at 13-8, the Lady Eagles answered back by scoring five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, to take a 17-8 lead.
St. John knocked in a run, Meyers scored on a wild pitch and King had two more RBIs.
STRYKER 140 003 3 – 11 12 8
N. CENTRAL 620 054 X – 17 14 5
Records: North Central 3-5 (1-1 BBC), Stryker 0-7 (0-2 BBC)
WINNING PITCHER: Wright (1.2 innings, 5 runs, 5 hits, 2 strikeouts, 3 walks) Other: Burnett
LOSING PITCHER: Rethmel (6 innings, 17 runs, 4 earned, 13 hits, 2 strikeouts, 0 walks)
LEADING HITTERS: (Stryker) – Fulk 2 singles, double, 3 runs, 2 RBIs; Ramon – 2 singles, triple, 3 runs, 2 RBIs; Woolace – 2 singles, 3 RBIs; Rethmel double, RBI; (North Central) King – 2 singles, 2 RBIs; Meyers – 3 singles, 3 runs, 2 RBIs; St. John – 2 singles, RBI, 2 runs; Martin – triple, RBI, 2 runs; Fidler double, 2 runs;
Dan can be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com