By: Nate Calvin
NEW RIEGEL (MAY 24, 2023) – Bryan tied the game with two runs in the top of the fourth before the Blue Devils scored twice in the bottom of the inning to take the lead for good in a 7-3 regional semifinal win.
The Lady Bears struck first with a run in their first at-bat behind a single by Marlee Yoder who eventually scored on a two-single by Caitlyn DeWitt for a 1-0 lead.
Tallmadge quickly responded with a run in the bottom of the first after a double from Lexi Gray and she would later score on a groundout by Jocelyn Caffelle to tie things at 1-1.
Tallmadge grabbed their first lead of the game by scoring twice in the third thanks to back-to-back doubles from Sydney Becks and Gray and an RBI single by Leila Staszak for a 3-1 lead.
DeWitt would double to right center to start the fourth inning for Bryan followed by RBI singles from Kailee Thiel and Mylie Vollmer to deadlock the score at 3-3.
The home half of the fourth for the Blue Devils started with Marley Queen reaching on an error that ended with her at third base.
Bryan pitcher Thea Staten would get the first out of the inning by handling a ground ball back to the circle before Emma Garbinsky laced an RBI single to retake the lead at 4-3.
The Blue Devils added one more run in the frame as Backs smacked a single to left, scoring Garbinsky, to extend the lead to 5-3.
Tallmadge put the game away in the sixth, using three singles to push across two more markers to give them a 7-3 advantage.
A single by DeWitt in the sixth, her third hit of the game, was the lone Bryan baserunner over the final three innings as Tallmadge starter Riley Jackson would retire nine of the final 10 Bryan hitters she faced.
BRYAN 100 200 0 – 3 6 1
TALLMADGE 102 220 x – 7 9 0
Records: Bryan 23-2, Tallmadge 22-8
WINNING PITCHER: Jackson (7 innings, 6 hits, 3 runs, 3 earned, 5 strikeouts, 0 walks)
LOSING PITCHER: Staten (6 innings, 9 hits, 7 runs, 4 earned, 6 strikeouts, 1 walk)
LEADING HITTERS: (Bryan) DeWitt – double, 2 singles, RBI; (Tallmadge) Gray – 2 doubles, RBI, 2 runs; Staszak – 2 singles, RBI; Becks – double, single, RBI; Garbinsky – single, 2 RBIs
Nate can be reached at sports@thevillagereporter.com
