March 30th, 2015) – EDON: Down by a mere 2 runs heading into the seventh and final inning of the game, the Lady Bombers knew they had some work to do. Their defense did its part, leaving it up to their bats to finish the job. If they were going to go down, they would at least do so swinging.
And that’s exactly what they did, as the Edon girls fell to Antwerp 11-10.
There were several lead changes over the course of the contest. Each team scored a run to open the game, as both sides flexed their offensive muscle. The Lady Archers started the second with a 2 run effort, for which the Bombers could not mount a counter at the bottom of the inning. After holding Antwerp without a run in the third, however, Edon unleashed a barrage of hits, earning themselves 4 runs in the process. Heading into the fourth inning of play, the hometown girls enjoyed a 5-3 advantage.
Antwerp would be quick to respond, however. The girls from Paulding County experienced an offensive renaissance, as they saw 7 of their number cross home plate before the end of the fourth. Suddenly behind by 5 runs, the Lady Bombers demonstrated poise, refusing to panic. They answered with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning, putting the score at 10-7 in the visiting Archers’ favor.
Edon would again cut into their deficit, holding Antwerp to a single run in the top of the fifth while scoring 2 more themselves before the beginning of the sixth. That particular inning saw neither team add to their totals, leaving the Bomber girls down 11-9 going into the final inning of play. Defensively, the home team stepped up, not allowing a run for Antwerp. In the batter’s box, Edon was able to tack on another run to their total, but could not complete the comeback, losing by a single run.
Eliza Zulch led the Bomber assault against the Lady Archers. Hitting for both a single and a double, the sophomore had 3 RBIs on the evening. Teammate Meghan Dunkle also earned a single and a double, bringing home 2 runners. Senior Lady Bomber Kaitlin Chrisman displayed immense speed to run for a triple, complimented by a single.
Chrisman had a bit of a rougher experience on the mound. The pitcher gave up 11 runs on 12 hits. She also struck out a batter, walking 3 others. Despite the numbers not looking the most pristine, Chrisman had her team in position to win late into the contest, exhibiting the mental toughness to shake off a less than stellar performance to come through when most needed.