By Bill Bray
Facing the 26-1 Lima Bath Wild Kittens, the Wauseon Indians knew they would have to perform at another level if they were to even stay close to the state ranked team.
The Indians did just that and held Bath to a 1-0 lead until the top of the seventh inning.
Samantha Norman pitched her heart out over the seven innings allowing just six hits and striking out five Bath batters.
The Wild Kittens first run came on a passed ball. After Jenna Hollar stole her way around the bases to third. The passed ball came and it allowed Hollar to reach home in the bottom of the first inning.
That was all the scoring through the next five innings. It was not until the bottom of the sixth when the Wild Kittens finally broke the game open. Kara Dienstberger slammed a hard single then Courtney Helmig had a hit and Bath ended up having those two base runners on second and third. Cassie Best’s bouncer got away from indians’ second basement Erin Douglass and the two runs scored as Best delivered with two RBI.
Bath’s Kimmy Reynolds was solid on the mound for the Kittens. Reynolds allowed just three Indians hits, two by sophomore Oliviah Banister, and struck out nine Wauseon batters.
Jordan Sloan had the third and final hit for the Tribe.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the way my team played tonight,” coach Shelly Cain said. “They battled. We executed defensively and had runners in scoring position, just couldn’t get them pushed across the plate. Sam Norman did a heck of a job in the circle. She got off to a slow start walking the lead off batter who stole her way around to score but she settled in and let her defense help her out. Offensively I was very pleased. Kimmy Reynolds does a great job changing the eye level of our hitters. We didn’t chase and put the ball in play. Unfortunately it went right to them. Oliviah Banister went 2/3 with two hard hit singles. Overall they have nothing to hang their heads about. Bath is a very good ball team and will make a run in tournament.”