NWOAL BATTLE OF UNBEATENS … Katelan Nagel lays down a sacrifice bunt in the second inning for Bryan. (PHOTO BY RICH HARDING, STAFF)
By: Nate Calvin
BRYAN – Three Tiger errors in the bottom of the sixth inning opened the door for a six-run inning for Bryan in an 11-2 win at Recreation Park in Bryan.
The win secures at least a share of the NWOAL crown for the Golden Bears with one league game remaining (next week at Swanton).
Bryan cracked the scoreboard in the bottom of the second as Kailee Thiel started things off with a double followed by a Mylie Vollmer walk.
After a Katelan Nagel sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third, Reese Grothaus’s fly ball to right field found green grass allowing Thiel to score and make it 1-0.
Ella Voight would drive in the second run of the inning on a groundout to the pitcher before a groundout to second by Marlee Yoder ended the inning.
The Tigers would get a run back in the third on a walk by Molly Perry, single to right by Eme Gray, and Perry eventually scored after a passed ball and then throwing error to cut the Bryan lead to 2-1.
Bryan would again capitalize on a Liberty Center error to plate a run in the third as Caitlyn DeWitt reached base on a single and then came around to score on a throwing error by the pitcher on Josey Arnold’s infield single to make it 3-1.
Thiel would then drive in Arnold on a bloop single just over the shortstop’s head to push the Bryan lead to 4-1 after three innings.
The fourth inning presented a chance for Bryan to take control as they would load the bases twice in the inning but had to settle for just one run on a sacrifice fly to right by Dewitt.
Liberty Center manufactured a score in the top of sixth with Bea Barrett being hit by a pitch, a sacrifice bunt from Cadence Sifuentes and Molly Fuller reached on an error, which scored Addi Zientek, who was running for Barrett, to make it a 5-2 game.
The big sixth inning for Bryan started with Voigt reaching on an error, Yoder layed down a bunt single, and after pitcher Thea Staten popped out to second, DeWitt hit into a fielder’s choice that was misplayed by the shortstop to load the bases again for Bryan.
The first Bryan run came across thanks to a bases loaded walk by Arnold and Thiel hit into a fielder’s choice to score Yoder and stretch the lead to 7-2.
A two-out rally ensued for Bryan with Vollmer knocking in two runs on a double to left center, McKenzie Mason reached error to drive in a run before Grothaus singled to bring Bryan’s sixth run of the inning.
Staten wrapped up a complete game one-hit performance in the top of the seventh by retiring the Tigers in order and recording strikeouts number 12 and 13 on the night.
Grothaus ended the night with three singles and two RBIs, Yoder added three singles, and Thiel had two hits and drove in two runs.
L. CENTER 001 001 0 – 2 1 3
BRYAN 022 106 x – 11 14 3
Records: Liberty Center 12-4 (5-1 NWOAL), Bryan 15-1 (6-0 NWOAL)
WINNING PITCHER: Staten (7 innings, 1 hit, 2 runs, 0 earned, 13 strikeouts, 1 walk)
LOSING PITCHER: Perry (4 innings, 10 hits, 6 runs, 3 earned, 1 strikeout, 2 walks) Other: Kessler
LEADING HITTERS: (Liberty Center) – single (Bryan) Voigt – 2 singles, RBI; Yoder – 3 singles; Staten – 2 singles; Thiel – double, single, 2 RBIs; Vollmer – double, two RBIs, 2 runs; Grothaus – 3 singles, 2 RBIs
Nate can be reached at sports@thevillagereporter.com
