With the snow and rain all day on Friday and early Saturday morning cooler temperatures the game got pushed back to a 1:30 start time. It ended up being a beautiful spring day to start the high school softball season. Garaway came into the game looking to keep the advantage they’ve held the last couple of seasons over Strasburg. But Strasburg was looking to put an end to it, and they did with two timely homeruns.
Zoe Johnson led off for Garaway and found herself standing on second base because of an error in right field. Jocelyn Troyer grounded out to Christner in the circle. Johnson was able to advance to third on the play. The third out came on a Cassy Donaldson ground out to Coles at short to end the inning.
Ray led off the game for Strasburg by drawing a walk by Kori Gutheridge. Gutheridge earned one of her three strikeouts on the second batter. Gilkerson was able to drop a blooper just out the reach of a jumping Johnson at short to land in shallow left center field. Ray found herself in a pickle between second and third as Garaway won the rundown for their second out of the inning. Sugalski hit a line drive to left field that scored Gilkerson giving Strasburg a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Gutheridge got out of the inning with a grounder hit to Johnson at short who made an accurate throw to Sarah Billman at first.
Garaway sent three to the plate in the second and Strasburg sat three down with a strike out and two ground outs. Garaway repaid the favor by getting three up and three down in the second as well. Two ground outs and a line drive to short did the trick.
In the third, Garaway had two strikeouts and a ground out. Johnson was able to produce a hit with a line drive to left centerfield. During the bottom of the third, Strasburg hit the first of their two homeruns on the day. Gutheridge landed herself a strike out, a line drive out and ground out to Johnson at short to end the inning.
Garaway tried to make a two out rally in the fourth with back to back singles by Billman and Mya Gee. The top half of the inning came to an end with a ground out to short. Garaway allowed one hit in fourth and kept Strasburg from taking advantage of it.
Garaway’s last two hits came in the sixth inning with singles by Billman and Chelsi Rothacher. Both runners were left stranded. Strasburg tried to open the game up in the bottom of the sixth. They led the inning off with their second solo homerun of the contest. They also loaded the bases with one out. Garaway pinched their infield trying not to allow another run to cross the plate. That worked in Garaway’s favor as they got a ground ball hit to Emma Gee at second who made a great throw to Donaldson at the plate for out number two. Gutheridge ended the inning with a strikeout and the only damage caused was the solo homerun.
Garaway, who left themselves an opportunity for a seventh inning rally ended the game with two ground outs and a line drive out in the top half and sealing the victory for Strasburg.
Garaway was able to put the ball in play most of the game but found the ball going right to the Strasburg defenders. The ball had a tough time finding gaps on this Saturday afternoon. Strasburg’s pitcher, Christner did a good job of producing ground outs for her defense behind her.
Gutheridge pitched a solid game and Donaldson was a wall behind the plate allowing zero balls to get by her.
Garaway opens league play Monday as they travel to Buckeye Trail for a rematch of last years district semi-final game.
Garaway 0-1
Strasburg 1-0
WP: Christner (STA) 1-0
LP: Gutheridge (GAR) 0-1
Top Hitters Garaway:
Sarah Billman: 2 singles
Zoe Johnson: Single
Chelsi Rothacher: Single
Mya Gee: Single
Top Hitters Strasburg:
Gilkerson: Single, HR, RBI
Ray: HR, RBI
Sugalski: Single, RBI
Christner: Single
Nave: Single
Reifenschneider: Single
Downing: Single
OMADA 