The early spring weather cooperated for the third straight night this week as the Lady Pirates took on the Lady Saints from Tuscarawas Central Catholic. Defending the Cove is something the Lady Pirates talk about and something they did this week with the three-game home stand.
The Lady Pirates started freshman pitcher Alexa Williams in the circle in this non-conference matchup with the Saints. The start was the first of Williams career and her first varsity action in the circle this season. The Lady Pirates have been using her bat in the lineup as the DP as she had a strong preseason of hitting.
The Saints got things rolling when Kopp was hit by a pitch that was followed by a perfectly executed bunt by Selinsky to advance Kopp to third. The first out of the inning came by the way of a great relay play by the Lady Pirates on a line drive by Peltz the made its way to the fence in left center field scoring Kopp and Selinsky hustling around the bases. Jocelyn Troyer who got the start in left field got the ball to Zoe Johnson who then fired to Cassy Donaldson at the plate to get Selinsky out in a close play at home. After a Knight ground out to Mya Gee at third Weston drops a single into the outfield scoring Peltz from second. Lakota hits a blooper into shallow left field just out of the reach of a jumping Johnson. Weston found herself in a rundown that she won on an errant throw that allowed her to take two bases and the score as Lakota advance to second. Abbuhl comes to the plate and hits a double scoring Lakota. The Lady Pirates got out of the inning after making a pitching change and brining Troyer into circle from left field. She forced a ground to Mya Gee at third.
Finding themselves in a hole the Lady Pirates needed to start chipping away and that they did right away. After a lead-off strike out Chelsi Rothacher drew a walk and advance to second on a passed ball. Troyer singled on a line drive to left field and scooted on down to second on the throw back to the infield. Donaldson and Sarah Billman both worked the count drawing walks and scoring Rothacher as a result of it. With the bases loaded, M. Gee had an RBI fly out to center field as Troyer would tag up on the hit and score cutting the Saints lead in half at 4-2. Knight ended inning with another strike out. One of the ten she had on the day.
Just like in her two previous starts Troyer was in control in the circle. After a blooper found its way into shallow left field by Blanchard, Troyer sat down the next three batters with a pop out to Johnson at short, a strike out and another pop out to M. Gee at third.
Jenna Shoup led off the bottom of the second for the Lady Pirates with a walk. Shoup got an extended lead at first and the Saints attempted a pick-off play that tipped off the glove of the first baseman a rolled to the fence. Shoup hopped up and hustled her way all the way home to cut the lead to 4-3. Knight would then end the inning with a strike out, a foul tip caught by Kopp at catcher and another strike out.
In the top of the third, Troyer allowed a single by Weston that was sandwiched between a pop out to Billman at first and ground out to Johnson at short follow by a line drive out to E. Gee at second.
Garaway continued chipping away and took the lead in the bottom half as Troyer got things started with a single. Donaldson attempted to bunt the ball twice, but both went foul. Working the count to a 2-2 count, Donaldson took the next pitch yard for a two-run home run and giving the Lady Pirates a 5-4 lead. The Lady Pirates followed that with two strike outs and a deep fly out to center field.
No runs crossed the plate for either team in the fourth inning. The Lady Saints tied things back up in the fifth inning with Peltz drawing a lead-off walk and was advanced to second on a sac bunt by knight. Weston, who had three hits in the game delivered another single for the Saints scoring Peltz to even the score at five. Troyer landed herself another strike out and a deep fly out caught by Rothacher in center field.
Garaway responded in the bottom half as Troyer led the inning off with a line drive double that was followed by a hard-hit ground ball down the third base line that just stayed fair and made its way to the corner. The hit scored Troyer from second pushing the Pirate lead to 6-5. After a fly out M. Gee reached first on an error putting base runners at first and second. On a pitch that was in the dirt the Lady Pirate base runners were aggressive as they tried to advance but Tori Miller got picked off sliding into third. Gee made it to second safely. Mya’s twin sister Emma Gee singled on a line drive shot to right field scoring her sister from third.
The sixth inning only took five pitches for the Lady Pirates through the top half. Just like the night before against Ridgewood, Garaway opened things up in the bottom half. Freshman Meghan Petitte led the inning off by drawing a walk. Johnson follows that with a beautiful late showing bunt down the first base line landing her safe at first and advancing Petitte to second. Rothacher comes to the plate and executes a perfect push bunt that rolled between the charging third baseman and the pitcher to load the bases. Troyer comes to the plate with a bat that was hot and pops up that was caught by Kopp at catcher leaving the bases loaded. Donaldson, who has been clutch the last two games smacks a line drive into the right center field gap clearing the bases and pushing the Lady Pirate lead to 10—5.
The Saints were able to score another run in the seventh but were unable to get anything else going. The game ended with a 10-6 score and giving the Lady Pirates their third straight win as they defended their home field with the three-game home stand.
Weather permitting, the Lady Pirates are scheduled to play at Malvern on Friday, March 29th with first pitch at five.
Garaway Record: 3-1 (2-0 IVC South)
WP: Jocelyn Troyer (3-0)
LP: Sophia Knight
Top Hitters:
Garaway:
Cassy Donaldson: 3H, 2B, HR, 6 RBI, R, BB
Jocelyn Troyer: 3H, 2B, 3R
Zoe Johnson: H, R
Chelsi Rothacher: H, BB, 2R
Emma Gee: H, RBI
Jenna Shoup: BB, R
Mya Gee: ROE, RBI, R
Sarah Billman: BB, RBI
Meghan Petitte: BB, R
TCC:
Annette Weston: 3H, 2 RBI, R
Amber Peltz: 2H, BB, RBI, 2R
Sydney Selinsky: 2H, R
Maddie Kopp: HBP, R
Maddie Lakota: H, ROE, R
Jocelyn Abbuhl: H, RBI
Hallie Blanchard: H, BB
Pitching:
Garaway:
Alexa Williams: 2/3 IP, 5H, 3 ER, 4R
Jocelyn Troyer: 6-1/3 IP, 5H, 1 ER, 5 SO, 2 BB, 2R (2-0)
TCC:
Sophia Knight: 6 IP, 9H, 8 ER, 10 R, 10 SO, 5 BB
OMADA 