Warsaw Softball Fights Through Busy Weekend
April 16, 2023 at 8:30 p.m.
Warsaw Softball Fights Through Busy Weekend
By Chip Davenport-
The battle of big cats started at 10 a.m. in the Tiger Softball Complex with each squad hungry for its first win of the early season, just 14 hours and 25 minutes after the Lady Tigers’ 12-2, five-inning Friday night loss to South Bend Riley.
Warsaw’s Saturday doubleheader featured two full, seven-inning finishes for the first time in the 2023 campaign, and unlike Friday night’s action, scoring was abundant.
A big inning with the batting rotation facing the plate more than once resulted in the opening 21-18 loss.
Warsaw scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to erase an 11-10 deficit and take control of the contest with a 15-11 lead. Snider erupted for 10 sixth inning runs and held off a 3-run Lady Tigers rally in the bottom of the seventh inning.
The Lady Tigers played with intense energy throughout the game, and even though a collision at home plate in the fifth inning between Warsaw catcher Lauren Eastwood and Panther first basewoman Gabi O’Niell resulted in prematurely ending Eastwood’s productive start, a briefly silent Tiger dugout exclaimed, “We love you Lauren,” and continued battling and cheering thereafter.
Eastwood the Elder reached base on each of her four plate appearances, hitting 2-for-2 with a double and two bases on balls before her exit. The slugging catcher already racked up 3 home runs among four games along with a handful of extra base hits.
Eastwood’s return to action will be determined with daily evaluations.
Her teammates stepped up in the opener to generate some impressive offensive performances with shortstop Kali Ousley’s uber-productive 7 runs batted in on three hits (including a double) and two runs scored. Ousley, who openly admits she is not the fastest runner on the basepaths, continued her savvy baserunning and high softball IQ in the early part of the season with two stolen bases.
Centerfielder Nekianna Hamilton and pitcher Addison Eastwood each added three hits, Hamilton scoring 3 runs and stealing 3 bases, and Eastwood adding a double and 3 RBI.
Jade Walters, who spelled Lauren Eastwood at catcher the remainder of the day, added two hits including an RBI double. Lady Tiger teammates Milana Whitaker (2-3, 3 runs scored, RBI), and Taylor Myers (2-5, run scored, double, RBI) also contributed to the offensive output.
Myers also had a solid defensive showing when playing left field, and Ebony Miller scored 4 runs and stole two bases in a courtesy runner role.
The second fray, another victory for Snider, saw even more see-saw action than the first game.
Warsaw raced to a 6-1 first inning lead, followed by a 7-run second inning by Snider to lead 8-6 until the Lady Tigers returned to bat in the bottom of that stanza to score 7 additional runs, leading 13-8.
The Panthers scored two runs in the third inning, then crossed the plate seven more times in the top of the fourth, and once in the top of the fifth before the Lady Tigers erased Snider’s 18-13 lead with a 6-run barrage to regain the lead 19-18.
The Panthers knotted the game with a run at the top of the sixth, then used their final at bats to rack up 7 runs pitting the game out of reach, closing a full day of competition with a 26-20 victory.
Hamilton led Warsaw’s offensive production with three hits including a double and a pair of RBI and crossed the plate 3 times. She added two stolen bases in the contest. Ousley scored each of the four times she reached base including two doubles, added 3 RBI – a total of 10 RBI for the day – and picked up three thefts on the basepaths.
Ousley also pitched six innings.
Abbi Gonzalez (2 hits, 2 RBI, 2 SB), Addison Eastwood (2-3, 2B, SB), Addy Williams (1-4, 2 runs scored, 1 RBI, 3 SB), Jade Walters (1-3, 2 runs scored, 2 SB), and Brooklyn Nibert (1-3, 2 runs, RBI, SBI) also contributed notably to the 20-run second game.
The Lady Tigers, weather permitting, will play four games in the next five games beginning with the final game of their six-game homestand today with Wawasee (5 p.m.), followed by trips to Columbia City Tuesday 5 p.m., Goshen on Wednesday 5:30 p.m., and Plymouth this Friday 5:30 p.m.
Tonight’s Wawasee game at the Tiger Softball Complex will launch Warsaw’s Northern Lakes Conference double round robin campaign.
The battle of big cats started at 10 a.m. in the Tiger Softball Complex with each squad hungry for its first win of the early season, just 14 hours and 25 minutes after the Lady Tigers’ 12-2, five-inning Friday night loss to South Bend Riley.
Warsaw’s Saturday doubleheader featured two full, seven-inning finishes for the first time in the 2023 campaign, and unlike Friday night’s action, scoring was abundant.
A big inning with the batting rotation facing the plate more than once resulted in the opening 21-18 loss.
Warsaw scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to erase an 11-10 deficit and take control of the contest with a 15-11 lead. Snider erupted for 10 sixth inning runs and held off a 3-run Lady Tigers rally in the bottom of the seventh inning.
The Lady Tigers played with intense energy throughout the game, and even though a collision at home plate in the fifth inning between Warsaw catcher Lauren Eastwood and Panther first basewoman Gabi O’Niell resulted in prematurely ending Eastwood’s productive start, a briefly silent Tiger dugout exclaimed, “We love you Lauren,” and continued battling and cheering thereafter.
Eastwood the Elder reached base on each of her four plate appearances, hitting 2-for-2 with a double and two bases on balls before her exit. The slugging catcher already racked up 3 home runs among four games along with a handful of extra base hits.
Eastwood’s return to action will be determined with daily evaluations.
Her teammates stepped up in the opener to generate some impressive offensive performances with shortstop Kali Ousley’s uber-productive 7 runs batted in on three hits (including a double) and two runs scored. Ousley, who openly admits she is not the fastest runner on the basepaths, continued her savvy baserunning and high softball IQ in the early part of the season with two stolen bases.
Centerfielder Nekianna Hamilton and pitcher Addison Eastwood each added three hits, Hamilton scoring 3 runs and stealing 3 bases, and Eastwood adding a double and 3 RBI.
Jade Walters, who spelled Lauren Eastwood at catcher the remainder of the day, added two hits including an RBI double. Lady Tiger teammates Milana Whitaker (2-3, 3 runs scored, RBI), and Taylor Myers (2-5, run scored, double, RBI) also contributed to the offensive output.
Myers also had a solid defensive showing when playing left field, and Ebony Miller scored 4 runs and stole two bases in a courtesy runner role.
The second fray, another victory for Snider, saw even more see-saw action than the first game.
Warsaw raced to a 6-1 first inning lead, followed by a 7-run second inning by Snider to lead 8-6 until the Lady Tigers returned to bat in the bottom of that stanza to score 7 additional runs, leading 13-8.
The Panthers scored two runs in the third inning, then crossed the plate seven more times in the top of the fourth, and once in the top of the fifth before the Lady Tigers erased Snider’s 18-13 lead with a 6-run barrage to regain the lead 19-18.
The Panthers knotted the game with a run at the top of the sixth, then used their final at bats to rack up 7 runs pitting the game out of reach, closing a full day of competition with a 26-20 victory.
Hamilton led Warsaw’s offensive production with three hits including a double and a pair of RBI and crossed the plate 3 times. She added two stolen bases in the contest. Ousley scored each of the four times she reached base including two doubles, added 3 RBI – a total of 10 RBI for the day – and picked up three thefts on the basepaths.
Ousley also pitched six innings.
Abbi Gonzalez (2 hits, 2 RBI, 2 SB), Addison Eastwood (2-3, 2B, SB), Addy Williams (1-4, 2 runs scored, 1 RBI, 3 SB), Jade Walters (1-3, 2 runs scored, 2 SB), and Brooklyn Nibert (1-3, 2 runs, RBI, SBI) also contributed notably to the 20-run second game.
The Lady Tigers, weather permitting, will play four games in the next five games beginning with the final game of their six-game homestand today with Wawasee (5 p.m.), followed by trips to Columbia City Tuesday 5 p.m., Goshen on Wednesday 5:30 p.m., and Plymouth this Friday 5:30 p.m.
Tonight’s Wawasee game at the Tiger Softball Complex will launch Warsaw’s Northern Lakes Conference double round robin campaign.
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