For Warriors, To Err Is To Lose
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
If Warsaw girls softball coach Craig Helfrich could script the ideal game, Monday's 5-1 win over Wawasee would have been the blueprint.
Timely hitting. Solid defense. And, as he's come to expect, another strong pitching performance by sophomore right-hander Michelle Liebsch. Liebsch, coming off a no-hitter against East Noble, blanked Wawasee for six innings to pick up the complete-game win.
"Like I've said all along, if we get the good defense, with our pitching, we will do good things," Helfrich said. "I've stressed to our girls that if our outfield catches the ball, we'll be OK, because our infield defense is solid. We could have had two shutouts in a row, but I think Michelle got a little tired."
For Wawasee softball coach Bo O'Dell, if there was a game to forget, this would be it. He watched his team commit six errors, including five in the first three innings. Four of Warsaw's five runs were unearned.
Coaches lecture about the evils of giving teams extra outs. Sometimes teams escape unscathed. Sometimes they don't.
Wawasee did not escape unscathed.
After the game had ended, O'Dell gathered his players in center field, where he was still talking after every Warsaw player had left the field.
"We didn't come to play, again," he said. "We need to step off the bus ready to play. Our first NLC game, you would have thought we would."
The game was the Northern Lakes Conference opener for both teams. Warsaw improved to 2-4 overall and 1-0 in the NLC. Wawasee dropped to 1-5 overall and 0-1 in the NLC.
All Helfrich has asked of his offense, which has no big boppers, is to score three or four runs. He will take his chances with that and Liebsch on the hill.
The Tigers obliged in the first inning alone, putting a three-spot on the board to take a 3-0 lead after one inning.
Warsaw's offense put the pressure on Wawasee, which would have to find a way to score at least four runs off Liebsch, who pitched a no-hitter her last game.
"If we get the lead on teams like we did today, with our pitching and our defense playing better, we can win some games," Helfrich said. "Our 2-4 record is not an indication of what this team can do. We've played a tough schedule. This is a good team."
The errors hurt Wawasee the first batter into the game. Warsaw's Marie Brown reached first on an error by Wawasee second baseman Amber Ramseyer. Kari Fribley delivered a sacrifice bunt to move Brown to second.
Then Warsaw's Melissa Himes came through with the only extra-base hit of the game, a triple that scored Brown. Teammate Jacquie Burns followed with an RBI single to make it 2-0. A throwing error by Wawasee shortstop Kathy Likens allowed Burns to score later in the inning to put Warsaw up 3-0.
Warsaw added its final two runs in the third inning. Laura Overton led off with a single. Warsaw's next hitter, Kris Kurosky, reached first when Tara Hymer dropped the throw from pitcher Andrea Gingerich on what should have been a routine ground out. Both runners later scored on RBI ground outs by Christy Colt and Ryann Jones to give Warsaw the 5-0 lead.
Burns finished the game 2 for 3. Wawasee's Dusty Krull went 2 for 4.
Wawasee starting pitcher Andrea Gingerich (1-3) did not pitch poorly, but she could not overcome her defense's mistakes. She pitched the complete game, allowing seven hits and one earned run while walking none.
Liebsch (2-2) saw her string of shutout innings end at 12 when Gingerich's RBI single in the seventh gave Wawasee its lone run. Liebsch allowed five hits, three walks and one earned run in seven innings. She shut Wawasee's offense down on three hits through the first six innings.
"The last two games, she's thrown a no-hitter, and then tonight she goes out and throws a nice game," Helfrich said.
To O'Dell, the game was a classic case of hurting yourself by helping the opponent.
"We didn't make the plays," he said. "I'm not saying we would have won had we made the plays, but when you get rid of five errors in the first three innings, it's a lot closer. Warsaw put the ball in play and forced us to have to try to make plays. We didn't."
WARSAW 5, WAWASEE 1
Warsaw ab r h rbi
Brown cf 4 1 1 0
Fribley rf 3 0 0 0
Frush rf 0 0 0 0
Himes 2b 4 1 1 1
Burns 3b 3 1 2 1
Ellis dh 3 0 1 0
Liebsch p 0 0 0 0
Overton lf 3 1 1 0
Kurosky ss 3 1 0 0
Colt c 3 0 0 1
Jones 1b 2 0 0 1
Hatch ph 1 0 1 0
Totals 29 5 7 4
Wawasee ab r h rbi
Krull c 4 0 2 0
Powell 1b 1 0 0 0
Hymer 1b 2 0 0 0
Frantz cf 3 0 0 0
King lf 2 0 1 0
Mason rf 2 0 0 0
Karns pr 0 1 0 0
Morgan 3b 3 0 0 0
Likens ss 2 0 0 0
Beer ph 1 0 0 0
Gingerich p 2 0 1 1
Ramseyer 2b 3 0 1 0
Totals 25 1 5 1
Wawasee 000 000 1 - 1 5 6
Warsaw 302 000 x - 5 7 1
E - Likens 3, Hymer, Powell, Ramseyer, Overton. 3B - Himes. CS - Krull. S -ÊFribley.
IP H R ER BB SO
Wawasee
Gingerich L, 1-3 6 7 5 1 0 1
Warsaw
Liebsch W, 2-2 7 5 1 1 3 4 [[In-content Ad]]
If Warsaw girls softball coach Craig Helfrich could script the ideal game, Monday's 5-1 win over Wawasee would have been the blueprint.
Timely hitting. Solid defense. And, as he's come to expect, another strong pitching performance by sophomore right-hander Michelle Liebsch. Liebsch, coming off a no-hitter against East Noble, blanked Wawasee for six innings to pick up the complete-game win.
"Like I've said all along, if we get the good defense, with our pitching, we will do good things," Helfrich said. "I've stressed to our girls that if our outfield catches the ball, we'll be OK, because our infield defense is solid. We could have had two shutouts in a row, but I think Michelle got a little tired."
For Wawasee softball coach Bo O'Dell, if there was a game to forget, this would be it. He watched his team commit six errors, including five in the first three innings. Four of Warsaw's five runs were unearned.
Coaches lecture about the evils of giving teams extra outs. Sometimes teams escape unscathed. Sometimes they don't.
Wawasee did not escape unscathed.
After the game had ended, O'Dell gathered his players in center field, where he was still talking after every Warsaw player had left the field.
"We didn't come to play, again," he said. "We need to step off the bus ready to play. Our first NLC game, you would have thought we would."
The game was the Northern Lakes Conference opener for both teams. Warsaw improved to 2-4 overall and 1-0 in the NLC. Wawasee dropped to 1-5 overall and 0-1 in the NLC.
All Helfrich has asked of his offense, which has no big boppers, is to score three or four runs. He will take his chances with that and Liebsch on the hill.
The Tigers obliged in the first inning alone, putting a three-spot on the board to take a 3-0 lead after one inning.
Warsaw's offense put the pressure on Wawasee, which would have to find a way to score at least four runs off Liebsch, who pitched a no-hitter her last game.
"If we get the lead on teams like we did today, with our pitching and our defense playing better, we can win some games," Helfrich said. "Our 2-4 record is not an indication of what this team can do. We've played a tough schedule. This is a good team."
The errors hurt Wawasee the first batter into the game. Warsaw's Marie Brown reached first on an error by Wawasee second baseman Amber Ramseyer. Kari Fribley delivered a sacrifice bunt to move Brown to second.
Then Warsaw's Melissa Himes came through with the only extra-base hit of the game, a triple that scored Brown. Teammate Jacquie Burns followed with an RBI single to make it 2-0. A throwing error by Wawasee shortstop Kathy Likens allowed Burns to score later in the inning to put Warsaw up 3-0.
Warsaw added its final two runs in the third inning. Laura Overton led off with a single. Warsaw's next hitter, Kris Kurosky, reached first when Tara Hymer dropped the throw from pitcher Andrea Gingerich on what should have been a routine ground out. Both runners later scored on RBI ground outs by Christy Colt and Ryann Jones to give Warsaw the 5-0 lead.
Burns finished the game 2 for 3. Wawasee's Dusty Krull went 2 for 4.
Wawasee starting pitcher Andrea Gingerich (1-3) did not pitch poorly, but she could not overcome her defense's mistakes. She pitched the complete game, allowing seven hits and one earned run while walking none.
Liebsch (2-2) saw her string of shutout innings end at 12 when Gingerich's RBI single in the seventh gave Wawasee its lone run. Liebsch allowed five hits, three walks and one earned run in seven innings. She shut Wawasee's offense down on three hits through the first six innings.
"The last two games, she's thrown a no-hitter, and then tonight she goes out and throws a nice game," Helfrich said.
To O'Dell, the game was a classic case of hurting yourself by helping the opponent.
"We didn't make the plays," he said. "I'm not saying we would have won had we made the plays, but when you get rid of five errors in the first three innings, it's a lot closer. Warsaw put the ball in play and forced us to have to try to make plays. We didn't."
WARSAW 5, WAWASEE 1
Warsaw ab r h rbi
Brown cf 4 1 1 0
Fribley rf 3 0 0 0
Frush rf 0 0 0 0
Himes 2b 4 1 1 1
Burns 3b 3 1 2 1
Ellis dh 3 0 1 0
Liebsch p 0 0 0 0
Overton lf 3 1 1 0
Kurosky ss 3 1 0 0
Colt c 3 0 0 1
Jones 1b 2 0 0 1
Hatch ph 1 0 1 0
Totals 29 5 7 4
Wawasee ab r h rbi
Krull c 4 0 2 0
Powell 1b 1 0 0 0
Hymer 1b 2 0 0 0
Frantz cf 3 0 0 0
King lf 2 0 1 0
Mason rf 2 0 0 0
Karns pr 0 1 0 0
Morgan 3b 3 0 0 0
Likens ss 2 0 0 0
Beer ph 1 0 0 0
Gingerich p 2 0 1 1
Ramseyer 2b 3 0 1 0
Totals 25 1 5 1
Wawasee 000 000 1 - 1 5 6
Warsaw 302 000 x - 5 7 1
E - Likens 3, Hymer, Powell, Ramseyer, Overton. 3B - Himes. CS - Krull. S -ÊFribley.
IP H R ER BB SO
Wawasee
Gingerich L, 1-3 6 7 5 1 0 1
Warsaw
Liebsch W, 2-2 7 5 1 1 3 4 [[In-content Ad]]