Pitching, Defense Spark Warsaw Softball
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Before Warsaw's softball team took the field in Monday's sectional game against Concord, the players broke their huddle in front of their dugout by shouting, "a lot of hits."
The Tigers got enough hits. And a solid pitching performance from starter Shanna Smith. And sparkling defense.
What they also had was a 6-0 first-round win in the Warsaw 3A Sectional opener. They played the seven-inning game in a tidy 90 minutes.
"If we play like we did tonight," Warsaw coach Craig Helfrich would say afterward, "it will be tough to beat us in the sectional.
"We got good hitting, pitching and defense. It's the first time all year we put all three together in a game like that."
The Tiger offense wasted no time putting a crooked number on the board in the bottom of the first inning, scoring four runs.
The Tigers knocked Concord right-handed starter Rebecca Stewart out of the game after she could get only two outs in the first inning. Lead-off batter Laura Overton walked. Marie Brown singled. Two outs later, Smith walked. Jacquie Burns delivered the key two-out, bases-loaded hit, a triple that rolled to the wall down the left-field line.
"That was a big hit by Burns to score three runs," Helfrich said. "I think that took the air right out of (Concord)."
After Burns' hit, Concord coach Scot Shearer pulled Stewart and put left-hander Tiffany Liles on the mound. The Tigers added a run when Burns scored on a passed ball by Concord catcher Jennifer Rose.
Warsaw sent nine hitters to the plate. Stewart and Liles, who walked two before she got the third out, threw ball one to eight of the nine hitters.
"Warsaw was patient at the plate, which you need to be," Shearer said. "They waited out our pitchers."
On a day Warsaw's pitching and defense would have made one run stand up, four were plenty.
Shortstop Shannon Barger turned in two defensive gems. When Concord's Kate Mitchell tried to score from second on a ball that ricocheted off Warsaw third baseman Burns' glove, Barger chased the ball down into shallow left-center field, wheeled around and threw a strike to home plate. Barger's throw, combined with catcher Christy Colt blocking the plate, nailed Mitchell at home.
The defensive plays continued.
In the fourth inning, Burns fielded a ground ball near third and picked Concord runner Stephanie Blair off the third-base bag.
In the fifth inning, Stewart hit a ball that bounced past Burns. But Barger went deep to her right into the shortstop hole, backhanded the ball, pivoted and threw Stewart out at first.
So exasperated at watching the Barger highlight reel, one Concord fan remarked: "Quit hitting the ball to shortstop; no good comes of that."
In the seventh inning, second baseman Overton pulled a Roberto Alomar. On a pop fly to shallow right field, Overton turned her back to the infield and ran the ball down for the first out.
Get this: Barger was playing a different position than usual. Since Smith was pitching, Barger took her place at shortstop.
"Our shortstop was tough," Helfrich said. "Shannon usually plays first base. She's awesome. I'm thankful to have her."
Because of the defense, Smith made it look easy on the mound. She did what coaches and managers always preach: Let the batters put the ball in play and trust your defense. She struck out only two in her shutout, so Concord batters were indeed putting the ball in play. Smith, who pitched the complete game, scattered six hits over seven innings.
"Shanna Smith is not overpowering, but she kept the ball down," Shearer said.
Leading 4-0, it was add-on time for the Tigers, as in adding on more runs. They tacked on two more in the third inning.
Warsaw improved to 15-13, while Concord ended the season 13-14. Warsaw played Concord twice during the regular season, losing 3-1 and winning 4-3.
"Sure, it's a disappointing loss," Shearer said. "We came here fully expecting to win this ball game.
"Warsaw put the ball in play at crucial times, and Warsaw made the plays defensively, which you have to do."
Helfrich did not expect a 6-0 win at the sectional. "No, not really," he said.
But it went back to the timely hitting ... and the pitching ... and the defense.
"When we get that good of defense with our pitching," Helfrich repeated, "It is hard to beat us." [[In-content Ad]]
Before Warsaw's softball team took the field in Monday's sectional game against Concord, the players broke their huddle in front of their dugout by shouting, "a lot of hits."
The Tigers got enough hits. And a solid pitching performance from starter Shanna Smith. And sparkling defense.
What they also had was a 6-0 first-round win in the Warsaw 3A Sectional opener. They played the seven-inning game in a tidy 90 minutes.
"If we play like we did tonight," Warsaw coach Craig Helfrich would say afterward, "it will be tough to beat us in the sectional.
"We got good hitting, pitching and defense. It's the first time all year we put all three together in a game like that."
The Tiger offense wasted no time putting a crooked number on the board in the bottom of the first inning, scoring four runs.
The Tigers knocked Concord right-handed starter Rebecca Stewart out of the game after she could get only two outs in the first inning. Lead-off batter Laura Overton walked. Marie Brown singled. Two outs later, Smith walked. Jacquie Burns delivered the key two-out, bases-loaded hit, a triple that rolled to the wall down the left-field line.
"That was a big hit by Burns to score three runs," Helfrich said. "I think that took the air right out of (Concord)."
After Burns' hit, Concord coach Scot Shearer pulled Stewart and put left-hander Tiffany Liles on the mound. The Tigers added a run when Burns scored on a passed ball by Concord catcher Jennifer Rose.
Warsaw sent nine hitters to the plate. Stewart and Liles, who walked two before she got the third out, threw ball one to eight of the nine hitters.
"Warsaw was patient at the plate, which you need to be," Shearer said. "They waited out our pitchers."
On a day Warsaw's pitching and defense would have made one run stand up, four were plenty.
Shortstop Shannon Barger turned in two defensive gems. When Concord's Kate Mitchell tried to score from second on a ball that ricocheted off Warsaw third baseman Burns' glove, Barger chased the ball down into shallow left-center field, wheeled around and threw a strike to home plate. Barger's throw, combined with catcher Christy Colt blocking the plate, nailed Mitchell at home.
The defensive plays continued.
In the fourth inning, Burns fielded a ground ball near third and picked Concord runner Stephanie Blair off the third-base bag.
In the fifth inning, Stewart hit a ball that bounced past Burns. But Barger went deep to her right into the shortstop hole, backhanded the ball, pivoted and threw Stewart out at first.
So exasperated at watching the Barger highlight reel, one Concord fan remarked: "Quit hitting the ball to shortstop; no good comes of that."
In the seventh inning, second baseman Overton pulled a Roberto Alomar. On a pop fly to shallow right field, Overton turned her back to the infield and ran the ball down for the first out.
Get this: Barger was playing a different position than usual. Since Smith was pitching, Barger took her place at shortstop.
"Our shortstop was tough," Helfrich said. "Shannon usually plays first base. She's awesome. I'm thankful to have her."
Because of the defense, Smith made it look easy on the mound. She did what coaches and managers always preach: Let the batters put the ball in play and trust your defense. She struck out only two in her shutout, so Concord batters were indeed putting the ball in play. Smith, who pitched the complete game, scattered six hits over seven innings.
"Shanna Smith is not overpowering, but she kept the ball down," Shearer said.
Leading 4-0, it was add-on time for the Tigers, as in adding on more runs. They tacked on two more in the third inning.
Warsaw improved to 15-13, while Concord ended the season 13-14. Warsaw played Concord twice during the regular season, losing 3-1 and winning 4-3.
"Sure, it's a disappointing loss," Shearer said. "We came here fully expecting to win this ball game.
"Warsaw put the ball in play at crucial times, and Warsaw made the plays defensively, which you have to do."
Helfrich did not expect a 6-0 win at the sectional. "No, not really," he said.
But it went back to the timely hitting ... and the pitching ... and the defense.
"When we get that good of defense with our pitching," Helfrich repeated, "It is hard to beat us." [[In-content Ad]]