Tigers Jump All Over NorthWood
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Warsaw varsity softball coach Craig Helfrich wondered how his team would respond.
He wanted to know how the Tigers would come back after losing their first Northern Lakes Conference game of the year Monday at Plymouth.
The third-year skipper got the answer he was looking for in the first inning of Wednesday's home game with NLC foe NorthWood.
"I wondered how they would come out after a tough loss," Helfrich said. "Good teams will come out and play."
And the Tigers came out to play, scoring seven runs in the first inning against the winless Panthers en route to a 9-0 win.
The win improves Warsaw's record to 12-5 overall and 9-1 in conference action. NorthWood falls to 0-18 and 0-10.
Junior right-handed hurler Ashley Wyatt put the Panthers down in order to start the game, and worked a perfect game through the first three innings. Wyatt picked up the complete-game win, giving up two hits, walking none and striking out five.
"Ashley pitched another great game," Helfrich said.
Ryann Rigsby picked up the decision on the mound for NorthWood, going the distance, giving up 11 hits, walking four and striking out three.
Kris Kurosky and Jacquie Burns reached second and first, respectively, on errors to start the Tiger onslaught in the first. Junior shortstop Amie Poling then tripled to put the Tigers up 2-0. After senior second baseman Melissa Himes popped out, Laura Overton, Ryann Jones and Kari Fribley all reached base. Wyatt then helped herself with a single that scored Jones. The Tigers led 5-0 at that point. Warsaw's entire lineup batted in the first inning, with Burns being the third out.
After dominating the first inning and making as if the mercy rule would call the game after five innings, the Tigers came back to earth, so to speak.
"We hit the ball well in the first inning," Helfrich said. "We need to bury people. We have to get that killer instinct."
Warsaw scattered six hits, one more than it had in the first inning, in the second through the rest of the game.
Sophomore center fielder Tiffany Forte, NorthWood's lead- off hitter, notched the Panthers' first hit, a single, in the fourth inning. Forte got no help from her teammates, as the next three batters, Lee Ann Davidhizar, Angie Zents and Jessica Speed, struck out, grounded out and popped out to retire the side.
"Our biggest weakness is still hitting," NorthWood coach Kristy Glick said. "Defensively I think we're OK."
Sophomore designated hitter Rachel Jones tallied the Panthers' only other hit, a single in the fifth inning.
Kurosky led Warsaw at the plate with a pair of singles in two official at bats, with a run and an RBI. Overton and Himes also finished the day with two hits. Himes and Poling each had extra-base hits, a double and triple, respectively.
The Tigers scored their other two runs in the fourth inning.
NorthWood (0-18, 0-10) will be at conference rival Plymouth Monday.
"We have to keep the girls motivated," Glick said. "We still have nine games. A lot of those definitely could be wins. They have to believe in themselves."
Warsaw (12-5, 9-1), which has won eight of its last nine games will host conference rival Northridge Friday at 4:45 p.m.
WARSAW 9, NORTHWOOD 0
NorthWood 000 000 0 - 0 2 2
Warsaw 700 200 X - 9 10 0
NorthWood (0-18) ab r h rbi
Forte cf 3 0 1 0
Davidhizar rf 3 0 0 0
Zents ss 3 0 0 0
Speed c 3 0 0 0
Flickinger 3b 2 0 0 0
J. Mast lf 2 0 0 0
R. Jones dh 2 0 1 0
H. Jones 1b 2 0 0 0
A. Mast 2b 2 0 0 0
Totals 22 0 2 0
Warsaw (12-5) ab r h rbi
Kurosky cf 2 1 2 1
Burns 3b 1 1 1 0
Poling ss 3 1 1 2
Himes 2b 4 1 2 0
Overton lf 3 2 2 0
Fribley rf 1 1 0 0
Jones 1b 3 1 1 0
Wyatt p 4 1 1 0
Colt c 3 0 1 0
Keirn 1 0 0 0
Totals 25 9 10 3
2B - Himes. 3B - Poling.
IP H R BB SO
NorthWood
Ryann Rigsby, L 6 11 9 4 3
Warsaw
Ashley Wyatt, W 7 2 0 0 5 [[In-content Ad]]
Warsaw varsity softball coach Craig Helfrich wondered how his team would respond.
He wanted to know how the Tigers would come back after losing their first Northern Lakes Conference game of the year Monday at Plymouth.
The third-year skipper got the answer he was looking for in the first inning of Wednesday's home game with NLC foe NorthWood.
"I wondered how they would come out after a tough loss," Helfrich said. "Good teams will come out and play."
And the Tigers came out to play, scoring seven runs in the first inning against the winless Panthers en route to a 9-0 win.
The win improves Warsaw's record to 12-5 overall and 9-1 in conference action. NorthWood falls to 0-18 and 0-10.
Junior right-handed hurler Ashley Wyatt put the Panthers down in order to start the game, and worked a perfect game through the first three innings. Wyatt picked up the complete-game win, giving up two hits, walking none and striking out five.
"Ashley pitched another great game," Helfrich said.
Ryann Rigsby picked up the decision on the mound for NorthWood, going the distance, giving up 11 hits, walking four and striking out three.
Kris Kurosky and Jacquie Burns reached second and first, respectively, on errors to start the Tiger onslaught in the first. Junior shortstop Amie Poling then tripled to put the Tigers up 2-0. After senior second baseman Melissa Himes popped out, Laura Overton, Ryann Jones and Kari Fribley all reached base. Wyatt then helped herself with a single that scored Jones. The Tigers led 5-0 at that point. Warsaw's entire lineup batted in the first inning, with Burns being the third out.
After dominating the first inning and making as if the mercy rule would call the game after five innings, the Tigers came back to earth, so to speak.
"We hit the ball well in the first inning," Helfrich said. "We need to bury people. We have to get that killer instinct."
Warsaw scattered six hits, one more than it had in the first inning, in the second through the rest of the game.
Sophomore center fielder Tiffany Forte, NorthWood's lead- off hitter, notched the Panthers' first hit, a single, in the fourth inning. Forte got no help from her teammates, as the next three batters, Lee Ann Davidhizar, Angie Zents and Jessica Speed, struck out, grounded out and popped out to retire the side.
"Our biggest weakness is still hitting," NorthWood coach Kristy Glick said. "Defensively I think we're OK."
Sophomore designated hitter Rachel Jones tallied the Panthers' only other hit, a single in the fifth inning.
Kurosky led Warsaw at the plate with a pair of singles in two official at bats, with a run and an RBI. Overton and Himes also finished the day with two hits. Himes and Poling each had extra-base hits, a double and triple, respectively.
The Tigers scored their other two runs in the fourth inning.
NorthWood (0-18, 0-10) will be at conference rival Plymouth Monday.
"We have to keep the girls motivated," Glick said. "We still have nine games. A lot of those definitely could be wins. They have to believe in themselves."
Warsaw (12-5, 9-1), which has won eight of its last nine games will host conference rival Northridge Friday at 4:45 p.m.
WARSAW 9, NORTHWOOD 0
NorthWood 000 000 0 - 0 2 2
Warsaw 700 200 X - 9 10 0
NorthWood (0-18) ab r h rbi
Forte cf 3 0 1 0
Davidhizar rf 3 0 0 0
Zents ss 3 0 0 0
Speed c 3 0 0 0
Flickinger 3b 2 0 0 0
J. Mast lf 2 0 0 0
R. Jones dh 2 0 1 0
H. Jones 1b 2 0 0 0
A. Mast 2b 2 0 0 0
Totals 22 0 2 0
Warsaw (12-5) ab r h rbi
Kurosky cf 2 1 2 1
Burns 3b 1 1 1 0
Poling ss 3 1 1 2
Himes 2b 4 1 2 0
Overton lf 3 2 2 0
Fribley rf 1 1 0 0
Jones 1b 3 1 1 0
Wyatt p 4 1 1 0
Colt c 3 0 1 0
Keirn 1 0 0 0
Totals 25 9 10 3
2B - Himes. 3B - Poling.
IP H R BB SO
NorthWood
Ryann Rigsby, L 6 11 9 4 3
Warsaw
Ashley Wyatt, W 7 2 0 0 5 [[In-content Ad]]