Tigers Reopen NLC Race
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
PLYMOUTH - Warsaw's softball players arrived in Plymouth Monday well aware of the importance of the game and the golden opportunity in front of them.
Win, and the Tigers would all but put the Northern Lakes Conference away.
Lose, and the Tigers would ensure the NLC turned into a three-team race.
The opportunity to win the game was there, but the Tigers refused to grasp it as Plymouth blanked Warsaw 1-0.
"No doubt," Warsaw coach Craig Helfrich said, "we didn't deserve to win the game."
The loss dropped Warsaw to 11-5 overall and 8-1 in the NLC. Plymouth rejoined the conference race as the Pilgrims moved to 8-8 overall and 5-2 in the NLC. One other team, Concord, has just one loss in the NLC, but the Minutemen are 6-1 with five conference games left, while Warsaw has three. The Tigers handed Concord its one NLC loss, but the two teams meet again.
"Another loss would have pretty much eliminated us from the race," Plymouth coach Kevin Gardner said. "Now this brings Warsaw back to the pack. We're still in contention."
Said Helfrich: "If we beat Plymouth, that really puts us in the driver's seat."
As has been the case in all nine conference games, the Tigers again got outstanding pitching. Right-handed sophomore starter Ashley Wyatt pitched the complete game, scattering three hits.
What the Tigers did not get was one timely hit, and while several Tigers turned in outstanding defensive plays, the inability to score runs magnified an error that led to Plymouth's one run. As good as Wyatt (6-2) was, Plymouth starter Nicole Tinkey (7-3) topped her as she held Warsaw to one hit.
"Nicole is just slightly wild enough to keep hitters from really digging in," Gardner said. "I don't even let her throw to our kids, because I'm afraid we would lose somebody. She does not leave balls over the middle of the plate."
Plymouth scored the one run it needed in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Megan Large started the inning with an infield single. The next hitter, Tara Haynes, was willing to give the Tigers an out with a sacrifice bunt. Wyatt fielded the bunt but threw wild and high to first. The ball rolled into right field, and because of Plymouth's spacious foul territory, Large scored from first on the throw.
Warsaw's inability to score added extra pressure on the defense and cost the Tigers the game.
The Tigers placed runners on second and third in the fourth inning with no outs and loaded the bases with one out but couldn't score.
Kris Kurosky started the inning by reaching first when Tinkey botched a routine pop fly. Jacquie Burns followed with Warsaw's lone hit, a single to center field. Kurosky moved to third and Burns to second on a double steal.
A hit, a passed ball, a wild pitch, a fly ball of at least medium depth - any of these likely would allow Warsaw to score. Instead, this is what happened: Amie Poling hit a fly ball to shallow right field, too shallow to let Kurosky tag up. Still, the Tigers seemed determined as Melissa Himes walked to load the bases with one out. But Laura Overton popped out to shortstop, and Ryann Jones grounded weakly to first.
End of inning.
End of golden opportunity.
"When you have runners on second and third with no outs and don't score, you don't deserve to win," Helfrich said. "We should have scored at least two runs. We gave it to them."
Undeterred, the Tigers went right back to work in the fifth inning. Kari Fribley led off the inning with a walk. The next two hitters made outs, but Kurosky reached when Tinkey hit her. With runners on first and second, Warsaw squandered another chance to move ahead as Burns grounded out to third to end the inning.
Warsaw never threatened again, wasting Wyatt's three-hitter.
"I still feel we are the better team," Helfrich said. "They didn't really hit Ashley that well. She pitched a great game. The error jumped up and bit us in that one inning. It shows in softball when both teams have good pitching, you can play six great innings but all it takes is one bad inning."
Last week Warsaw hosted Plymouth and beat the Pilgrims 2-1, ending their 29-game NLC win streak. Even though the Tigers won, Tinkey kept them in check then. She tossed a complete-game two-hitter that night, and in 14 innings pitched against Warsaw, has allowed three hits and two runs.
Overshadowed in the loss were three sparkling defensive plays by Warsaw.
Poling, Warsaw's shortstop, recorded an out in the first inning when she turned her back to the infield, dove into shallow center and caught a ball. Burns, Warsaw's third baseman, threw out a baserunner at first in the third inning even though she was sitting on the ground on the play. Overton, Warsaw's left fielder, dove for a fly ball in the sixth inning, caught it and did a sommersault at the end of the play.
Helfrich's postgame message to his players sitting in left field focused on how their road to the title just got much rockier because they didn't take care of business. Concord may have fewer wins, but the Minutemen are tied in the column that counts, the loss column. Wins can always be made up. Losses can't.
"If you want to be a champion, you have to play like a champion every game," Helfrich said. "At least we are 8-1 and still in first place. It could be worse." [[In-content Ad]]
PLYMOUTH - Warsaw's softball players arrived in Plymouth Monday well aware of the importance of the game and the golden opportunity in front of them.
Win, and the Tigers would all but put the Northern Lakes Conference away.
Lose, and the Tigers would ensure the NLC turned into a three-team race.
The opportunity to win the game was there, but the Tigers refused to grasp it as Plymouth blanked Warsaw 1-0.
"No doubt," Warsaw coach Craig Helfrich said, "we didn't deserve to win the game."
The loss dropped Warsaw to 11-5 overall and 8-1 in the NLC. Plymouth rejoined the conference race as the Pilgrims moved to 8-8 overall and 5-2 in the NLC. One other team, Concord, has just one loss in the NLC, but the Minutemen are 6-1 with five conference games left, while Warsaw has three. The Tigers handed Concord its one NLC loss, but the two teams meet again.
"Another loss would have pretty much eliminated us from the race," Plymouth coach Kevin Gardner said. "Now this brings Warsaw back to the pack. We're still in contention."
Said Helfrich: "If we beat Plymouth, that really puts us in the driver's seat."
As has been the case in all nine conference games, the Tigers again got outstanding pitching. Right-handed sophomore starter Ashley Wyatt pitched the complete game, scattering three hits.
What the Tigers did not get was one timely hit, and while several Tigers turned in outstanding defensive plays, the inability to score runs magnified an error that led to Plymouth's one run. As good as Wyatt (6-2) was, Plymouth starter Nicole Tinkey (7-3) topped her as she held Warsaw to one hit.
"Nicole is just slightly wild enough to keep hitters from really digging in," Gardner said. "I don't even let her throw to our kids, because I'm afraid we would lose somebody. She does not leave balls over the middle of the plate."
Plymouth scored the one run it needed in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Megan Large started the inning with an infield single. The next hitter, Tara Haynes, was willing to give the Tigers an out with a sacrifice bunt. Wyatt fielded the bunt but threw wild and high to first. The ball rolled into right field, and because of Plymouth's spacious foul territory, Large scored from first on the throw.
Warsaw's inability to score added extra pressure on the defense and cost the Tigers the game.
The Tigers placed runners on second and third in the fourth inning with no outs and loaded the bases with one out but couldn't score.
Kris Kurosky started the inning by reaching first when Tinkey botched a routine pop fly. Jacquie Burns followed with Warsaw's lone hit, a single to center field. Kurosky moved to third and Burns to second on a double steal.
A hit, a passed ball, a wild pitch, a fly ball of at least medium depth - any of these likely would allow Warsaw to score. Instead, this is what happened: Amie Poling hit a fly ball to shallow right field, too shallow to let Kurosky tag up. Still, the Tigers seemed determined as Melissa Himes walked to load the bases with one out. But Laura Overton popped out to shortstop, and Ryann Jones grounded weakly to first.
End of inning.
End of golden opportunity.
"When you have runners on second and third with no outs and don't score, you don't deserve to win," Helfrich said. "We should have scored at least two runs. We gave it to them."
Undeterred, the Tigers went right back to work in the fifth inning. Kari Fribley led off the inning with a walk. The next two hitters made outs, but Kurosky reached when Tinkey hit her. With runners on first and second, Warsaw squandered another chance to move ahead as Burns grounded out to third to end the inning.
Warsaw never threatened again, wasting Wyatt's three-hitter.
"I still feel we are the better team," Helfrich said. "They didn't really hit Ashley that well. She pitched a great game. The error jumped up and bit us in that one inning. It shows in softball when both teams have good pitching, you can play six great innings but all it takes is one bad inning."
Last week Warsaw hosted Plymouth and beat the Pilgrims 2-1, ending their 29-game NLC win streak. Even though the Tigers won, Tinkey kept them in check then. She tossed a complete-game two-hitter that night, and in 14 innings pitched against Warsaw, has allowed three hits and two runs.
Overshadowed in the loss were three sparkling defensive plays by Warsaw.
Poling, Warsaw's shortstop, recorded an out in the first inning when she turned her back to the infield, dove into shallow center and caught a ball. Burns, Warsaw's third baseman, threw out a baserunner at first in the third inning even though she was sitting on the ground on the play. Overton, Warsaw's left fielder, dove for a fly ball in the sixth inning, caught it and did a sommersault at the end of the play.
Helfrich's postgame message to his players sitting in left field focused on how their road to the title just got much rockier because they didn't take care of business. Concord may have fewer wins, but the Minutemen are tied in the column that counts, the loss column. Wins can always be made up. Losses can't.
"If you want to be a champion, you have to play like a champion every game," Helfrich said. "At least we are 8-1 and still in first place. It could be worse." [[In-content Ad]]