Warsaw Softball Team Beats Plymouth
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Anthony [email protected]
After starting the conference season with a 6-0 mark, Warsaw dropped consecutive games to Elkhart Memorial, Wawasee and Goshen, but a 9-2 win over the Plymouth Pilgrims may serve as a nice confidence boost.[[In-content Ad]]"It was nice to come back, after losing three games, and play Rochester well (Saturday)," Warsaw coach Tanya Kempton said of her team's 5-1 win over the weekend. "We started to get our sticks back, then today, we hit even better than we did Saturday. But, we still need to keep improving on it."
Facing Plymouth freshman pitcher Marissa Sullivan, the Tiger hitters racked up nine hits, but also showed patience, drawing eight walks, three of those scoring runs in bases-loaded situations.
"Plymouth helped us out," Kempton said. "We don't usually get a lot of walks. They did a good job of being patient."
Those walks came in the bottom of the sixth after a two-run homer by Sullivan in the top of the frame cut the Warsaw lead to 4-2.
With the bases loaded, and one out, Warsaw juniors Kaitlin Reichard and Kaitlin Gruenewald received back-to-back walks, forcing in two runs, increasing the lead to 6-2.
Following a pop-out, sophomore Paige Wood then drove in a run on another walk.
With the Lady Tigers on top 7-2, junior Amber Plummer drove in Wood with an RBI-single, and Plymouth allowed Reichard to score from second on an errant throw, resulting in a five-run inning that put the game away.
Warsaw now sits with a 7-3 NLC mark, but the score doesn't indicate how close things were.
Thanks to an unearned run in the second inning, Warsaw led 1-0 going into the bottom in the fifth.
Following a leadoff single by Plymouth freshman Emilee Keilman, junior pinch runner Ashleah Wheat entered the game, and eventually reached second on a sacrifice bunt.
With two outs, freshman Kaitlyn Bottoroff then singled a grounder between third and short, reaching junior Sam Snider in left field. As Wheat rounded third, Snider fired a bullet to freshman catcher Kelsey Dotson, nailing Wheat at the plate, presevering the Tigers' lead.
"It was too close of a game at that point," Kempton said. "That was a nice play when she threw it home and got that out. We definitely needed that."
Warsaw went on to score three runs in the bottom of the inning, giving Warsaw a little breathing room.
The Lady Tigers travel to NorthWood for another NLC showdown Wednesday at 5 p.m.
WARSAW 9, PLYMOUTH 2
P 000 002 0 - 2 7 3
W 001 035 x - 9 9 0
Gruenewald (W, 7IP, 1R, 1ER, 7H, 2K, 2BB) and Dotson; Sullivan (L, 6-2/3IP, 9R, 7ER, 8H, 2K, 8BB), Wheat (6, 1/3IP, 1H, 0R) and Keilman
HR - Sullivan
Records: Warsaw 12-7 (7-3 NLC), Plymouth 6-17
JV - Plymouth 13, Warsaw 2
Latest News
E-Editions
After starting the conference season with a 6-0 mark, Warsaw dropped consecutive games to Elkhart Memorial, Wawasee and Goshen, but a 9-2 win over the Plymouth Pilgrims may serve as a nice confidence boost.[[In-content Ad]]"It was nice to come back, after losing three games, and play Rochester well (Saturday)," Warsaw coach Tanya Kempton said of her team's 5-1 win over the weekend. "We started to get our sticks back, then today, we hit even better than we did Saturday. But, we still need to keep improving on it."
Facing Plymouth freshman pitcher Marissa Sullivan, the Tiger hitters racked up nine hits, but also showed patience, drawing eight walks, three of those scoring runs in bases-loaded situations.
"Plymouth helped us out," Kempton said. "We don't usually get a lot of walks. They did a good job of being patient."
Those walks came in the bottom of the sixth after a two-run homer by Sullivan in the top of the frame cut the Warsaw lead to 4-2.
With the bases loaded, and one out, Warsaw juniors Kaitlin Reichard and Kaitlin Gruenewald received back-to-back walks, forcing in two runs, increasing the lead to 6-2.
Following a pop-out, sophomore Paige Wood then drove in a run on another walk.
With the Lady Tigers on top 7-2, junior Amber Plummer drove in Wood with an RBI-single, and Plymouth allowed Reichard to score from second on an errant throw, resulting in a five-run inning that put the game away.
Warsaw now sits with a 7-3 NLC mark, but the score doesn't indicate how close things were.
Thanks to an unearned run in the second inning, Warsaw led 1-0 going into the bottom in the fifth.
Following a leadoff single by Plymouth freshman Emilee Keilman, junior pinch runner Ashleah Wheat entered the game, and eventually reached second on a sacrifice bunt.
With two outs, freshman Kaitlyn Bottoroff then singled a grounder between third and short, reaching junior Sam Snider in left field. As Wheat rounded third, Snider fired a bullet to freshman catcher Kelsey Dotson, nailing Wheat at the plate, presevering the Tigers' lead.
"It was too close of a game at that point," Kempton said. "That was a nice play when she threw it home and got that out. We definitely needed that."
Warsaw went on to score three runs in the bottom of the inning, giving Warsaw a little breathing room.
The Lady Tigers travel to NorthWood for another NLC showdown Wednesday at 5 p.m.
WARSAW 9, PLYMOUTH 2
P 000 002 0 - 2 7 3
W 001 035 x - 9 9 0
Gruenewald (W, 7IP, 1R, 1ER, 7H, 2K, 2BB) and Dotson; Sullivan (L, 6-2/3IP, 9R, 7ER, 8H, 2K, 8BB), Wheat (6, 1/3IP, 1H, 0R) and Keilman
HR - Sullivan
Records: Warsaw 12-7 (7-3 NLC), Plymouth 6-17
JV - Plymouth 13, Warsaw 2
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092