Warsaw Softball Team Falls In Sectional Semifinal
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Anthony [email protected]
Hosting Class 4A Sectional 4 at the Tigers Athletic Complex, the Warsaw Lady Tigers (8-17) fell 11-5 to Concord Wednesday in semifinal action, committing five errors in the process.
“The reason they won 11-5 was because they played good, fundamental softball and we didn’t,” Warsaw coach Jim Speicher said. “They played better defense. They got the key hits with runners on when they needed them. We didn’t.”
Along with the errors, Warsaw also left 10 runners on base, including one at third base in each of the first three innings.
But even with the early opportunities wasted, Warsaw still trailed just 2-0 until Concord tacked on four, all unearned, in the top of the fourth inning.
“We are at about 53 percent unearned runs this year,” Speicher said. “You can’t play solid ball like that. It’s frustrating as a pitcher. Our pitchers have done a pretty good job with their attitudes all year. But when you’re doing what you’re supposed to do, and you should be getting out of innings, it begins to beat you down after a while. No. 1, it beats down your pitch count, and No. 2, it beats down your confidence.”
And that confidence was shaken early.
The first batter of the game, Concord senior Amanda Schoeffler, hit a groundball, which was mishandled.
Schoeffler then scored on a two-run homer by senior Leslie Crawford three batters later.
“The epitome of our season,” Speicher said. “We make a lot of good pitches on the first at-bat, then we get a routine grounder, which we boot it to start the ballgame.”
Warsaw starter, junior Kaleigh Speicher, was hit with the loss, giving up six runs, although just one was earned.
Kaleigh Speicher went 3-2/3 innings before being hit in the ankle with a groundball, handing the ball over to junior Whitney Sleeth, who pitched 3-1/3 innings, allowing five runs, three earned.
Warsaw’s most productive inning was the fifth, which was kick-started by a double off the bat of junior Ashton Warren.
Warren’s blast was followed by back-to-back singles from junior Ashley Ousley and Sleeth, with Ousley’s scoring Warren.
Ousley scored on a Concord error and senior Kayla Snider, who reached on that error, then crossed the plate on a single by sophomore Karly Jones.
The inning closed the gap to 6-3, but Concord responded with two runs in the sixth and another three in the seventh, increasing the lead back to 11-3.
In the bottom of the seventh, Jones hit a two-run dinger, but it wasn’t enough to rally the team to the win.
“We took three steps back this year,” Speicher said. “We have a long way to go to even get close to where we have been playing the last two years.
“Next year, we’ll see if we can build it back to where it was, because this year was extremely frustrating for me as a head coach.”
And despite this year’s team featuring just one senior, catcher Kayla Snider, Speicher sees a lot of changes coming in 2014.
“We have to go back to the building blocks, because we played some people this year that I don’t think will be playing the same spots next year,” he said. “We have to find some people that can make the routine softball play, because we’re not making them.”
Concord will face defending sectional champion and second-ranked Northridge Friday at 6:30 p.m.
CONCORD 11, WARSAW 5
(Sectional 4, Semifinal)
C 200 402 3 – 11 13 1
W 000 030 2 – 5 9 5
Rae Ann Miller (W, 5-2/3IP, 3R, 2ER, 7H, 6K, 4BB), Jennifer Miller (6, 1-1/3IP, 2R, 2ER, 2H, 1K, 1BB, 1HR) and Taylor Nelson; Kaleigh Speicher (L, 3-2/3IP, 6R, 1ER, 7H, 2K, 1BB, 1HR), Whitney Sleeth (4, 3-1/3IP, 5R, 3ER, 6H, 1K, 3BB, 1HR)
2B – McKenzie Loge (C), Ashley Ousley (W), Kara Dishman (W), Ashton Warren (W)
HR – Leslie Crawford (C), J. Miller (C), Karly Jones (W)
Warsaw Record: 8-17[[In-content Ad]]
Hosting Class 4A Sectional 4 at the Tigers Athletic Complex, the Warsaw Lady Tigers (8-17) fell 11-5 to Concord Wednesday in semifinal action, committing five errors in the process.
“The reason they won 11-5 was because they played good, fundamental softball and we didn’t,” Warsaw coach Jim Speicher said. “They played better defense. They got the key hits with runners on when they needed them. We didn’t.”
Along with the errors, Warsaw also left 10 runners on base, including one at third base in each of the first three innings.
But even with the early opportunities wasted, Warsaw still trailed just 2-0 until Concord tacked on four, all unearned, in the top of the fourth inning.
“We are at about 53 percent unearned runs this year,” Speicher said. “You can’t play solid ball like that. It’s frustrating as a pitcher. Our pitchers have done a pretty good job with their attitudes all year. But when you’re doing what you’re supposed to do, and you should be getting out of innings, it begins to beat you down after a while. No. 1, it beats down your pitch count, and No. 2, it beats down your confidence.”
And that confidence was shaken early.
The first batter of the game, Concord senior Amanda Schoeffler, hit a groundball, which was mishandled.
Schoeffler then scored on a two-run homer by senior Leslie Crawford three batters later.
“The epitome of our season,” Speicher said. “We make a lot of good pitches on the first at-bat, then we get a routine grounder, which we boot it to start the ballgame.”
Warsaw starter, junior Kaleigh Speicher, was hit with the loss, giving up six runs, although just one was earned.
Kaleigh Speicher went 3-2/3 innings before being hit in the ankle with a groundball, handing the ball over to junior Whitney Sleeth, who pitched 3-1/3 innings, allowing five runs, three earned.
Warsaw’s most productive inning was the fifth, which was kick-started by a double off the bat of junior Ashton Warren.
Warren’s blast was followed by back-to-back singles from junior Ashley Ousley and Sleeth, with Ousley’s scoring Warren.
Ousley scored on a Concord error and senior Kayla Snider, who reached on that error, then crossed the plate on a single by sophomore Karly Jones.
The inning closed the gap to 6-3, but Concord responded with two runs in the sixth and another three in the seventh, increasing the lead back to 11-3.
In the bottom of the seventh, Jones hit a two-run dinger, but it wasn’t enough to rally the team to the win.
“We took three steps back this year,” Speicher said. “We have a long way to go to even get close to where we have been playing the last two years.
“Next year, we’ll see if we can build it back to where it was, because this year was extremely frustrating for me as a head coach.”
And despite this year’s team featuring just one senior, catcher Kayla Snider, Speicher sees a lot of changes coming in 2014.
“We have to go back to the building blocks, because we played some people this year that I don’t think will be playing the same spots next year,” he said. “We have to find some people that can make the routine softball play, because we’re not making them.”
Concord will face defending sectional champion and second-ranked Northridge Friday at 6:30 p.m.
CONCORD 11, WARSAW 5
(Sectional 4, Semifinal)
C 200 402 3 – 11 13 1
W 000 030 2 – 5 9 5
Rae Ann Miller (W, 5-2/3IP, 3R, 2ER, 7H, 6K, 4BB), Jennifer Miller (6, 1-1/3IP, 2R, 2ER, 2H, 1K, 1BB, 1HR) and Taylor Nelson; Kaleigh Speicher (L, 3-2/3IP, 6R, 1ER, 7H, 2K, 1BB, 1HR), Whitney Sleeth (4, 3-1/3IP, 5R, 3ER, 6H, 1K, 3BB, 1HR)
2B – McKenzie Loge (C), Ashley Ousley (W), Kara Dishman (W), Ashton Warren (W)
HR – Leslie Crawford (C), J. Miller (C), Karly Jones (W)
Warsaw Record: 8-17[[In-content Ad]]
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092