Lady Warriors Extend NLC Win Streak
May 16, 2017 at 4:34 p.m.
Lady Warriors Extend NLC Win Streak
By Dale [email protected]
Class 3A No. 3 Wawasee – the clear heavyweight in the eight-team NLC – scored two runs in both the first and second innings to take a 4-0 lead, and then blew the game open with seven runs in the seventh.
First-year Wawasee coach Mike Barger saw some things in the middle innings he wants his team to clean up, but called his squad dangerous and capable of making a deep postseason run.
“If we clean things up, this team is dangerous, everybody knows that,” said Barger, whose team improved to 20-3 overall and 13-0 in the NLC.
“The last three games we got off to a fast start, and that sets the tone for this team. If we get off to a fast start, people know that our pitching will shut you down, to an extent. So that’s our key ... if we can get fast starts, pitching will keep us in the game, defense will keep us in the game, but offensively we’ve got to keep things rolling. We just haven’t been able to keep it going from the first inning to the seventh inning. When we do, we’re going to be really dangerous.”
The host Lady RedHawks, who fell to 10-12 overall and 5-7 in the NLC, scored twice in the third inning to trim the deficit to 4-2, but Wawasee responded with a run in the fourth, and then the big seventh inning.
Riley Kunkle came off the bench in the final inning and drove in two runs with a single, while Madi Wilson – who opened the seventh inning by popping up for an out – accounted for the final score with a single of her own that plated a pair of runs.
Ale Brito led Wawasee at the plate with a 4-for-4 performance that included two doubles, three RBIs, two runs and a walk, while Hannah Haines had three hits, and Kayla White and Bethany Flannery had two hits each.
Flannery hit a double in the seventh inning that hit the top of the fence, leaving the Wawasee sophomore inches from a home run.
“I’ll tell you what, Riley Kunkle coming off the bench, that was a huge hit,” said Barger. “Everybody’s doing their part, and that’s where I think we finally got it to where we’re dangerous, because we have every everyone doing their part.
“Kunkle sits in the dugout all year long, realizes what kind of role she has, and then comes up in a big, big moment and comes up with a huge it to blow the game open. That hit put it away, basically. Just a huge hit from Riley Kunkle.”
The Lady Warriors pounded out 16 hits off Goshen’s Kate Atkinson, who pitched all seven innings, walking five and striking out five.
Wawasee’s Meghan Fretz also went the distance in the circle, giving up just four hits while striking out 11 and walking two.
Elkah DeVoe had two hits for Goshen, while AnaMarie Ramirez and Sara Breniser had one each.
With Monday’s win, the Lady Warriors extended their NLC win streak to 24.
Wawasee, 13-1 in the league standings a year ago, have a chance to complete a perfect conference season when it hosts Concord Wednesday.
The Lady Warriors close the regular season Friday with a home game against Class 2A No. 3 Bremen.
“My philosophy is you play who’s in front of you,” Barger said when asked if there was any emphasis put on sweeping the NLC. “I don’t care who it is, whether it’s Plymouth, Concord, whoever, whoever’s in front of us that’s who we’re focused on playing. We don’t look past anybody. We’ve got a huge game Friday with Bremen, they’re ranked third in the state in 2A, but they mean nothing to us right now. Our focus is the next game, which is a conference game Wednesday with Concord, that’s our focus now.”
WAWASEE 12, GOSHEN 2
W 220 100 7 – 12 16 0
G 002 000 0 – 2 4 2
Wawasee – Meghan Fretz (W, 7IP, 4H, 2R, 2BB, 11K)
Goshen – Kate Atkinson (L, 7IP, 16H, 12R, 5BB, 5K)
2B – Ale Briton (W), Bethany Flannery (W)
Records: Wawasee 20-3 (13-0 NLC), Goshen 10-12 (5-7 NLC)
Class 3A No. 3 Wawasee – the clear heavyweight in the eight-team NLC – scored two runs in both the first and second innings to take a 4-0 lead, and then blew the game open with seven runs in the seventh.
First-year Wawasee coach Mike Barger saw some things in the middle innings he wants his team to clean up, but called his squad dangerous and capable of making a deep postseason run.
“If we clean things up, this team is dangerous, everybody knows that,” said Barger, whose team improved to 20-3 overall and 13-0 in the NLC.
“The last three games we got off to a fast start, and that sets the tone for this team. If we get off to a fast start, people know that our pitching will shut you down, to an extent. So that’s our key ... if we can get fast starts, pitching will keep us in the game, defense will keep us in the game, but offensively we’ve got to keep things rolling. We just haven’t been able to keep it going from the first inning to the seventh inning. When we do, we’re going to be really dangerous.”
The host Lady RedHawks, who fell to 10-12 overall and 5-7 in the NLC, scored twice in the third inning to trim the deficit to 4-2, but Wawasee responded with a run in the fourth, and then the big seventh inning.
Riley Kunkle came off the bench in the final inning and drove in two runs with a single, while Madi Wilson – who opened the seventh inning by popping up for an out – accounted for the final score with a single of her own that plated a pair of runs.
Ale Brito led Wawasee at the plate with a 4-for-4 performance that included two doubles, three RBIs, two runs and a walk, while Hannah Haines had three hits, and Kayla White and Bethany Flannery had two hits each.
Flannery hit a double in the seventh inning that hit the top of the fence, leaving the Wawasee sophomore inches from a home run.
“I’ll tell you what, Riley Kunkle coming off the bench, that was a huge hit,” said Barger. “Everybody’s doing their part, and that’s where I think we finally got it to where we’re dangerous, because we have every everyone doing their part.
“Kunkle sits in the dugout all year long, realizes what kind of role she has, and then comes up in a big, big moment and comes up with a huge it to blow the game open. That hit put it away, basically. Just a huge hit from Riley Kunkle.”
The Lady Warriors pounded out 16 hits off Goshen’s Kate Atkinson, who pitched all seven innings, walking five and striking out five.
Wawasee’s Meghan Fretz also went the distance in the circle, giving up just four hits while striking out 11 and walking two.
Elkah DeVoe had two hits for Goshen, while AnaMarie Ramirez and Sara Breniser had one each.
With Monday’s win, the Lady Warriors extended their NLC win streak to 24.
Wawasee, 13-1 in the league standings a year ago, have a chance to complete a perfect conference season when it hosts Concord Wednesday.
The Lady Warriors close the regular season Friday with a home game against Class 2A No. 3 Bremen.
“My philosophy is you play who’s in front of you,” Barger said when asked if there was any emphasis put on sweeping the NLC. “I don’t care who it is, whether it’s Plymouth, Concord, whoever, whoever’s in front of us that’s who we’re focused on playing. We don’t look past anybody. We’ve got a huge game Friday with Bremen, they’re ranked third in the state in 2A, but they mean nothing to us right now. Our focus is the next game, which is a conference game Wednesday with Concord, that’s our focus now.”
WAWASEE 12, GOSHEN 2
W 220 100 7 – 12 16 0
G 002 000 0 – 2 4 2
Wawasee – Meghan Fretz (W, 7IP, 4H, 2R, 2BB, 11K)
Goshen – Kate Atkinson (L, 7IP, 16H, 12R, 5BB, 5K)
2B – Ale Briton (W), Bethany Flannery (W)
Records: Wawasee 20-3 (13-0 NLC), Goshen 10-12 (5-7 NLC)
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