Wawasee Softball Team Wins Sectional Opener
May 23, 2017 at 4:16 p.m.
By Dale [email protected]
In a 5-2 win over the host Lakers, Wawasee senior pitcher Meghan Fretz had a no-hitter through five innings.
Lakeland freshman Rylee Palmer, the Lakers’ first batter in the bottom of the sixth, broke up the no-hit bid with a single on a bang-bang play that first-year Wawasee coach Mike Barger felt should have been ruled an out.
Barger, whose team led 5-0 at the time, pleaded his case, to no avail.
The Lady Warriors retired the next two batters, but Lakeland drew consecutive walks, and Barger switched Fretz and first baseman Amber Lemberg.
Sophomores Elise Edwards and Christa Parham got singles off Lemberg, with each hit scoring a run, before freshman Jennifer West lined out to end the inning.
Lemberg struck out sophomore Paige Willms to start the bottom of the seventh inning, followed by a running catch in the outfield by senior Ale Brito and a flyout to junior Aubrey Kuhn for the final out.
Asked after the game about the play that broke up the no-hitter, Barger said it changed the momentum of the game, though his team pulled out the victory and will play West Noble in tonight’s 5 p.m. semifinal.
The Chargers, who Barger coached the past two seasons, beat NorthWood 9-4 Monday. Tippecanoe Valley and Fairfield will play in tonight’s second semifinal, with the winners playing in a 6 p.m. championship game Thursday.
“It changed completely ... the mojo changed completely,” said Barger, whose team improved to 22-3 on the season, while Lakeland’s season ended with a 7-18 record. “The energy went down, because we felt like we got an out. I still think we got her out, but I don’t wear the blue out there.
“The energy changed, so we made a decision as a staff, and we’re going to pitch by committee anyway, so let’s get a fresh arm in there. They got a couple hits, a couple ducksnorts, and scored some runs, but we settled and got the out. We came back out and got them 1-2-3 in the seventh inning.
“I’m pleased. It wasn’t the greatest, but defensively they made some plays.”
Outside of the sixth inning, Wawasee was in complete control.
The Lady Warriors plated a pair of runs in the first inning on a two-run homer by Fretz, and then pushed their lead to 3-0 in the third inning on an RBI single by senior Kayla White that scored Brito.
A one-out, solo homer by sophomore Bethany Flannery gave Wawasee a 4-0 advantage, and a Faith Swihart RBI on an error by Lakeland pushed the lead to 5-0.
The Lady Warriors pounded out 10 hits in the win, while Lakeland had just three.
Brito was 4 for 4 at the plate, a performance that included a double, while Flannery was 2 for 3, adding a double to her home run.
Madie Wilson, White and Lemberg all hit a single in the win.
“That was huge,” Barger said of Flannery’s homer. “You go back and look, and that was a big, big run. I’m starting to see a little more energy from her, starting to see the bat liven up, and she’s seeing pitches real well right now. You hit the ball for me and you’re gonna be in the lineup.”
Fretz was credited with the win in the circle after giving up just one hit in 5-2/3 innings of work. She gave up two runs, four walks and struck out nine.
Edwards took the loss for Lakeland, going the distance and giving up 10 hits and five runs. She struck out one Wawasee batter.
WAWASEE 5, LAKELAND 2
W 201 101 0 – 5 10 0
L 000 002 0 – 2 3 1
Wawasee – Meghan Fretz (W, 5.2IP, 1H, 2R, 4BB, 9K), Amber Lemberg (1.2IP, 2H, 0R, 0BB, 1K).
Lakeland – Elise Edwards (L, 7IP, 10H, 5R, 0BB, 1K)
2B – Ale Brito (W), Bethany Flannery (W)
HR – Fretz (W), Flannery (W)
Records: Wawasee 22-3, Lakeland 7-18
Other score: West Noble 9, NorthWood 4
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In a 5-2 win over the host Lakers, Wawasee senior pitcher Meghan Fretz had a no-hitter through five innings.
Lakeland freshman Rylee Palmer, the Lakers’ first batter in the bottom of the sixth, broke up the no-hit bid with a single on a bang-bang play that first-year Wawasee coach Mike Barger felt should have been ruled an out.
Barger, whose team led 5-0 at the time, pleaded his case, to no avail.
The Lady Warriors retired the next two batters, but Lakeland drew consecutive walks, and Barger switched Fretz and first baseman Amber Lemberg.
Sophomores Elise Edwards and Christa Parham got singles off Lemberg, with each hit scoring a run, before freshman Jennifer West lined out to end the inning.
Lemberg struck out sophomore Paige Willms to start the bottom of the seventh inning, followed by a running catch in the outfield by senior Ale Brito and a flyout to junior Aubrey Kuhn for the final out.
Asked after the game about the play that broke up the no-hitter, Barger said it changed the momentum of the game, though his team pulled out the victory and will play West Noble in tonight’s 5 p.m. semifinal.
The Chargers, who Barger coached the past two seasons, beat NorthWood 9-4 Monday. Tippecanoe Valley and Fairfield will play in tonight’s second semifinal, with the winners playing in a 6 p.m. championship game Thursday.
“It changed completely ... the mojo changed completely,” said Barger, whose team improved to 22-3 on the season, while Lakeland’s season ended with a 7-18 record. “The energy went down, because we felt like we got an out. I still think we got her out, but I don’t wear the blue out there.
“The energy changed, so we made a decision as a staff, and we’re going to pitch by committee anyway, so let’s get a fresh arm in there. They got a couple hits, a couple ducksnorts, and scored some runs, but we settled and got the out. We came back out and got them 1-2-3 in the seventh inning.
“I’m pleased. It wasn’t the greatest, but defensively they made some plays.”
Outside of the sixth inning, Wawasee was in complete control.
The Lady Warriors plated a pair of runs in the first inning on a two-run homer by Fretz, and then pushed their lead to 3-0 in the third inning on an RBI single by senior Kayla White that scored Brito.
A one-out, solo homer by sophomore Bethany Flannery gave Wawasee a 4-0 advantage, and a Faith Swihart RBI on an error by Lakeland pushed the lead to 5-0.
The Lady Warriors pounded out 10 hits in the win, while Lakeland had just three.
Brito was 4 for 4 at the plate, a performance that included a double, while Flannery was 2 for 3, adding a double to her home run.
Madie Wilson, White and Lemberg all hit a single in the win.
“That was huge,” Barger said of Flannery’s homer. “You go back and look, and that was a big, big run. I’m starting to see a little more energy from her, starting to see the bat liven up, and she’s seeing pitches real well right now. You hit the ball for me and you’re gonna be in the lineup.”
Fretz was credited with the win in the circle after giving up just one hit in 5-2/3 innings of work. She gave up two runs, four walks and struck out nine.
Edwards took the loss for Lakeland, going the distance and giving up 10 hits and five runs. She struck out one Wawasee batter.
WAWASEE 5, LAKELAND 2
W 201 101 0 – 5 10 0
L 000 002 0 – 2 3 1
Wawasee – Meghan Fretz (W, 5.2IP, 1H, 2R, 4BB, 9K), Amber Lemberg (1.2IP, 2H, 0R, 0BB, 1K).
Lakeland – Elise Edwards (L, 7IP, 10H, 5R, 0BB, 1K)
2B – Ale Brito (W), Bethany Flannery (W)
HR – Fretz (W), Flannery (W)
Records: Wawasee 22-3, Lakeland 7-18
Other score: West Noble 9, NorthWood 4
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