Warsaw Drops Sectional Game To Goshen
May 26, 2017 at 3:59 p.m.
By Mark [email protected]
A dropped third strike ignited a five-run rally for Goshen, who cruised to a 9-3 softball win over Warsaw in the Class 4A Elkhart Central Sectional Thursday.
The dropped strike came when the ball got by Lady Tiger catcher Kalie Keener and hit the umpire’s left leg and dropped straight down. Keener was looking at the backstop for the ball, but it was stuck in the dirt at her feet.
Five consecutive singles later, one a swinging bunt that went four feet from the plate, Goshen had a 6-3 lead that Warsaw never seriously threatened to cut.
“We’d all like to have that inning back,” Warsaw coach Kevin Dishman said. “Sometimes it’s the crazy things that get you.”
Warsaw had an opportunity to knock around Lady RedHawk pitcher Kate Atkinson. She spent the first two innings pitching from behind in the count, and seven pitches went to the backstop in the first three frames.
After Warsaw left the bases loaded in the first frame, three Lady Tigers drew full-count walks to open the second inning. All three runners scored, two on Isabelle Dittmar’s double down that went down the left field line and just out of reach of diving RedHawk defender Elkah Devoe.
A double play helped Goshen work around two walks in the third. A strikeout to end the frame began a string that saw Atkinson retire 13 of the last 15 Warsaw batters. She walked six, none after the third inning, and struck out eight Warsaw batters.
“Especially early, we had opportunities and we didn’t drive the ball then,” Dishman said. “(Atkinson) was effectively wild. We couldn’t get comfortable at the plate. She did a great job pitching; I’ll give her that. But one pitch she throws 10 feet over your head and the next one is a strike. And she wasn’t afraid to throw those pitches.
“But our killer was that dropped third strike. That was the switch right there. Right after that it seemed to snowball. We all have nights like that.
“But we never gave up. I’ll give them props for that. So we start out summer a little bit earlier than we’d like and start working for next year.”
Goshen will play Northridge in an all-Northern Lakes Conference sectional title game at 6 p.m. today. Warsaw ended its season with a 10-12 record.
GOSHEN 9, WARSAW 3
W 030 000 0 – 3 4 2
G 150 003 x – 9 10 0
Warsaw – Courtney Chookie (L, 6IP, 10H, 9R, 8ER, 0BB, 6K)
Goshen – Kate Atkinson (W, 7IP, 4H, 3R, 3ER, 6BB, 8K)
2B – Isabelle Dittmar (W)
Records: Warsaw 10-12, Goshen 13-13
A dropped third strike ignited a five-run rally for Goshen, who cruised to a 9-3 softball win over Warsaw in the Class 4A Elkhart Central Sectional Thursday.
The dropped strike came when the ball got by Lady Tiger catcher Kalie Keener and hit the umpire’s left leg and dropped straight down. Keener was looking at the backstop for the ball, but it was stuck in the dirt at her feet.
Five consecutive singles later, one a swinging bunt that went four feet from the plate, Goshen had a 6-3 lead that Warsaw never seriously threatened to cut.
“We’d all like to have that inning back,” Warsaw coach Kevin Dishman said. “Sometimes it’s the crazy things that get you.”
Warsaw had an opportunity to knock around Lady RedHawk pitcher Kate Atkinson. She spent the first two innings pitching from behind in the count, and seven pitches went to the backstop in the first three frames.
After Warsaw left the bases loaded in the first frame, three Lady Tigers drew full-count walks to open the second inning. All three runners scored, two on Isabelle Dittmar’s double down that went down the left field line and just out of reach of diving RedHawk defender Elkah Devoe.
A double play helped Goshen work around two walks in the third. A strikeout to end the frame began a string that saw Atkinson retire 13 of the last 15 Warsaw batters. She walked six, none after the third inning, and struck out eight Warsaw batters.
“Especially early, we had opportunities and we didn’t drive the ball then,” Dishman said. “(Atkinson) was effectively wild. We couldn’t get comfortable at the plate. She did a great job pitching; I’ll give her that. But one pitch she throws 10 feet over your head and the next one is a strike. And she wasn’t afraid to throw those pitches.
“But our killer was that dropped third strike. That was the switch right there. Right after that it seemed to snowball. We all have nights like that.
“But we never gave up. I’ll give them props for that. So we start out summer a little bit earlier than we’d like and start working for next year.”
Goshen will play Northridge in an all-Northern Lakes Conference sectional title game at 6 p.m. today. Warsaw ended its season with a 10-12 record.
GOSHEN 9, WARSAW 3
W 030 000 0 – 3 4 2
G 150 003 x – 9 10 0
Warsaw – Courtney Chookie (L, 6IP, 10H, 9R, 8ER, 0BB, 6K)
Goshen – Kate Atkinson (W, 7IP, 4H, 3R, 3ER, 6BB, 8K)
2B – Isabelle Dittmar (W)
Records: Warsaw 10-12, Goshen 13-13
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