Lady Tigers Snap Wawasee's NLC Streak
April 20, 2018 at 3:33 p.m.
Lady Tigers Snap Wawasee's NLC Streak
By Zach [email protected]
Wawasee (2-4, 0-1 NLC) hadn’t lost an NLC game since the 2016 season, when they won 11 straight to end the year and went a perfect 14-0 last season.
Wawasee coach Mike Barger said he talked to the team on Wednesday about the win streak and how they need to stop worrying about keeping it alive.
“We’re not the same team anymore,” he said. “Everybody has that idea and everyone is out to get us.
“The loss stings. It’s a young team. They’re still trying to execute, still trying to learn. We’re making strides but not all of the strides.”
The Lady Tigers (3-4, 1-1 NLC) moved to .500 in the conference after the victory, backed by junior Courtney Chookie’s complete-game performance in the circle. The hurler allowed seven hits and five earned runs in the matchup, while striking out four Wawasee batters.
“I thought Courtney did well,” said Warsaw coach Kevin Dishman. She got a little tired toward the end, but she hung in there. It was tough for her to go two nights in a row in miserable conditions.”
The Lady Tigers’ goal at the beginning of the game was to allow two errors or less, and that’s exactly what they did. Warsaw’s defense made stellar plays to capture the third out in the first and second innings to end the Lady Warriors’ scoring threats.
Wawasee had a runner on second with two outs and junior Graceanne Kerlin ripped a groundball up the middle. Warsaw freshman Lindsey Bradley made a diving stop at second base and threw out Kerlin at first to end the inning.
In the second inning, it was the same situation. The Lady Warriors had a runner on second and freshman Amanda Jenkins hit a line drive to left field. Warsaw senior Saylor Bradley made a sliding catch to prevent Wawasee from scoring.
“They’re more aggressive defensively,” Dishman said. “Instead of waiting for the play to happen in front of them, they go make it happen. That’s something we’ve been working hard at.”
Warsaw got on the scoreboard first after a four-run third inning. After two walks, a sacrifice bunt and a hit batter, Lindsey Bradley hit a bases-clearing double to open up the scoring column. She was hit home by Saylor Bradley on a groundout to first base.
Wawasee bounced back and scored once in the bottom of the third to halt the momentum for a bit, but the Lady Tigers tallied two more in their next turn at bat.
The Lady Warriors plated two more runs in their half of the inning to trim the deficit to 6-3.
After two more runs by the visitors, Wawasee was down 8-3 headed into the bottom of the seventh inning. An RBI single by freshman leadoff hitter Ava Rush and the hosts had three runners on base in a last-chance effort to comeback and tie the game. Kerlin hit a two-run double to make it an 8-6 contest with two outs. Freshman Delaney Hare then grounded out to end the game and Wawasee’s chance at keeping the win streak going.
“The fight is inside of them,” said Barger. “It’s just not coming out of them. I think that’s the youth of them and they’re not sure how to do that yet.”
Sophomore Isabelle Dittmar hit two doubles for the Lady Tigers and Chookie added three hits to help her cause.
Rush tallied two hits for Wawasee at the top of the order and opened the team’s offense with a first-pitch single in the bottom of the first inning.
Junior Bethany Flannery pitched three innings in the losing effort as she allowed four runs on four hits.
Warsaw hosts rival Plymouth tonight in an NLC matchup at 5 p.m. Wawasee visits NorthWood for an in-league matchup at 5 p.m.
WARSAW 8, WAWASEE 6
WR 004 202 0 – 8 7 2
WW 001 200 3 – 6 7 5
Warsaw – Courtney Chookie (W, 7IP, 7H, 6R, 5ER, 3BB, 4SO)
Wawasee – Bethany Flannery (L, 3IP, 4H, 4R, 4ER, 4BB, 2SO), Kiaundra Olson (3.1IP, 3H, 4R, 1ER, 0BB, 5SO), Danielle Jenkins (0.2IP, 0H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 0SO)
2B – Isabelle Dittmar 2 (WR), Lindsey Bradley (WR)
Records: Warsaw 3-4 (1-1 NLC), Wawasee 2-4 (0-1 NLC)
Wawasee (2-4, 0-1 NLC) hadn’t lost an NLC game since the 2016 season, when they won 11 straight to end the year and went a perfect 14-0 last season.
Wawasee coach Mike Barger said he talked to the team on Wednesday about the win streak and how they need to stop worrying about keeping it alive.
“We’re not the same team anymore,” he said. “Everybody has that idea and everyone is out to get us.
“The loss stings. It’s a young team. They’re still trying to execute, still trying to learn. We’re making strides but not all of the strides.”
The Lady Tigers (3-4, 1-1 NLC) moved to .500 in the conference after the victory, backed by junior Courtney Chookie’s complete-game performance in the circle. The hurler allowed seven hits and five earned runs in the matchup, while striking out four Wawasee batters.
“I thought Courtney did well,” said Warsaw coach Kevin Dishman. She got a little tired toward the end, but she hung in there. It was tough for her to go two nights in a row in miserable conditions.”
The Lady Tigers’ goal at the beginning of the game was to allow two errors or less, and that’s exactly what they did. Warsaw’s defense made stellar plays to capture the third out in the first and second innings to end the Lady Warriors’ scoring threats.
Wawasee had a runner on second with two outs and junior Graceanne Kerlin ripped a groundball up the middle. Warsaw freshman Lindsey Bradley made a diving stop at second base and threw out Kerlin at first to end the inning.
In the second inning, it was the same situation. The Lady Warriors had a runner on second and freshman Amanda Jenkins hit a line drive to left field. Warsaw senior Saylor Bradley made a sliding catch to prevent Wawasee from scoring.
“They’re more aggressive defensively,” Dishman said. “Instead of waiting for the play to happen in front of them, they go make it happen. That’s something we’ve been working hard at.”
Warsaw got on the scoreboard first after a four-run third inning. After two walks, a sacrifice bunt and a hit batter, Lindsey Bradley hit a bases-clearing double to open up the scoring column. She was hit home by Saylor Bradley on a groundout to first base.
Wawasee bounced back and scored once in the bottom of the third to halt the momentum for a bit, but the Lady Tigers tallied two more in their next turn at bat.
The Lady Warriors plated two more runs in their half of the inning to trim the deficit to 6-3.
After two more runs by the visitors, Wawasee was down 8-3 headed into the bottom of the seventh inning. An RBI single by freshman leadoff hitter Ava Rush and the hosts had three runners on base in a last-chance effort to comeback and tie the game. Kerlin hit a two-run double to make it an 8-6 contest with two outs. Freshman Delaney Hare then grounded out to end the game and Wawasee’s chance at keeping the win streak going.
“The fight is inside of them,” said Barger. “It’s just not coming out of them. I think that’s the youth of them and they’re not sure how to do that yet.”
Sophomore Isabelle Dittmar hit two doubles for the Lady Tigers and Chookie added three hits to help her cause.
Rush tallied two hits for Wawasee at the top of the order and opened the team’s offense with a first-pitch single in the bottom of the first inning.
Junior Bethany Flannery pitched three innings in the losing effort as she allowed four runs on four hits.
Warsaw hosts rival Plymouth tonight in an NLC matchup at 5 p.m. Wawasee visits NorthWood for an in-league matchup at 5 p.m.
WARSAW 8, WAWASEE 6
WR 004 202 0 – 8 7 2
WW 001 200 3 – 6 7 5
Warsaw – Courtney Chookie (W, 7IP, 7H, 6R, 5ER, 3BB, 4SO)
Wawasee – Bethany Flannery (L, 3IP, 4H, 4R, 4ER, 4BB, 2SO), Kiaundra Olson (3.1IP, 3H, 4R, 1ER, 0BB, 5SO), Danielle Jenkins (0.2IP, 0H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 0SO)
2B – Isabelle Dittmar 2 (WR), Lindsey Bradley (WR)
Records: Warsaw 3-4 (1-1 NLC), Wawasee 2-4 (0-1 NLC)
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