Lady Tigers Down Northridge With Seventh Inning Rally
April 27, 2023 at 7:43 p.m.
Lady Tigers Down Northridge With Seventh Inning Rally
By Chip Davenport-
Before the final inning collective heroics among Lady Tiger batters, the game appeared to be, at best, a moral victory for the Lady Tigers given the following circumstances:
Warsaw had seven error free innings.
The host’s infield communication was top-notch stopping three Raiders from scoring with putouts at the plate, keeping every ground ball in front of them, and confidently taking charge of each infield fly ball.
The Lady Tiger outfield threw out multiple runners attempting to turn singles into doubles, and doubles into triples.
Seven of eight Raider runs were earned runs, meaning Northridge’s bats were solid in the form of six extra base hits: 3 doubles, a triple, and two home runs by Northridge centerfielder Grace Urbanski.
Urbanski, furthermore, was 4-4 at the plate for 11 total bases adding a single and double to her two dingers.
Wednesday night, however, the Lady Tigers collectively decided the circumstances supporting a moral victory just weren’t going to cut it this time.
Fleet-footed outfielder Nekianna Hamilton opened the inning beating out a ground ball played deep by Northridge’s second basewoman. Kali Ousley added another single, followed by Addy Williams, who drove in Hamilton.
The Lady Tigers, with no outs yet in their final turn at bat, and chiseling away a hit at a time now trailed 8-4.
Enter Lauren Eastwood, who jacked a three-run homer to center field – her fifth of the season – putting Warsaw within one run of tying the contest; still not outs.
“We kept telling them from the beginning… just give us some base hits,” Warsaw skipper Sam Tew said. “Hard ground ball base hits. In the seventh inning they were finally like, ‘O.K. let's do this base hit mentality,’ and they're just placing the ball, so we just kept going.”
Eastwood even admitted her home run was from a solid swing intended to add another single to the rally.
Brooklyn Nibert added a one-out single to right field, and moved to second base on a sacrifice grounder by Milana Whitaker, and eventually tied the game 8-8 scoring on senior Taylor Myers’ two-out double.
The Lady Tigers added another ingredient to a win Tew cited as a consummate team effort.
“Pinch running opportunities like Macy (Sainer),” Tew said. “(Who) wasn't feeling good at the beginning of the game, but she came to me in the seventh inning and said, ‘I'm ready to run coach.’”
Sainer stood in for Myers at second base after the left-fielder’s clutch double. Sainer is arguably as fast as Hamilton on the bases, and when freshman pitcher Addison Eastwood came to the plate her coaches reminded her - from the dugout - a single would get Sainer home from second base for the game-winning run.
Eastwood hit a solid line drive to right field to end the game after 6 2/3 innings. She also pitched the distance for the win on the mound.
“We told them today was the first day that we saw them play as a team,” Tew continued regarding the aforementioned team effort. “One of our core values is unity, and today was the first day that we actually saw them put that into action, first through the seventh inning.
Tew also noted the fruits borne from efforts to work exhaustively on fielding fundamentals.
“We've done a lot of work in the past couple of days of getting them to keep the ball in front,” she said. “Staying on top of it, and we challenged our outfield today that nothing gets past us.”
Among the Lady Tiger infield, Addy Williams, a sophomore who moved from shortstop in 2022 to third base in 2023, made notably significant progress in her confidence and execution at the hot corner.
Williams managed her position in a manner demonstrated by her strongest communication between and during plays, outmatching any previous games’ results. Williams credited her teammates for the boost in awareness and confidence.
“The girls have been, like, really helpful,” Williams said. “During practice yesterday we… worked on a lot of communication, uplifting each other.
“Everyone's just there to help you, (and) I can hear my outfielders (better)… and I can hear my catcher, my pitcher… everyone just coming together.”
Williams’ success at the plate (2-4, 2 runs scored, 2B, RBI) rounded out, arguably, her best game as a Lady Tiger.
Lauren Eastwood (3-4, HR, 3 RBI), Ousley (2-4, double), Hamilton (2-4) had multiple hit outings for Warsaw.
Milana Whitaker singled one runner home in the second inning and walked in another in the sixth inning.
Nibert scored two runs getting on base with a single, and a Raider error. Jade Walters courtesy runner contribution resulted in a run scored.
Warsaw (2-9, 2-3 Northern Lakes Conference) travels to Concord today for a 5:30 p.m. first pitch, and to Huntington North Saturday at 10 a.m.
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Before the final inning collective heroics among Lady Tiger batters, the game appeared to be, at best, a moral victory for the Lady Tigers given the following circumstances:
Warsaw had seven error free innings.
The host’s infield communication was top-notch stopping three Raiders from scoring with putouts at the plate, keeping every ground ball in front of them, and confidently taking charge of each infield fly ball.
The Lady Tiger outfield threw out multiple runners attempting to turn singles into doubles, and doubles into triples.
Seven of eight Raider runs were earned runs, meaning Northridge’s bats were solid in the form of six extra base hits: 3 doubles, a triple, and two home runs by Northridge centerfielder Grace Urbanski.
Urbanski, furthermore, was 4-4 at the plate for 11 total bases adding a single and double to her two dingers.
Wednesday night, however, the Lady Tigers collectively decided the circumstances supporting a moral victory just weren’t going to cut it this time.
Fleet-footed outfielder Nekianna Hamilton opened the inning beating out a ground ball played deep by Northridge’s second basewoman. Kali Ousley added another single, followed by Addy Williams, who drove in Hamilton.
The Lady Tigers, with no outs yet in their final turn at bat, and chiseling away a hit at a time now trailed 8-4.
Enter Lauren Eastwood, who jacked a three-run homer to center field – her fifth of the season – putting Warsaw within one run of tying the contest; still not outs.
“We kept telling them from the beginning… just give us some base hits,” Warsaw skipper Sam Tew said. “Hard ground ball base hits. In the seventh inning they were finally like, ‘O.K. let's do this base hit mentality,’ and they're just placing the ball, so we just kept going.”
Eastwood even admitted her home run was from a solid swing intended to add another single to the rally.
Brooklyn Nibert added a one-out single to right field, and moved to second base on a sacrifice grounder by Milana Whitaker, and eventually tied the game 8-8 scoring on senior Taylor Myers’ two-out double.
The Lady Tigers added another ingredient to a win Tew cited as a consummate team effort.
“Pinch running opportunities like Macy (Sainer),” Tew said. “(Who) wasn't feeling good at the beginning of the game, but she came to me in the seventh inning and said, ‘I'm ready to run coach.’”
Sainer stood in for Myers at second base after the left-fielder’s clutch double. Sainer is arguably as fast as Hamilton on the bases, and when freshman pitcher Addison Eastwood came to the plate her coaches reminded her - from the dugout - a single would get Sainer home from second base for the game-winning run.
Eastwood hit a solid line drive to right field to end the game after 6 2/3 innings. She also pitched the distance for the win on the mound.
“We told them today was the first day that we saw them play as a team,” Tew continued regarding the aforementioned team effort. “One of our core values is unity, and today was the first day that we actually saw them put that into action, first through the seventh inning.
Tew also noted the fruits borne from efforts to work exhaustively on fielding fundamentals.
“We've done a lot of work in the past couple of days of getting them to keep the ball in front,” she said. “Staying on top of it, and we challenged our outfield today that nothing gets past us.”
Among the Lady Tiger infield, Addy Williams, a sophomore who moved from shortstop in 2022 to third base in 2023, made notably significant progress in her confidence and execution at the hot corner.
Williams managed her position in a manner demonstrated by her strongest communication between and during plays, outmatching any previous games’ results. Williams credited her teammates for the boost in awareness and confidence.
“The girls have been, like, really helpful,” Williams said. “During practice yesterday we… worked on a lot of communication, uplifting each other.
“Everyone's just there to help you, (and) I can hear my outfielders (better)… and I can hear my catcher, my pitcher… everyone just coming together.”
Williams’ success at the plate (2-4, 2 runs scored, 2B, RBI) rounded out, arguably, her best game as a Lady Tiger.
Lauren Eastwood (3-4, HR, 3 RBI), Ousley (2-4, double), Hamilton (2-4) had multiple hit outings for Warsaw.
Milana Whitaker singled one runner home in the second inning and walked in another in the sixth inning.
Nibert scored two runs getting on base with a single, and a Raider error. Jade Walters courtesy runner contribution resulted in a run scored.
Warsaw (2-9, 2-3 Northern Lakes Conference) travels to Concord today for a 5:30 p.m. first pitch, and to Huntington North Saturday at 10 a.m.
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