Facing off against Goshen not long after suffering a 10-run loss to the RedHawks, the Warsaw softball team came to play on Friday night, taking an early lead before needing a walk-off single by Adelynn Williams to win 9-8, the team’s first Northern Lakes Conference victory of the season.
Addison Eastwood had a solid opening inning in the circle for Warsaw. After giving up a hit to the Lady RedHawk leadoff hitter, Eastwood retired the next three batters she saw to end threat. She’d also pick up her first strikeout of the evening.
The Lady Tigers wasted no time putting runs on the board, as the home side’s second hitter of the game, Mia Rodriguez, laced a triple into right to score Raegan Robinson, who singled to begin the inning. A bunt by Brooklyn Nibert brought Rodriguez home, and Nibert eventually scored the third and final run of the inning on a groundout by Ellyse Walters.
Eastwood was a pitch away from her second straight scoreless inning in the top of the second, but with two strikes, two strikes and a runner at third, Emilianys Ortiz came up clutch with a single up the middle to put Goshen on the board. The visitors had the chance to put a few more on the board, as Eastwood was able to escape.
The Lady Tigers hit the visitors with a little two-out offense of their own in the bottom of the second. After the first two hitters were retired, the home side was able to stage a rally that led to Bayleigh Sleeth driving in Rodriguez from second with a single to get that one run back. After two innings, Warsaw led 4-1.

    After reaching third base during her turn at bat in the first inning, Warsaw senior Mia Rodriguez is congratulated by head coach Hilary Kiser...Nieter

The top of the third is where it felll apart for the Lady Tigers. The Lady Redhawks clobbered the ball in this inning, tallying six hits in the frame. They weren’t just empty calories either, as they turned into six runs for the visitors. The big hit in the inning was a two-RBI double by Mia Crist. After entering the inning up by three, Warsaw suddenly found itself down by three.
The team bounced back quite nicely their next time up, scoring three runs to tie things up almost immediately. Addy Sainer, Rodriguez and Nibert all drove in runs in the bottom of the third to tie things up heading to the fourth.
With Kaitlyn O’Dell now in the circle, the Lady Tiger defense was able to back her up enough to put together the first scoreless inning since the top of the first, keeping things tied. Warsaw was also blanked in the bottom of the fourth, marking the first inning they’d been shut out. It was, however, the fourth straight inning in which the team had stranded two runners on the bases.
Another scoreless inning from O’Dell gave the home side another opportunity to jump back in front. They’d come awfully close, as Rodriguez ended the inning at third, but two straight scoreless innings kept the score at 7-7 going into the sixth.
Instead, it would be Goshen that broke the tie. With two outs in the inning, the Lady RedHawks got a big hit from Emily Diaz, who dropped one into shallow center field. One run came around to score, making it an 8-7 game.
It looked as if Warsaw was going to go down in order in the bottom of the sixth, but a two-out error gave the home side new life. They took advantage, as the very next hitter, O’Dell, hit a double into left field to score the tying run to even things up again heading to the seventh.
After O’Dell’s third scoreless inning in four tries, the Lady Tigers found themselves one run away from coming away with a walkoff victory. With two outs, they’d get it. Rodriguez stood on third after a leadoff single, being moved over twice. It came down to Williams, who singled up the middle to finish off the win.
Warsaw (6-9, 1-7 NLC) is at Plymouth Saturday.