The Mishawaka High School softball team is becoming the guest that comes over, trashes your house and then leaves you to clean it up.
Two years ago, the Lady Cavemen inaugurated Warsaw's new softball field with a home run in its first at-bat in a 5-0 victory. Wednesday, all Mishawaka (3-1) did was defeat the Lady Tigers (0-1) 15-2 in five innings, resulting in Warsaw conducting an impromptu practice afterwards."There's no excuse for what we've done tonight," first-year Warsaw coach Nikki Wood said. "It came down to the fact that our pitching was poor and we just didn't have any sticks. We work hitting everyday in practice, and we just didn't come through tonight."
Facing Mishawaka's talented senior pitcher Shelbie Jones, who struck out 10, Warsaw didn't have much room for error and a 10-run second inning was a huge error.
"I felt like we came prepared and ready this afternoon when we came into the locker room and then when we came out here," Wood said. "I know I have a couple freshmen out on the field starting, and you could tell there were some first-game jitters and nerves."
Mishawaka coach Brian Miller empathized with Warsaw following the loss.
"The big difference was they hadn't played and this was our fourth game," Miller said.
And in their previous game, Mishawaka was defeated 4-1 against Edwardsburg, leading to an intense practice for the Cavemen Tuesday.
"Our mental approach was strong because at different parts of the count, we knew what we wanted to do," Miller said.
Miller's lead-off hitter, sophomore Bethany Stoltz, definitely knew what she was doing, going 3 for 3 with two RBIs and three runs.
Along with Stoltz's production, Mishawaka's Taylor Stoltz went 2 for 2 with three RBIs and senior Megan Yost had four RBIs on a second-inning grand slam that gave her team an 8-1 lead.
"After the grand slam, that kind of took our pop," Wood said. "Pitching, we left everything high and right in their wheelhouse. That's where we need to get better."
Warsaw sophomore Kelsey Dotson finished 1 for 2 with a first-inning home run, but it wasn't enough to compete with Mishawaka's bats.
On the night, Mishawaka had three home runs, which isn't bad for a team without much power, according to their coach.
"We're not going to hit a ton of home runs," Miller said about his team, which actually had seven different girls take at-bats with the bases loaded through the first two innings. "The top part of our lineup, and the bottom part, is built around speed. Put the ball in play and make contact. I don't mean slapping and bunting, but just putting the ball in play."
The Cavemen did more than just put the ball in play.
"This is what we're capable of," Miller said. "We respect Warsaw a lot, and knowing they had not played a game was definitely in our favor."
It may have been what Miller knew his team was capable of, but Wood knows her team is capable of a lot more.
"It won't happen again this year," Wood said. "They know it, and they're going to find out."
Because of Warsaw's spring break next week, the Lady Tigers won't be back on the field until April 13 at East Noble.
MISHAWAKA 15, WARSAW 2
M 1(10)1 30 - 15 14 1
W 100 01 - 2 3 3
Shelbie Jones (W, 3-1, 5IP, 2R, 1ER, 3H, 10K, 1BB, 2HB, 1HR) and Sarah Ulteras, Alexis Brooks (3); Kaitlin Gruenewald (L, 0-1, 1-2/3IP, 9R, 9ER, 9H, 1K, 1BB, 2HR), Sam Snider (2, 3-1/3IP, 6R, 6ER, 5H, 5K, 5BB, 1HR) and Kelsey Dotson
