Tigers Give Up Big Lead Before Advancing In Softball Sectional
Tigers Give Up Big Lead Before Advancing In Softball Sectional
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Mark Howe-
Tigers Give Up Big Lead Before Advancing In Softball SectionalFor softball fans who like a lot of hits, runs and other offensive action, the first half of Warsaw’s 4A sectional opener was pretty dull.
But the second half was anything but, with Warsaw eventually winning 11-7 in eight innings over Elkhart Central.
The Tigers, hosting the regional but having drawn the visitors’ position for the tournament opener, took advantage of Elkhart Central fielding miscues to take a 7-0 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth. Warsaw scored four runs in the fifth inning after Blazer right fielder Taryn Roberson misplayed a pair of fly balls, likely a result of a combination of sun and wind, on back-to-back hitters.
Central rallied with four runs in the bottom of the sixth, then tying the game on a three-run homer by Evan Hobick in the bottom of the seventh.
Warsaw launched a counter rally in the eighth, then quelled the Blazers one last time to advance to Wednesday’s semifinals.
The winning rally began for the Tigers when Hailey Locke, hitting from the No. 1 spot, drew a walk on a 3-1 pitch. Locke advanced to third when Katie Anderson’s grounder hit the bag at second base and bounced just outside the reach of Blazer second baseman Sienna Eby. Anderson advanced to second when Eby threw to third trying to get Locke.
Lindsey Bradley was intentionally walked to load the bases, and set the Blazers up for a double play anywhere on the infield. Izzy Dittmar then lined a pitch off Central pitcher Riley DeHaven’s foot. The ball rolled past the drawn in infield, scoring two runs. A third run scored on the play when Blazer catcher Abigail Tyler tagged Bradley with her glove while the ball was in her throwing hand.
Dittmar scored the fourth run of the inning on Tori Tackett’s bloop single to right.
“Izzy hits the ball harder than anybody on the team,” said Tiger head coach Kevin Dishman. “She flat-out drills it. Last week she hit one that got the (Elkhart) Memorial pitcher right on the chin. No one saw the ball because she hits it so fast.
“Her exit velocity is really great, so I knew they were in trouble there. You load the bases up and she’s up to bat, you’re just asking for trouble there.
“And she did what she had to do there; she got the ball in play and something good happened. We talk about that (a lot); get the ball in play and make something happen.”
The Tigers’ first two runs scored in the fourth inning. With runners at second and third, DeHaven uncorked a wild pitch that scored Warsaw pitcher Courtney Chookie. Tyler attempted a backhanded flip back to DeHaven at the plate, but the ball sailed over the Blazer pitchers head and rolled far away enough to allow Hudson Bollinger to score.
Still, Dishman would have rather not dealt with the drama of the Central comeback that sent the game into the extra inning.
“We got the job done. It took us a while there, but we got it done,” Dishman said. “That’s the way they play. That’s normal for them. Usually when we play at home, we get the last at bat. Tonight we weren’t the home team; but we kept fighting. They don’t want me to get too comfortable.
“We hit the ball well tonight. Defensively, we were pretty strong. Pitching, we did all right, but the long ball will kill you.”
Carmen Albertson, hitting from the ninth spot, tripled and scored what proved to be a valuable insurance run in the sixth inning. It was her second triple of the night.
“We ran the bases really well tonight. We took a lot of (good) chances. Carmen is a speedster there, and when she hits the ball, if it hits green (outfield grass) she’s looking for three every time.”
On Wednesday, Warsaw will play Concord, a x-x winner over Goshen?in a battle of Northern Lakes Conference teams in Monday’s second game. First pitch on Wednesday is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. The other semifinal will feature Northridge and Elkhart Memorial.
