Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Fourth-year Warsaw softball coach Craig Helfrich knew exactly why his team fell to East Noble in the first round of the Warsaw Sectional Monday. It was the very thing the Tigers have struggled with all season long.
The problem: not being able to score runs.
Earlier in the year, senior hurler Michelle Liebsch tossed 20 strikeouts to set a school record. The Tigers lost that game.
Monday against the visiting Knights, Liebsch gave up two hits through seven innings. Warsaw lost the game 1-0 in nine innings, finishing the season with a 17-10 mark.
The win upped East Noble's season record to 14-12. The Knights will play the winner of today's Goshen/Elkhart Memorial game at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Concord, which topped Elkhart Central 15-4 in Monday's first game, will play Wawasee at 5 p.m. Wednesday.
With two outs in the ninth inning, Helfrich chose to intentionally walk junior shortstop Nicole Freiburger to put runners on first and second. Helfrich felt he had a better chance of getting the third out from freshman Lacey Hankins. Instead, Hankins belted a single that scored junior Jaclyn Holbrook.
"She's been hitting the ball hard," Helfrich said of Freiburger. "We didn't want her to beat us, we wanted to make the next person beat us."
Hankins finished the game 2 for 4 at the plate. Diana Gater, Keri Schaefer, Freiburger and Holbrook each had one hit.
In taking the loss, Liebsch went all nine innings, giving up six hits, walking two and striking out seven.
Senior Ashley Blomeke got the win, going the distance and giving up two hits and striking out five.
Warsaw's window of opportunity was wide open in the seventh inning. Senior Amie Poling led the inning off with a double and then advanced to third when Jacquelyn Burns layed down a bunt for the first out. Holly McGriff then struck out, bringing up sophomore designated hitter Cassie Himes, who popped out to right field to end the inning.
"They played her (Himes) perfect," Helfrich said. "If they're not playing her right, the game's over. Give them credit, Blomeke pitched a great game."
Poling pounded out Warsaw's second and final hit of the game when she singled with one out in the ninth. Burns popped out to the Blomeke for the second out, and then McGriff lined out to the first baseman for Warsaw's final out of the season.
The Tigers graduate starting center fielder Christine Kurosky, starting third baseman Burns, starting shortstop Poling and starting pitcher Liebsch.
Warsaw's loss to East Noble Monday came after Liebsch threw a one-hitter against the Knights during the first week of the season, a 5-1 Warsaw win.
EAST NOBLE 1, WARSAW 0
(9 innings)
East Noble ab r h rbi
Gater 1b 4 0 1 0
McCallister c 4 0 0 0
Holbrook cf 4 1 1 0
Freiburger ss 3 0 1 0
Hankins lf 4 0 2 1
Ward 3b 3 0 0 0
Schaefer 2b 3 0 1 0
Edwards dh 3 0 0 0
Gilbert rf 2 0 0 0
Blomeke p 0 0 0 0
Anderson ph 1 0 0 0
Totals 31 1 6 1
Warsaw ab r h rbi
Kurosky cf 3 0 0 0
Poling ss 4 0 2 0
Burns 3b 4 0 0 0
McGriff c 4 0 0 0
Himes dh 3 0 0 0
Liebsch p 3 0 0 0
Warren lf 3 0 0 0
Wyatt rf 2 0 0 0
Duff 1b 3 0 0 0
Sarber 3b 0 0 0 0
Totals 29 0 2 0
East Noble (14-12) 000 000 001 - 1 6 2
Warsaw (17-9) 000 000 000 - 0 2 0
2B - Holbrook, Poling. 3B - Gater.
IP H R ER BB SO
East Noble
Blomeke (W) 9 2 0 0 0 5
Warsaw
Liebsch (L, 8-7) 9 6 1 1 2 7
