After exchanging jabs for the first couple of innings, the Warsaw Lady Tigers delivered a staggering blow to the Wawasee Lady Warriors Thursday at the Tiger Athletic Complex.
In a 10-6 Northern Lakes Conference win, Warsaw ripped off four runs in the bottom of the fifth, turning a 4-4 tie into a 8-4 advantage, providing enough of a cushion to improve to 4-3 on the year.
"We definitely didn't play our game in the first few innings," Warsaw coach Tanya Kempton said. "We had some errors, and defensively, I don't think we looked that great. We came around, and started playing better."
Warsaw also benefited from some Wawasee miscues in that fourth inning.
Following a lead-off single by junior Kelci Freds, she was able to come all the way around to third base after an errant throw to first.
Freds then scored when a routine fly ball, off the bat of freshman Kelsey Dotson, was dropped in the outfield.
From there, junior Kaitlin Reichard hit an RBI-double and junior Bri Nice belted a two-run home run, upping the lead to 8-4, and spelling the end of the night for Wawasee freshman pitcher Gabi Routson.
"We hurt ourselves with errors," Wawasee coach Cory Schutz said. "We had a few mental errors, where we didn't play the entire play all the way through. We had an opportunity, but after (the fourth), we got into a little bit of a funk."
Dotson had the Warriors in a funk each time she came to bat, going 2 for 3 with four RBIs, including a two-run homer off the scoreboard in center field in the opening inning.
"She's been leading the way in the hits as a freshman," Kempton said of Dotson, who's batting over .400 this year.
Junior Bri Nice also had a nice game for the Tigers, hitting a two-run home run of her own, as well as a double, while junior Kelci Freds went 2 for 3, scoring three runs.
With a lineup boasting five juniors, a sophomore and three freshmen, Kempton is pleased to see her team sitting at 2-0 in the Northern Lakes Conference, their first win coming Wednesday at Goshen.
"It's pretty exciting," the coach said. "We have a young team with no seniors. We lost 10 seniors from last year, so we're doing well and have potential."
Schutz also has a young squad, with only two seniors, but the loss dropped his girls to 3-6 on the year and 0-2 in the NLC, despite the bottom third of his lineup combining to go 7 for 10 at the plate.
"How many teams are going to get seven hits out of the bottom three players," Schutz asked. "We need to keep everybody consistent, and get the middle of the order going."
Of those bottom three, sophomore Aubrey Mroz went 2 for 3 with two doubles, freshman Amber Yoder went 3 for 4 with two RBIs and sophomore Mattia Rostochak had a 2 for 3 night, including two RBIs.
"Six runs should be enough to win a game," Schutz said. "We were there offensively. We just have to get our heads straight on defense."
In the lead-off spot, Wawasee senior Taylor Goshert also had a nice game, going 3 for 4 with a run.
Both teams are back in NLC action today at 5 p.m., as Warsaw travels to Plymouth and Wawasee hosts NorthWood.
