Tigers Put Together Complete Game In Season Opener

Fourth-year Warsaw softball coach Craig Helfrich believes he has a team to be reckoned with.

Against visiting Logansport Tuesday night in the season-opener, the Tigers proved him right.

On a chilly, windy afternoon, Warsaw put together a complete game and picked up a 5-1 win, Helfrich's first over the Berries.

"We came out and jumped on them early," Helfrich said. "We got some good hits. This is a good way to open the season."

The Tiger offense pounded out six hits, while senior hurler Michelle Liebsch held the Berries to just two hits.

"Pitching wasn't the concern at all," Helfrich said. "I think we've got two of the better pitchers in the state."

Liebsch pitched a complete game, striking out 12 and giving up just two hits and two walks.

Senior Amy Bacon picked up the decision for Logansport, pitching a complete game with five strikeouts and three walks. The right-handed hurler gave up six hits and five earned runs.

After putting the Berries down 1-2-3 in the second inning, the Tigers went to work offensively. Liebsch, the second Tiger batter of the inning, pounded out a single to right field for Warsaw's first hit. Bacon then walked senior center fielder Amber Michelini. After Ashley Wyatt grounded out, first baseman Aleigh Duff pounded out a single that scored Liebsch and Michelini.

The Tigers added two more runs in the second when shortstop Christine Kurosky lined a triple that scored Duff and Samantha Warren, who was walked.

Liebsch led the Tigers at the plate, going 2 for 3. She also scored a run and was credited with an RBI. Cassie Himes, Jacquie Burns, Holly McGriff and Kurosky all had one hit for Warsaw.

The Berries scored their lone run of the game in the fifth inning when designated hitter Shirley Cox's double scored second baseman Jenny Delp, who reached base on a walk.

Logansport attempted a comeback in the sixth when Monique Crowe reached first on an error, followed by a single from shortstop Lori Goodrich. Liebsch pitched her way out of the situation by striking out the next three batters, Bacon, Amber Woodruff and Lindsay Norzinskay.

Trailing by four, Logansport's Courtney Franklin and Delp struck out to start the Berries' half of the seventh. Cox then doubled, but junior Sara Higgins grounded out to end the game.

WARSAW 5, LOGANSPORT 1

Logansport 000 010 0 - 1 2 1

Warsaw 041 000 X - 5 6 1

Logansport ab r h rbi

Goodrich ss 2 0 1 0

Bacon p 2 0 0 0

Woodruff c 3 0 0 0

Norzinskay rf 3 0 0 0

Franklin 3b 3 0 0 0

Delp 2b 2 1 0 0

Cox dh 3 0 1 1

Higgins 1b 3 0 0 0

Crowe cf 1 0 0 0

Totals 22 1 2 1

Warsaw ab r h rbi

Kurosky ss 4 0 1 2

Sarber 2b 2 0 0 0

Burns 3b 2 1 1 0

McGriff c 3 0 1 0

Liebsch p 3 1 2 1

Michelini cf 1 1 0 0

Wyatt rf 2 0 0 0

Duff 1b 2 1 0 2

Warren lf 2 1 0 0

Himes 1 0 1 0

Bause 1 0 0 0

Totals 23 5 6 5

2B - Cox (2). 3B - Kurosky.

IP H R ER BB SO

Logansport

Bacon (L) 6 6 5 5 3 5

Warsaw

Liebsch (W) - 7 2 1 1 2 12