Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
After suffering a 1-0 Friday loss against Plymouth, an undefeated team in the Northern Lakes Conference, Warsaw's softball team returned to the field Tuesday to face 0-8 NorthWood.
The results and the way they were obtained were predictable. Warsaw upped its record to 5-4 with a 9-1 win over NorthWood. Warsaw improved to 2-1 in the NLC, while NorthWood fell to 0-3.
NorthWood committed seven errors in the loss. Warsaw's offense came alive to pound soft-tossing NorthWood right-hander Angie Zentz for 11 hits.
Christine Kurosky, Amie Poling, Jacquie Burns, Cassie Himes and Holly McGriff, the first five hitters in Warsaw's lineup, combined to go 8 for 20.
Himes, the sophomore designated hitter who bats cleanup, went 3 for 4 with a double and an RBI. Burns went 2 for 4 with a triple and three runs scored.
McGriff singled and drove in two runs. Poling doubled and drove in a run. Kurosky singled, stole two bases and scored two runs.
"We've always had good pitching and good defense, but we've struggled hitting the ball the last two years," Warsaw coach Craig Helfrich said.
"This year we have some people who can hit the ball. Yeah, we lost 1-0 to Plymouth, but we struck out only three times. We put the ball in play that game.
"Cassie can really hit the ball. She's a powerful hitter who usually puts the ball in play. I have to DH her because we need her bat in the lineup."
Holding a 4-1 lead, Warsaw put the game out of reach with a five-run sixth inning that saw the Tigers send 10 batters to the plate. Poling's double to drive in a run was Warsaw's lone extra-base hit, but four Warsaw singles combined with four NorthWood errors were more than enough for the Tigers to keep the inning going.
"After one or two times through, you saw what happened," Helfrich said. "We hit [Zentz] hard. Even our outs were hit hard.
"This team is capable of scoring five or six runs a game, but as long as we get three or four, that's usually enough."
Right-hander Ashley Wyatt pitched the complete game for Warsaw. After allowing NorthWood its one run in the top of the first, Wyatt (3-2) allowed just three hits over the next six innings.
Winless NorthWood kept it respectable through 5-1/2 innings, trailing 4-1.
Then the Panthers' pitching and defense fell apart.
"I told the girls before the game we can't overlook anyone in this conference," Helfrich said, "no matter what their record is, no matter if their record is 0 and whatever."
WARSAW 9, NORTHWOOD 1
NorthWood ab r h rbi
Zentz p 3 1 1 0
Forte cf 3 0 0 0
Flickinger 1b 3 0 1 1
Davidhizar c 2 0 1 0
Aa. Gunn pr 0 0 0 0
Bowen rf 3 0 1 0
Cook 3b 3 0 1 0
Hines 2b 3 0 0 0
Mart lf 2 0 0 0
Ramer ph 1 0 0 0
Ay. Gunn ss 0 0 0 0
Jones dh 3 0 0 0
Totals 26 1 5 1
Warsaw ab r h rbi
Kurosky cf 4 2 1 0
Poling ss 4 1 1 1
Burns 3b 4 3 2 1
Wyatt p 0 0 0 0
Himes dh 4 1 3 1
McGriff c 4 1 1 2
Liebsch rf 2 0 0 0
Bause rf 1 1 0 0
Warren lf 3 0 1 1
Michelini ph 1 0 0 0
Kiphart 2b 2 0 0 0
Sarber ph-2b 1 0 1 0
Duff 3 0 1 0
Totals 33 9 11 6
E - Forte 2, Mart 2, Ay. Gunn, Cook, Hines, Wyatt, Kiphart, Sarber. LOB - Warsaw 9, NorthWood 5. 3B - Burns. 2B - Poling, Himes. SB - Kurosky 2,
Burns, McGriff, Liebsch, Kiphart, Sarber. CS - Zentz.
NorthWood ip h r er bb so
Zentz L 6 11 9 6 3 3
Warsaw ip h r er bb so
Wyatt W, 3-2 7 5 1 1 2 4
