SYRACUSE - Anxious to see how their team would play in its first game back from spring break, Warsaw softball coaches Tanya Kempton and Kent Stouder were pleased with the results of Monday's Northern Lakes Conference clash at Wawasee.
Behind a strong pitching performance from senior Kelcy Martin and impressive efforts at the plate from a number of players, including seniors Allison Reichard, Tera Clark and Brittany Gwin, the Tigers beat rival Wawasee 12-1 in five innings in the conference opener for both teams."I'm very pleased with our effort overall," said Kempton, the head coach. "I'm pleased the way we came out, this being our first game back from spring break. I didn't know how we'd do, but I thought we played very well."
Martin pitched all five innings for Warsaw, giving up just one hit, striking out seven and walking four.
Senior Angie Beer recorded Wawasee's only hit, a double that led off the bottom of the fourth inning.
"This was Kelcy's first game back," said Kempton, whose team improved to 2-2 overall on the season. "She had some sore muscles in her back. It was nice to see her come back tonight and almost throw a no-hitter."
The loss dropped Wawasee's overall season record to 4-4.
"Warsaw hit the ball well, and we didn't help ourselves," said Wawasee coach Cory Schutz, whose team was charged with three fielding errors. "We had some errors, we let them take some extra bases. Warsaw hit the ball hard, they hit well. And as long as Kelcy Martin is throwing like that, they're always going to have a chance."
Already dominating on the mound, Martin got quite a lift from her teammates at the plate.
Clark finished the game 4 for 4, with all of her hits being doubles. Gwin pounded out a pair of doubles and Reichard hit a two-run homer over the leftfield fence in the third inning that gave the Tigers a commanding 7-0 lead.
In all, Warsaw pounded out 17 hits on the Warriors, including nine doubles.
"That was huge," Stouder, Warsaw's assistant coach, said of the Tigers hitting nine doubles. "We did an outstanding job hitting. As long as we hit like that, we're going to be tough to beat."
Heather Shepherd, Carlye Snider and Reichard each had a double for the Tigers.
Freshman Aubrey Mroz took the loss for Wawasee. In five innings of work she gave up 17 hits, 12 runs, eight of which were earned, and one walk. She struck out three Warsaw batters.
The Tigers opened the game with three runs in the first inning, added two more in the second, three more in the third and two each in the fourth and fifth innings.
