SYRACUSE - In the Northern Lakes Conference opener for both teams, one squad looked the way its coach wanted, while the other didn't.
The Wawasee Lady Warriors (7-4, 1-0 NLC) softball team opened its NLC season with a 9-3 victory over the Warsaw Lady Tigers (2-3, 0-1 NLC) Monday at home, getting at least one hit from seven different batters."Coming into the season, we thought we'd be able to hit from top to bottom," Wawasee coach Cory Schutz said.
Senior Crystal DeLaFuente was the girl hitting at the top, finishing the game 4 for 5 with three runs, an RBI and a stolen base.
After spending the past two seasons running track for the Wawasee, qualifying for regionals in the 200-meter dash as a sophomore, DeLaFuente has returned to softball and is causing problems for defenses.
Of her four hits, two came off bunt singles, which she beat out easily at first. On her third at-bat, she squared up and ripped an RBI-double over the centerfielder's head.
"It's almost unfair with her," Schutz said of DeLaFuente. "I wouldn't have a clue on how to defend her. You get up right on top of her and she's still almost impossible to throw out (on a bunt). Then she smokes the ball into center field, like she did."
While Schutz wouldn't have a clue on how to defend DeLaFuente, Warsaw coach Nikki Wood looked just as perplexed by her team's effort in the game.
"They tried to fake their intensity level a little bit too much tonight," the first-year Lady Tigers coach said. "That was kind of the attitude we brought in and we're not trusting in our teammates right now. Our defense isn't having confidence in our pitcher and our pitcher isn't having confidence in our outfielders and infielders. We have to find a way to mold together right now."
Warsaw did put eight hits on the board, but ran themselves out of two innings with baserunning blunders.
The first faux pas came in the second inning when a runner attempted to stretch a sacrifice bunt from first to third. On the play, the Wawasee defense failed to cover third, but the runner also failed to see Wood instructing her to go to the base. Instead, she hesitated at second and was eventually thrown out at third.
Again in the fourth, with the team down 3-1 and runners at first and second with two outs, a double steal failed when the runner attempting to take second was caught.
"Our baserunning was poor tonight," Wood said of her team, which also had a runner get thrown out trying to extend a single into a double with her team down 9-1 in the seventh inning. "It just wasn't there tonight, and that's usually what we're good at."
For Schutz, there wasn't too much he could complain about.
"I didn't expect (this kind of outcome) with anyone in the conference," he said. "This is a tough conference and Warsaw's going to be a better team than they were today. I don't know what happened today, but the next time we see them it's probably going to be nothing like this."
Wawasee got the big win by hitting well, which included junior Jonna Wiggs' 3-for-3 night with three RBIs.
"When her swing is on and where it needs to be, she's a real good contact hitter," Schutz said of Wiggs. "I'm pretty confident in her at the plate, but I'm pretty confident in most of them."
Senior Ashley Flores also looked good, going 2 for 3 with an RBI and a double, while junior Shelby Newhard went 1 for 2 with a double and an RBI.
On top of hitting the ball, Wawasee also received good pitching, with sophomore Gabi Routson going seven innings, striking out three and surrendering just two earned runs.
"She did a real nice job, and right now, we need her to do well because our next two pitchers are hurt right now," Schutz said. "She's in a tough spot, but she has a good attitude to be able to deal with that."
Wood is optimistic that her team's attitude can push them back on the right track, beginning Wednesday at home against Goshen, beginning at 5 p.m.
"I have no doubts where we're going, but right now, we're putting a piece here in the first inning and a piece here in the fourth inning and a piece here in the seventh inning," Wood said.
Wawasee's next contest is also Tuesday at 5 p.m., traveling to Elkhart Memorial.
WAWASEE 9, WARSAW 3
War 000 100 2 - 3 8 1
Waw 102 240 x - 9 15 4
Gabi Routson (W, 7IP, 3R, 2ER, 8H, 3K, 2BB, 1HB) and Jonna Wiggs; Kaitlin Gruenewald (L, 3IP, 5R, 4ER, 9H, 4K, 2BB), Sam Snider (4, 1-2/3IP, 4R, 4ER, 5H, 3BB, 1HB), Alex Sanchez (5, 1-1/3IP, 1H, 2K) and Kelsey Dotson
Victoria Warren (W, 5IP, 7H, 4R, 2BB, 3K) and Sam Johnson; Sam Miller (L, 2-1/3IP, 11H, 16R, 9BB, 1K), Aston Warren (3, 1-2/3IP, 3H, 4R, 1BB) and Sam Bennett
