Friday, April 27th, 2012

Cavs blow big lead before winning

By Robb Hemmelgarn
Photo by Mark Pummell/The Daily Standard

Coldwater's Janel Hosbach scored three runs and then plated the game-winning run in the seventh inning for the Cavaliers in their 11-10 win over St. Marys on Thursday at K.C. Geiger Park.

ST. MARYS - Coldwater's softball team built a 9-1 lead early in the game against St. Marys, but the Cavaliers needed to score a run in the top of the seventh inning to break a 10-10 tie for a 11-10 victory on Thursday at K.C. Geiger Park.
"It is nice to leave here with a win tonight," said Coldwater's head coach Ken Fisher. "St. Marys is a hard-battling team and we knew we would be in for a fight, even when we were up by quite a few runs. I told the girls that we needed to keep going at them, because they are very capable of coming back. I am happy with how the girls responded in the end tonight. They threw a lot at us and we didn't falter."
The Cavaliers' offense took advantage of six St. Marys' errors in the opening three innings and built a commanding 9-1 lead.
The Roughriders managed a run in their half of the first frame when Kiley Schamp led off with a triple and eventually scored, but by the time St. Marys came to the plate in the bottom of the third, the outlook was bleak. Schamp got things going though with a one-out single, before Katlyn Brown reached base on a Coldwater error. Senior Harle Smith plated Schamp with a double, and both she and Brown scored a few moments later when Paige Dicus cleared the bases with a single.
With the momentum tilting in her team's favor, Roughriders' head coach Sue Grothause instituted a mass shake-up in her defense and the adjustments seemingly paid dividends, holding the Cavaliers scoreless in the top of the fourth.
The home team continued their head of steam in their half of the fourth when Tannar Rutschilling and Carly Carnes led off with a walk and a single. Pitcher Mallory Kill helped her cause a couple of minutes later with a three-run home run that cleared the leftfield fence to pull her team to within two at 9-7. Kaitlyn Brown reached on a single and later scored before the inning concluded with Coldwater clinging to a one-run lead.
"When they made the changes defensively, I thought that was a good move on Sue's part," Fisher praised. "We didn't hit as well after that, but we managed to get enough to get the job done."
Coldwater's Janel Hosbach drew a walk with one out in the fifth and later scored when senior Kiya Dues slipped one past the shortstop into the shallow leftfield.
St. Marys had no answer in the fifth but rallied a little more in the bottom of the sixth. Brown led off by drawing a walk and then Smith drove in her third run of the game when she connected for a double. Smith then scored a couple of batters later when Dicus belted an RBI single.
With the score tied at 10-10, Coldwater's Brittany Gillis started the seventh by reaching on St. Marys' eighth error of the evening. Junior Kayla Meyer was inserted to pinch run and later scored when Hosbach batted into an RBI fielder's choice.
The Roughriders had a chance to win it in their last at-bat in the seventh, and despite getting runners to second and third base, they failed to score.
"There really isn't a whole lot I can say other than that the girls didn't quit tonight," reasoned Grothause. "We had a lot of decent hits tonight, but we just made too many mistakes on defense. We have had five or six games this season where we lost by only a run or two, so it is a matter of getting over that hump. I am very proud that we battled back tonight. We just need to learn not to put ourselves in that position.
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Mercer County
CELINA - Mercer County Commissioners on Thursday vowed support for the construction of a new multi-million dollar engineering facility along Mud Pike Road.
CELINA - Local governments and residents may enjoy lower electricity rates as competition heats up in the industry.
Mercer County Commissioners in
CELINA - Mercer County Commissioners on Thursday gave final approval for a $48,000 revolving loan to a local restaurant owner seeking to make renovations.
Mendon
MENDON - Seven area companies are seeking a contract with the county to install new sidewalks in the village's downtown.
The bids were opened Thursday at the Mercer County Commissioners' office. The contract will be awarded in the coming weeks after the bids are reviewed by county engineers.
COLDWATER - The new location for Holy Trinity Food Pantry will be blessed Saturday morning.
The pantry moved from the old bus garage near Coldwater schools to the east wing of the old Briarwood nursing home in January.
CELINA - With a huge Western Buckeye League matchup scheduled for today against Shawnee, Celina's softball coach Nicole Driggs was hoping that her girls would be focused on Marion Local during Thursday's nonconference battle.
ST. HENRY - After four innings of a pitching duel, St. Henry's bats came to life in the bottom of the fifth as the Redskins scored eight times en route to a 10-1 win over Fort Recovery on Thursday in Midwest Athletic Conference baseball action at the Wally Post Athletic Complex.
Local Roundup
Compiled by Gary R. Rasberry
St. Henry's Sidney Rindler allowed just four walks over five innings in pitching a no-hitter against Fort Recovery on Thursday in Midwest Athletic Conference softball action as the Redskins rolled to a 14-0 victory.
The United Midwest Promoters (UMP) DirtCar Modifieds will headline Saturday night's racing card at Eldora Speedway.
While the familiar #20 that has won races at the famed track over the past 10 years will appear to be the same, much has changed on the car that is co-owned by St. Henry's Bill Dues.