Game-'Winner'

COLDWATER - Olivia Winner picked the perfect time to hit the first home run of the season for St. Henry.

Winner's two-run shot dropped over the right-center field fence with nobody out in the top of the seventh to give the Redskins a 5-4 win over Coldwater in the Midwest Athletic Conference softball opener of 2019. The win is the first of the season for the Redskins (1-4, 1-0 MAC).

"Our seniors really stepped up today," said St. Henry coach Ashley Knapke after picking up her first varsity coaching win. "They've gone through a lot, especially the last two seasons. … We've talked about taking baby steps, and here we are now."

Coldwater went up 4-2 after three innings as the Redskins struggled early. An error in the first resulted in two unearned Cavalier runs in the bottom of the fifth. In the third, the Cavaliers scored their fourth run after Maddie Steinke doubled. Sierra Timmerman brought home courtesy runner Kamryn Rutschilling with a single. Rachel Klosterman reached on an error to put runners at first and second.

St. Henry pitcher Carleigh Deitsch escaped any further damage by striking out three straight batters - all on called third strikes. Deitsch then scattered two hits over the final four innings as Coldwater left runners on either second or third in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.

"Carleigh's a mentally strong player for us," said Knapke. "Great to have her out there as a senior. She's a leader out there. She held her own out there."

"We hit the ball well tonight," said Coldwater coach Katie Berno. "We had people in scoring position but couldn't get them in. We have to come up with those big hits."

Coldwater pitcher Maddie Steinke allowed two runs in the second inning. The Redskins picked up a run in the fifth when Winner reached base on an error, went from first to third on a Deitsch single and then scored on a wild pitch to cut the Cavalier lead to 4-3.

In the seventh, Grace Lange drew a walk to start the inning. Winner took a strike before taking Steinke's next pitch over the well in right-center. Steinke retired the next three batters to try and reverse the momentum heading to the bottom of the seventh.

Steinke led off the bottom of the inning by flying out to center. Timmerman followed with a single. After pinch runner Audrey Zeiger stole second, Deitsch enticed Klosterman to fly out to left and then got Maddie Sheffer to fly out to right to end the game.

"St. Henry came up with the big hit when they needed to," said Berno. "That's the big difference in the game."

Alexxes Phillips went 3 for 3 with a triple for St. Henry. Winner had two hits and Sydney Schwieterman doubled.

Timmerman was 3 for 4 for Coldwater (2-3, 0-1 MAC). Maddie Steinke, who struck out eight in a losing cause, had two hits for the Cavaliers.

Both teams are in action tonight against Cross County Conference schools. St. Henry hosts Tri-Village while Coldwater travels to Arcanum.