Tuesday, April 24th, 2007

Cavaliers stay perfect in the MAC

By Ryan Hines
Photo by Mark Pummell/The Daily Standard

Coldwater's Tasha Stucke, right, appears to have eluded the tag from St. Henry third baseman Sarah Lefeld, left, but Stucke was called out on the steal attempt during this Midwest Athletic Conference softball contest on Monday. Coldwater went on to stay unbeaten in the MAC with a 4-0 victory over St. Henry.

COLDWATER - Another pitching gem for Coldwater's Brooke Gross was backed by the Cavaliers offense scoring four unearned runs as the Orange and Black downed St. Henry 4-0 on Monday afternoon in Midwest Athletic Conference action.
The Cavaliers are now 12-4 overall to go along with a perfect 4-0 mark in the MAC while St. Henry dips to 6-7 overall and 2-2 in conference action.
Gross had a no-hitter through the first five innings before giving up a couple of singles in the sixth. Sarah Lefeld and Brittany Rutschilling had the two singles for St. Henry, but were stranded on base by Gross and the Cavs in the only scoring threat for the Redskins.
Coldwater was no-hit by St. Henry's Amy Uhlenhake for the first three innings, before things went south for the Redskins in the fourth frame.
Gross, Tiff Uhlenhake and Katie Muhlenkamp each reached base via singles and with two outs in the inning Haley Stucke ripped a line drive down the third-base line. The Stucke liner was hit right at St. Henry's Lefeld at third base, but the ball popped out of her glove and rolled into foul territory allowing Gross and Uhlenhake to score. Muhlenkamp then came around to score the third run when Lefeld made an errant throw to home plate.
"It was a line drive and it just popped out of her glove," said Link. "We needed to at least knock that ball down. I can see one run scoring on the play, but not the second or the third run. We started throwing the ball around like we were in junior high and we can't have defensive lapses like that. Three runs scoring on a hit to third base is unacceptable."
Coldwater added an insurance run in the sixth inning when Muhlenkamp reached on St. Henry's fourth error of the game and then came home on a Haley Stucke double.
"Haley started the year in the number-two hole, but struggled a bit, so we moved her down in the order to give her a little more confidence," said Coldwater head coach Jeff Kerr. "In the last three or four games, she's been really hitting the ball hard."
Gross was efficient on the hill again for the Cavaliers with a complete-game effort in which she allowed just two hits while striking out six and walking just one.
"She's been pretty solid for us all year," said Kerr. "She's 8-0 now and pitching really well."
Link was impressed with Gross, but also has major concerns about the Redskins' offense.
"I don't want to take anything away from her (Gross), because she hit her spots, but we seem to be making a lot of pitchers look like All-Americans right now," said Link. "We're not putting the bat on the ball like we should. It's really frustrating to watch right now and we need someone to step up."
Coldwater is back in action again on Thursday at Marion Local while St. Henry will host Minster on Thursday.
Photo by Mark Pummell/The Daily Standard

Coldwater catcher Tiff Uhlenhake, left, fields a bunt off the bat of St. Henry's Brittany Rutschilling, right, during their Midwest Athletic Conference contest on Monday afternoon. Coldwater defeated St. Henry, 4-0.

Photo by Mark Pummell/The Daily Standard

Coldwater's Robin Buschur charges in to catch a sinking line drive in leftfield during the Cavaliers' Midwest Athletic Conference contest against St. Henry on Monday. Coldwater defeated St. Henry, 4-0.

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VERSAILLES -The New Bremen Cardinals stayed alive in the Midwest Athletic Conference softball race Monday night as they went on the road and came home with a huge 10-0 win over the Versailles Tigers. [More]
Subscriber and paid stories on this date
Celina city officials are preparing to open discussions on the creation of a storm water utility that would cost residents a few extra bucks each month on their utility bills.
COLDWATER - Village officials approved a resolution Monday evening that gives Village Manager/Engineer Eric Thomas the green light to apply for Ohio Department of Transportation funding to enhance West Main Street.
A St. Marys man who is confined to a wheelchair has pleaded guilty to two felony charges that accuse him of having sex with two young children.
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A Celina man was indicted by an Auglaize County grand jury for illegally entering private property and removing a tree or trees.
Thomas J. Schmitme
MINSTER - A pair of the Grand Lake area's hottest baseball teams battled it out on Monday, as the Celina Bulldogs and home-standing Minster Wildcats squared off in an exciting non-league tilt.
COLDWATER - This week is shaping up to be one of the biggest weeks of the season for the Coldwater baseball team.
The Cavs started a string of four games in four days - and six games over six days - with the Division III tournament draw looming on Sunday.
Compiled by Gary R. Rasberry
Jay Woeste's double scored Jon Clune in the top of the eighth inning as St. Henry improved to 11-2 on the season with a 6-3 win over New Bremen in a makeup Midwest Athletic Conference game at New Bremen on Monday.