Lady Panthers rally to beat ‘Cane

0

On a very cold Monday, April 4, the Miami Trace Lady Panthers hosted Wilmington in an SCOL softball match-up.

Miami Trace had to fight from behind, but they had the last word, scoring a run in the bottom of the eighth to win, 9-8.

It was a very cold, if productive weekend for Miami Trace. They beat Marion Elgin on Saturday at a wind-swept Madison Plains High School, 9-5. More about that game in a bit.

On Monday, Olivia Wolffe pitched for Miami Trace and went the distance, eight innings, with 11 hits and eight runs (three earned), two walks and two strikeouts.

Younker started for Wilmington and Bair came on in relief to take the loss.

Taylor Barrett had a big game at the plate for Miami Trace, going 3-4 with a double and a triple, two runs scored and three driven in.

Brooke Henry hit her second home run of the season, that coming in the second inning.

Wolffe was denied a home run by the strong winds, as was Alexis Schwartz, whose drive in the fifth inning hit off the top of the fence, but landed in the field of play.

With the game tied, 1-1, Wilmington scored five runs in the top of the fourth.

In the fourth inning for the Lady Panthers, Wolffe hit a lead-off single and Schwartz followed with a fielder’s choice.

Barrett tripled to right-center, scoring two.

Ashley Campbell later had a ground out that scored Barrett.

Wilmington got one of those runs back in the top of the fifth.

In the fifth for Miami Trace, Whitney Cockerill led off with a walk.

Cassidy Lovett was safe on a fielder’s choice.

With one out, Wolffe hit a towering fly ball to left field that was kept in the park by the wind. That double scored Cockerill.

Schwartz then followed with a deep fly that hit off the top of the fence, it too, going for a double. This hit scored Lovett and Wolffe.

Barrett followed with a single that scored Schwartz.

The 8-7 lead didn’t last long, as Wilmington tied the game in the top of the sixth.

After a scoreless seventh inning, the game remained tied when Miami Trace came to bat in the bottom of the eighth.

Barrett led off with a double to left-center.

With Henry at the plate, a wild pitch moved Barrett to third.

An ensuing error on the throw back to the pitcher allowed Barrett to score the game-winning run.

“Olivia pitched a very good ball game, battling the elements,” Miami Trace head coach Terry Smith said. “It was pretty cold and she threw strikes the entire game, battling through the cold. She picked up her second win.

“When they switched pitchers, our girls started pounding the ball,” Smith said. “Without the wind, we would have hit three home runs.

“Taylor was the big star at the plate, with a double and a triple and three rbi,” Smith said. “Her heads-up play on the throw back to the pitcher scored the winning run. It was a pretty exciting play. There was a play at the plate, but Taylor was safe.

“Wilmington’s record is 1-7,” Smith said. “They are 0-2 in the league. For a 1-7 team, I thought they played pretty well.

“It’s nice to get our second league win,” Smith said. “We wanted to get the week off to a good start, which we did tonight.”

Miami Trace (now 4-3 overall, 2-1 in the SCOL) hosts McClain Wednesday at 5 p.m.

Offensively for Miami Trace: Cassidy Lovett, 1-4, 1 run; Megan Self, 0-4; Olivia Wolffe, 2-4, 2 runs, 1 rbi, 1 2b; Alexis Schwartz, 1-4, 1 run, 2 rbi, 1 2b; Taylor Barrett, 3-4, 2 runs, 3 rbi, 1 2b, 1 3b; Brooke Henry, 1-3, 1 run, 2 rbi, 1 home run (2); Ashley Campbell, 0-3, 1 rbi; Jessica Camp, 0-2, 1 bb; Whitney Cockerill, 0-2, 1 bb, 1 run.

Offensively for Wilmington: Johns, 2-5, 1 run, 1 2b; Self, 0-5, 1 run; Chase, 2-4; Smart, 1-4; Flint, 1-5, 2 runs; Toller, 3-4, 2 runs, 1 2b; Bair, 0-3; younker, 1-4, 2 4uns; Hensley, 1-4, 1 run.

RHE

W 001 511 00 — 8 11 2

MT 010 340 01 — 9 8 4

Lady Panthers beat Marion Elgin

On Saturday, Miami Trace was supposed to play Marion Elgin and then Madison Plains at MPHS.

Elgin and Plains played the first game and Miami Trace got to play Elgin, winning that game, 9-5.

Plains and Miami Trace did not get to play as it set in raining before they could start the third game.

Maddie Mossbarger pitched for Miami Trace and went seven innings to earn the win. She allowed eight hits and five runs (all earned) with three walks and three strikeouts.

Roth started and took the loss for Marion Elgin. She pitched seven innings with 12 hits and nine runs (eight earned) with five walks and 11 strikeouts.

Miami Trace had a big five-run first inning.

Megan Self singled with one out and Olivia Wolffe singled, followed by a double by Alexis Schwartz that scored self.

Taylor Barrett hit into a fielder’s choice that scored Wolffe.

Brooke Henry singled in Schwartz and Barrett and a two-out hit by Ashley Campbell scored Henry.

In the second inning, Lovett led off with a walk, followed by a walk to Self.

Wolffe hit into a fielder’s choice with Lovett out at third.

Schwartz singled, scoring Self and Barrett grounded out, scoring Wolffe.

It remained 7-5 in favor of Miami Trace until the Lady Panthers came to the plate in the fifth inning.

Campbell led off with a double and Jessica Camp reached on an error that scored Campbell.

Lovett walked and Camp scored on a single by Self.

“We’ve just been popping the ball,” Smith said. “The fewest runs we’ve scored so far has been six against Fairfield Union and she was probably the best pitcher we’ve faced.

“Defensively, we had just two errors Saturday,” Smith said. “We were looking forward to playing Madison Plains, because they beat us last year.

“They have a fine pitcher in Courtney Davis,” Smith said. “She shut out Elgin in the first game and she was going to pitch against us. We tried to find a date where we could play later in the season, but, it’s going to be hard to do.”

Offensively for Miami Trace: Cassidy Lovett, 1-3, 2 bb; Megan Self, 2-4, 2 runs, 1 rbi, 1 bb; Olivia Wolffe, 1-5, 2 runs; Alexis Schwartz, 2-4, 1 run, 2 rbi, 1 bb, 1 2b; Taylor Barrett, 0-3, 1 run, 1 rbi, 1 bb; Brooke Henry, 2-4, 1 run, 2 rbi; Whitney Cockerill, 0-4; Ashley Campbell, 3-4, 1 run, 1 rbi, 2 2b; Jessica Camp, 1-4, 1 run.

RHE

MT 520 020 0 — 9 12 2

ME 410 000 0 — 5 8 1

Whitney Cockerill (bat in hand) returns to the dugout after scoring for Miami Trace during an SCOL game against Wilmington Monday, April 4, 2016. Also pictured, heading to the plate, is Alexis Schwartz.
http://www.recordherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2016/04/web1_WhitneyCockerillMTsoftball442016.jpgWhitney Cockerill (bat in hand) returns to the dugout after scoring for Miami Trace during an SCOL game against Wilmington Monday, April 4, 2016. Also pictured, heading to the plate, is Alexis Schwartz. Chris Hoppes | Record-Herald

By Chris Hoppes

[email protected]

Reach Chris Hoppes at 740-335-3611, ext. 1104, or on Twitter @choppes1

No posts to display