By Rob Potter
LIBERTY — May 11, 2001 – A one-inning offensive outburst Monday afternoon allowed Monticello to turn a close softball game versus Liberty into a blowout victory.
The visiting Lady Panthers scored nine runs on eight hits in the top of the fifth inning en route to a 15-2 win over the Lady Indians in an OCIAA Division III contest.
Megan Drobysh led off that key frame with a hit and Cindy Jessup followed with a single. Clean-up hitter Kim Donohue then ripped a triple to score both Drobysh and Jessup. A single by Shannon Dietrich allowed Donohue to score.
Jessica Konefal received a walk from Liberty pitcher Michelle Olson and Kristie Beamer then reached base on a fielder’s choice. Sam Tucker singled to score Konefal and Beamer to give Monticello a 12-0 lead.
Two batters later, Sam Lynch hit a two-run single to stretch the lead to 14-0.
“We had one bad inning,” said Liberty coach John Wilhelm. “It was 5-0 up to that point and then it went downhill from there. They just started hitting the ball.”
Wilhelm also noted that Olson told him she was getting a little tired.
“She was may have been tired, but give Monticello credit, they began swinging their bats and hitting the ball,” he said.
Liberty (6–6, 2–4 OCIAA) finally got on the board in the bottom of the sixth. A bunt by Katie Yaun allowed Kristen Ahrens to score from third base. Chelsea LaGattuta then advanced to third on a sac fly off the bat of Andrea Ter Bush and scored when the next batter, Christine Waryha, singled to make it a 14-2 game.
Monticello (11–2, 6–1 OCIAA) scored its final run in the top of the seventh when Donohue, who went 3-for-4 and knocked in two runs on the afternoon, scampered home from third on a wild pitch.
“We kind of go through a little funk in the first inning sometimes, but after that we start hitting,” Monticello coach Ed Kaufmann commented. “We’re playing well as a team and the girls are having fun.”
Aside from flexing their offensive muscles, the Lady Panthers also got a great pitching performance from senior hurler Analey Dietrich. She allowed only two runs and six hits in seven innings, striking out eight and walking only one batter. Dietrich improved her season won-loss record to 11–2 and has an ERA of 1.75.
Kaufmann also noted that his squad is “playing pretty well defensively” and looking forward to the rest of the season.
“We’re playing well now and our goal is to get into the later rounds of sectionals,” Kaufmann said. “We also want to have a better showing against Cornwall.”
(Back on April 30, Cornwall handed Monticello its only Division III loss, 6-0. The rematch is slated for next Wednesday, May 16 at Collins Park in Mongaup Valley.)
Despite the lopsided loss, Wilhelm remained optimistic and praised his team’s perseverance.
“We didn’t get shut out,” he said. “We had a couple of games recently where we came back to win by scoring runs in the bottom of the seventh. And that’s a good sign. Unfortunately today, we had too big of a deficit to comeback from.”
Wilhelm also noted that even though the Lady Indians have a few games left this season, the six wins they have already recorded are “more victories the team has had in the past few years.”