By Rob Potter
ROSCOE — April 19, 2002 – The Eldred offense scored four times in the top of the first inning of Tuesday’s OCIAA Division V softball game at Roscoe.
And the Lady Yellowjacket offense didn’t slow down over the next few innings.
By the end of the game, which was halted after the fifth inning, Eldred had earned a 26-5 win over Roscoe.
After the Lady Blue Devils scored a run in the bottom of the first, Eldred (1-2, 1-2 Division V) responded with six runs in the top of the second. Walks and an RBI double by Jessica Cherry helped the Lady Yellowjackets extend their lead to 7-1 before even one out was recorded in the top of the second.
Later in the frame, an infield hit by Becky Ryman scored a run. Teammate Amanda Pierce followed with a two-run single to make it a 10-1 game.
Eldred added six more runs in the top of the third. With one out and a runner on, Ryman smacked an RBI double to center field. Two batters later, Kara Leek ripped a double to left that allowed Ryman to score and make it a 13-1 contest. Senior shortstop Aimee Schneider followed Leek’s double with a two-RBI single.
Roscoe (0-4, 0-3 Division V) rallied to score four runs in the bottom of the third.
With one out in the inning, senior first baseman Kelly Ahart singled down the third base line, Cheyenne Smith reached base on a fielder’s choice play and Crystal Evans reached base on an error to load the bases. Amber Gray got a hit to make it a 16-2 game. Danielle Sullivan drew a walk from Eldred pitcher Ryman and Evans and Gray later scored on passed balls to close the gap to 16-5.
But that was as close as the Lady Blue Devils would get. Eldred added four runs in the fourth and six more in the fifth to ensure the win.
“We’re starting to hit the ball,” Eldred Coach Dot McCrone said. “We have been playing solid defense and Becky (Ryman) pitched well today. When you do that – play good defense and pitch well – you should be alright. We did that and really hit the ball well today, which was nice.”
McCrone noted that Anja Meyer, an exchange student from Germany, had her first hit ever in the game. Among other Eldred players who swung the bat well were Blaut (two RBI), Jenny Haas (three hits), Leek (2-for-3) and Schneider (three RBI).
Ryman picked up the win on the mound, striking out two batters and walking three. At the plate, she helped her own cause by going 3-for-3 with three RBI.
Gray paced the Roscoe offense with three hits on the afternoon.
Senior pitcher Amy Argent, who entered the game in the second inning, took the loss for the Lady Blue Devils.
“On some plays we look terrific, but then we turn around a play later and blow the whole thing,” Roscoe Coach Becky Ahart said. “But we’re learning more each game. We’re trying to improve our pitching, our catching and our batting.”