By Ted Waddell
FALLSBURG– April 23, 2002 — The Fallsburg Lady Comet softball team reversed its losing trend and picked its first win of the young season Friday afternoon.
The Lady Comets defeated the Eldred Lady Yellowjackets by a 6-4 margin in a non-league contest.
The game was played as roving thunderstorms closed in on the field of play, a factor that added a sense of urgency to the event.
After a scoreless first inning, Fallsburg’s Crystal Ryder got hit by a pitch from Eldred’s Becky Ryman in the bottom of the second. Michelle Hoefling then reached on a bunt, advancing Ryder, who had already stolen second base, to third. With runners at the corners, Christine Holland’s single got Ryder and Hoefling on the move. Ryder scored the game’s first run and Hoefling also came around to cross the plate, thanks to an Eldred throwing error on the play.
The Lady Yellowjackets fought back in the top of the third as Ryman led off with a single. Kara Leek was inserted into the line-up to pinch run for Ryman and proceeded to steal both second and third base. A Stephanie Venturini single scored Leek to make it a 2-1 ballgame.
With two outs in the top of the fourth, Eldred’s Jessica Cherry got a base hit and stole second. An RBI single by Casey Williams sent Cherry across the plate. Ryman then recorded an RBI single to score Williams and give Eldred (2-3) a 3-2 lead.
In the bottom of that frame, Nicole Perrello reached base on a two-out bunt, and then stole second. An RBI single by Lady Comet pitcher Ashley Frunzi scored Perrello to knot the score at 3-3.
Eldred’s Jenny Haas reached on a error in the top of the fourth. Amanda Tice walked, and Haas subsequently stole second and third. She later scored on a Lady Comet error to give Eldred a two-run lead.
In the bottom of the fifth, Ryder walked and stole second. She advanced to third on a groudout by Hoefling. As Holland reached on a error, Ryder scored to tie the game at 4-4.
In the bottom of the sixth, Fallsburg (1-4) closed the gate on the opposition by scoring two runs. Sarah Moore walked and Perrello reached on a base hit. Moore later scored when Frunzi grounded out. Later in the frame, Joceyn Hernandez’s single scored Perrello to ensure the Lady Comets their first victory of the spring.
Dot McCrone, third year coach of the Lady Yellowjackets, said her team has to work on correcting “a couple of mental mistakes and our hitting.
“We play as a team, and we lose as team,” she said. “We played all right. Becky Ryman had two nice hits.”
Joe Levner is in his fourth year at the helm of the Fallsburg squad.
“It was just back and forth, back and forth,” he said of the victory over Eldred. “It came down to the last inning, and fortunately we came out on top.”
Sixteen-year old Frunzi came up to varsity last year for a few games to help out the Lady Comets. This is the junior’s first “official” season wearing a varsity uniform.
“Today felt great, because we worked as a team,” Frunzi said. “We came together and it felt good.”
Her prediction for the rest of the year?
“I feel a couple more wins,” she said. “It’s going to be a good season. These girls are great.”