By Rob Potter
JEFFERSONVILLE — April 20, 2004 – Sullivan West pitcher Erin Rosenberger was focused during Friday’s OCIAA Division IV game versus the visiting Liberty Lady Indians.
In fact, Rosenberger was concentrating so much that she did not realize until after the game that she had just hurled a no-hitter.
“When [scorekeeper] Ms. [Eileen] Hogencamp told me, I was shocked,” Rosenberger said. “I had no idea.”
While Rosenberger kept the Liberty batters in check, her teammates gave her plenty of run support. SW (1-1, 1-0 OCIAA) scored in every inning but one on its way to a 10-0 victory.
Rosenberger struck out nine and walked three in recording the no-hitter.
She said she “hopes to improve as the season goes on.”
“Our pitching is fine,” SW Coach Mike Ellmauer said. “Erin did a great job. She gets a lot of support from her family and her father works with her a lot on her pitching technique.”
(Erin Rosenberger’s father, Glenn, has been playing recreational softball in summer leagues throughout Sullivan County for a number of years.)
After taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, SW added a pair of runs in the second inning. Madeline Arquetta scored on an error and Kristen Brucher crossed home plate on a passed ball as the Lady Bulldogs extended their lead to 3-0.
The Lady Bulldogs added a run in the third, two in the fourth and four in the sixth.
SW junior shortstop Heather Lander went 3-for-3 in the contest. Teammates Stephanie Lynch and Rachel Peloquin each added two RBIs for the Lady Bulldogs.
Liberty fell to 0-2 overall and 0-1 in OCIAA Division IV.
“We’ve got almost a whole new team,” Liberty Coach John Wilhelm said. “We have a fairly young team. We’re still trying to learn the game.”
Wilhelm noted that two freshmen, Brittany Melchick and Kate Sarno, start for the Lady Indians. In addition, Liberty lost seven starting players from the 2003 squad to graduation.
Conversely, SW has a veteran team. There are nine seniors – Arquetta, Leslie Bright, Dayna Carlo, Jessica Lederman, Lynch, Amanda Patterson, Peloquin, Rosenberger and Cassie Valentin – on the Lady Bulldogs’ roster.
“These girls are good players,” said Ellmauer, who is receiving help guiding the team from volunteer Assistant Coach Lynda Bracken. “They are a great group of kids to work with. They come to practice ready to work.”