By Rob Potter
FALLSBURG — May 4, 2004 – The Eldred Lady Yellowjackets withstood two late rallies by the Fallsburg Lady Comets to earn a victory in Saturday’s non-league softball game at Benjamin Cosor Elementary School.
In the top of the sixth inning, Eldred held a 12-5 lead. But in the bottom of the inning, Fallsburg scored three runs to reduce the Lady Yellowjackets’ advantage.
With the bases loaded, Kyla Weigand drew a walk to bring Sarah Halprin to the plate with the Lady Comets’ sixth run of the afternoon.
Jamie Cruz followed with an RBI single to center field to make it a 12-7 game. Two batters later, with the bases still loaded and two outs, Toni Wilkerson hit a single to left field that allowed teammate Michelle Orrego to score.
Eldred (4-3) responded with four runs of its own in the top of the seventh, however. Jessica Cherry led off with a single to right center field and Jenny Haas followed with an RBI ground-rule double to left center.
Jeanna Harris added an RBI single later in the frame as the Lady Yellowjackets took a 16-8 lead.
In the bottom of the seventh, Fallsburg (0-6) loaded the bases with only one out. Jamie Cruz was hit by a pitch, which brought Shannon Weigand in to score. Following the second out of the inning, two bases-loaded walks and an RBI single by Karen Perrello brought the Lady Comets to within four runs.
But that was as close as Fallsburg would get as Eldred pitcher Ashley Tice got a fly ball out to end the game and preserve her team’s win.
Cherry and Haas each finished the game with three hits.
Shannon Weigand was 2-for-5 for the Lady Comets.
“We have too many errors and too many walks right now,” Eldred Coach Jolene Porter said. “But the key is to find a way to win the game and we found a way today.”
Although Fallsburg is still searching for its first victory of the season, Coach Mike Weiner is happy with how his team is playing.
“We’ve had tough games against teams like Chester and Tuxedo, but we have been playing a lot better,” he said. “They’re a great group of players. I’m definitely seeing improvement.”
As for Saturday’s game, Weiner was quick to note that Eldred “played well, too.”
But he added that the Lady Comets had chances early in the contest to score several more runs.
“In the first and second innings we had the bases loaded and didn’t cash in – that was the key to the game,” Weiner said. “We only scored two runs in those two innings.”
Fallsburg will look to pick up a win later this week. The Lady Comets were scheduled to host Tri-Valley yesterday in an OCIAA Division IV game. Fallsburg is also slated to meet Livingston Manor tomorrow in a non-league contest.
Eldred is scheduled to host T-V tomorrow afternoon and Chester on Friday. Both of those contests are non-league games.