By Rob Potter
LIBERTY — April 16, 2010 — A strong pitching performance by Allison Maltese and timely hitting propelled the Liberty Lady Indians to an 8-3 win over the Monticello Lady Panthers on Wednesday in an non-league softball game.
Maltese allowed six hits and recorded four strikeouts. Only one of the runs she gave up was earned.
Taylor DeVantier led the Liberty (1-3) offense by going 2-for-2. DeVantier is a senior at Roscoe Central School. She and fellow Roscoe students Angel Feeney, a senior, and Paige Clancy, a junior, joined the Lady Indians’ team because Roscoe did not have enough players to field a squad this spring.
DeVantier gave Liberty a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning by ripping a bases-clearing double to left center field. Taylor Stoddard, Evangelia Fitzpatrick and Paige Clancy all scored on the hit.
Monticello (0-4) cut its deficit to 3-2 in the top of the fourth. With one out and two runners on base, Jamie Vandermeulen grounded out to first base. But she earned an RBI as Caitlin Bonnaci scored on the play. Samantha McCreery then singled to center field to bring Alissa Hermida in to score.
The Lady Indians responded with four runs in the bottom of the fifth. Maltese scored on a wild pitch and Lara Gottschalk crossed the plate on an error to give Liberty a 5-2 lead.
Paige LaPolt and Megahn Burke scored the other two runs for the Lady Indians due to a passed ball and a sacrifice fly, respectively.
The Lady Panthers scored their final run of the afternoon in the top of the sixth. With one out, Hermida reached base on an error and advanced to third base on another error. After the second out of the frame was recorded, Shannon Reese singled to center field to bring Hermida in to score.
Liberty scored its last run in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs, DeVantier doubled to right field. She scored when the next batter, Maltese, singled to right field.
“We have to be able to get a timely hit,” Monticello Coach Dan Orlan said. “We are going to keep struggling until we find a way to get more runners across the plate. Liberty was able to get runners on base today and make things happen.”
Orlan noted that his players competed for all seven innings.
“I’m happy with our effort,” he said. “We play every inning, we play every out and we play every strike. As long as we keep doing that, good things will happen.”
Liberty Coach Matt Stoddard liked the way his team played, especially DeVantier and Maltese.
“Taylor DeVantier’s triple was a huge hit for us,” he said. “It was a timely hit that really got us going. She has had some good hits in games earlier this season, but no one was on base to score on those hits.
“Allison Maltese was lights out for us today,” Stoddard added. “She has done a great job this season. She has only walked two batters all season. This is her senior year and she worked very hard over the winter to improve her pitching.”
Stoddard noted that the Lady Indians benefitted by being more aggressive in the batter’s box.
“In our previous games, we were taking too many third strikes,” he said. “I told the players I wanted them to be up there swinging with two strikes on them. Today they were swinging at the third strike and putting the ball in play.
“It was good to get a win,” Stoddard commented. “There are still a few things we need to work on, but we played well today.”