By Rob Potter
JEFFERSONVILLE — For the first four innings of Friday afternoon’s non-league softball game, Sullivan West junior pitcher Hannah Schwatz was throwing a no-hitter against the visiting Deposit Lady Lumberjacks at Lauren Hughson Athletic Field.
Schwatz, who had six strikeouts during those innings, and was given a 1-0 lead by her teammates in the bottom of the third. With one out, Katie Taylor singled to right field. Taylor scored when the next batter, Amanda Rosenberger, belted a triple to left field.
Deposit catcher Shelby Pettersen led off the top of the fifth with a single down the right field line to break up Schwatz’s no-hitter. Andrea Davis then ran for Pettersen and scored the tying run later in the inning when McKenzie Martin singled.
Deposit added five runs with two outs in the top of the seventh for a 6-1 victory.
The Lady Jacks took advantage of an error and passed ball to grab a 3-1 advantage.
RBI singles by Tiffany Raymond and Karen Hatch pushed the lead to 5-1.
Deposit, which was No. 5 among Class D teams in the New York State Sportswriters Association softball rankings released on April 17, scored its final run when Hatch crossed the plate on a ground-rule double by Pettersen.
Schwatz recorded a strikeout to end the inning. In the bottom of the seventh, Lady Jacks pitcher Justina Ellis held the Lady Bulldogs scoreless.
Ellis had nine strikeouts, walked one and allowed five hits to earn the victory.
Deposit improved to 9-1 on the season. Before traveling to Jeffersonville for the game against the Lady Bulldogs, the Lady Jacks defeated the Hancock Lady Wildcats, another Section IV Class D team, by the final score of 5-1, in a Midstate Athletic Conference game.
On Thursday afternoon, Deposit also defeated Hancock.
“We played three games in 24 hours, so when our kids got on the bus [after this game], they were absolutely exhausted,” Deposit Coach Ed Swartwout said.
Naturally, Swartwout and the players were happy to win those three games.
He praised his team for “getting the timely hit” against SW.
“Good teams are able to adjust to pitchers the second or third time through the lineup,” he said. “We have good hitters.”
Swartwout also noted the pitching performance by Ellis.
“She did a good job and she has a solid defense behind her,” he said.
Schwatz, who finished the game with 10 strikeouts, also impressed Swartwout.
“She’s a very good pitcher,” he said.
“Their number one hitter and number four hitter are also very good,” said Swartwout, referring to Rosenberger and Schwatz.
“Deposit has a nice team,” SW Coach Mike Ellmauer said. “Deposit is one of the top teams in Section IV.
“We played very well and Hannah [Schwatz] pitched really well,” Ellmauer added.
While both teams played well, the top of the seventh proved to be the key inning.
“We had too many miscues and errors,” Ellmauer said.
With the loss, SW’s season record fell to 1-3.
But Ellmauer was hopeful the Lady Bulldogs could get back on the winning track this week.
Yesterday’s non-league game against Goshen was cancelled. But SW is slated to host Tuxedo at 4:15 p.m. today in an Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association (OCIAA) Division IV game, play at James I. O’Neill in another OCIAA Div. IV game on Thursday afternoon and then play the Monticello Lady Panthers in a non-league game at 4:15 p.m. Friday at Edward M. Collins Memorial Park in Mongaup Valley.