 Lady Pilgrims second baseman Courtnee Kelly bunts in the fifth inning of Friday’s game. By James Costello Sports Writer
PLYMOUTH — The Lady Pilgrims snatched defeat from the jaws of victory at their Northern Lakes Conference home opener Friday.
Plymouth committed five errors for three unearned Warsaw runs, including three consecutive for a pair of unearned runs in the top of the seventh that put the Tigers over the top and spelled a 4-3 NLC heartbreaker for the Pilgrims.
“It’s a seven-inning game,” said Plymouth softball head coach Ed Kelso. “You can’t play six and hope for the best in the seventh. You’ve got to finish it. The girls are still trying to figure out how to win, and evidently the pressure or whatever it was got to us.”
Down 3-2, Warsaw designated hitter Kaitlin Gruenewald lined an 0-1 offering from Plymouth freshman pitcher Marissa Sullivan into center and was scored on the very next at-bat as Warsaw one hitter Jenna Walters laid a dribbling bunt down the first baseline, and Plymouth first baseman Lyzz Smith’s throw to Courtnee Kelly covering first went errant and rolled deep down the right field line. Walters reached third on the costly error, and she was subsequently scored by left-handed batting Warsaw shortstop Kelci Freds as Freds got a piece of a 1-1 Sullivan pitch that went blooping to third, and Pilgrims freshman third baseman Kaitlyn Bottorf mishandled it.
The Pilgrims got out of the side without further damage but were unable to produce the tying run in the bottom frame, going down in order in their last bid Friday to break into the NLC win column.
“They helped us out; I can’t deny that,” said Warsaw head coach Kristen Heiman. “They definitely helped us out but we came back, we didn’t give up. I know our players don’t like to bunt, but I made them bunt, and it worked out for us. It was a great comeback.”
Plymouth entered the seventh up 3-2 following an Erin Galt run in the fifth.
Kelly reached on a bunt and moved Galt to second, while Bottorff drew a second walk from Warsaw pitcher Sam Snider, and Plymouth leadoff hitter Mary Byelick reached on a two-error play by Freds. Freds dropped a pop-up and overthrew to third trying to save an out, scoring Galt, but Kelly hesitated rounding third and was ultimately called out sliding home as Tigers third baseman Kendra Marshall recovered the errant throw to hit catcher Kelsey Dotson blocking the plate.
The fifth innings’ key at-bat was Bottorff’s as she outlasted Snider in a 13-pitch showdown to draw a one-out walk and move Galt into scoring position. Bottorff also recorded the game’s lone extra-base hit in the bottom of the third with an RBI triple to deep center-right that scored Galt, who drew walks in 2-of-3 at-bats and scored both times for the Pilgrims.
“It was a great at-bat,” said Kelso of Bottorff’s 13-pitch marathon. “It set the table. We dink one in there and get a run our of it. I thought we had the other run scored, too, but they called her out. We were up and couldn’t hold it, and when you get up in a home go you need to take care of business, especially in the conference.”
While Warsaw improves to 5-3 on the season and 3-0 in the NLC, the young Pilgrims slide to 4-7 and 0-2 in the conference. With a doubleheader today against Valparaiso and Boone Grove, Kelso said he hopes his players can put the disappointing loss behind them.
“We have two games tomorrow; we can’t be pouting about today,” he said. “We have to come out and play good and see if we learn from it. Use it as a little inspiration.”
• WARSAW 4,
PLYMOUTH 3
At Plymouth
Warsaw: 000 020 2 — 4 4 3
Plymouth: 002 010 0 — 3 3 5
Sam Snider(W) and Kelsey Dotson; Marissa Sullivan (L) and Emilee Keilman
3B: Kaitlyn Bottorff (P)
Records: Plymouth 4-7, 0-2 NLC; Warsaw 5-3, 3-0 NLC.
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