Young high school teams usually are built on the experience of some players mixed with the youthful attitudes of less experienced players.
Game photos click here.
Young high school teams usually are built on the experience of some players mixed with the youthful attitudes of less experienced players.
That formula came into play in a big way April 13 as the Berkshire Badgers made plays early, the West Geauga Wolverines couldn’t catch up in later innings, and the Badgers gradually extended their lead to claim a 12-3 Chagrin Valley Conference Valley Division softball victory.
Berkshire took advantage of Wolverine miscues in the second inning to take an initial lead. A five-run sixth inning for the Badgers settled the issue.
Five of the first six Berkshire hitters in the bottom of the sixth frame reached base on hits, capped by a line drive to the fence in right center off the bat of Jenna Hornak for a double.
When the frame began, a 7-3 Berkshire lead was firm, but rocky, as the Wolverines showed threats constantly.
After a Julia Clark sacrifice fly in the top of the second scored the first run of the game for WG, Berkshire got two runners on in the bottom of the second with one out. An infield bouncer toward left field was cut off, but the throw from shortstop Shea Malone to third was bobbled, loading the bases.
Julia Young was hit by a pitch to tie the score, and another fielder’s choice gave Berkshire (3-9) a lead they would never give up.
An infield error gave the Wolverines a chance as they tied the score in the third inning, but Maddie Triskett walked in the third for the home team, moved up on a wild pitch, and came home as Olivia Masink drilled a sharp single to right field for a 3-2 lead.
Big hits on offense and solid defensive plays kept the Wolverines from getting any momentum with their own bats.
“This was our fourth game this week,” West Geauga Head Coach Mark Percassi said. “We seemed a little flat, but we’re not really a veteran team yet, and while the girls are really trying hard, inconsistency has been regular for us. We are trying to play hard, but without having played so much and now playing every day, there is a lot to learn for us.”
Julia Clark paced the West G offense with a pair of hits. She led off the game with a sharp single, and with one out, Berkshire Head Coach Dave List intentionally walked Shea Malone to prevent a possible outburst early on.
The move worked perfectly, as Berkshire starting pitcher Cam Leggett fired a third strike past the next hitter, then induced a popup to the left of home plate that was caught in foul ground for the third out.
Berkshire answered with runners on first and second with one out. But Maddie Triskett sent a sharp grounder up the middle that Malone fielded cleanly, then stepped on second for one out and fired to first to complete a 6-3 double play.
From that point on, though, good defense from the Badgers — with centerfielder Sierra Bermen taking turns with pitcher Cam Leggett to make big plays — kept WG from mounting any rallies, while Berkshire hit the holes with hits to extend the lead to its final determination.
Leggett scattered five hits for the Badgers. She also walked seven while fanning five, keeping runners on base. But several catches in the outfield by Bermen and balls hit on the infield, corralled by Leggett, avoided further damage.
Berkshire bats warmed up in the third, and from then on, the Badgers simply made more plays.
Olivia Masink had a trio of hits to lead the offense. Another key factor for Coach List was that every player in his lineup hit safely, totaling 14 base knocks. All but one player scored at least one run, and Jenna Hornak drove home three, including one double.
The Badgers ripped four doubles on the day, keeping the pressure on the young Wolverines.
“I’m really proud of how, from top to bottom, we hit the ball today,” List said. “Our top four hitters in the lineup are our only returning letter winners, so their experience really means a lot. We had a good trip to Myrtle Beach to get started with the season, we played some really good teams there, and that type of competition leads to the experience we need to make plays back here because we are part of a really tough league.
“We want to try to focus on the positives we get out of every game. West Geauga has a really young team, like we do, so taking advantage of every mistake is important. I think we need to do better with our base-running, as we had some big mistakes today. But we got some good plays in the outfield, and while Cam (Leggett) was not her sharpest today, she buckled down to make pitches when she had to.”
List added that he wouldn’t normally intentionally walk a player like Malone, “but I thought it was important to not let her blast one for a lead early, and we got away with it.”
