In the softball rivalry between Westfield and Stratford, sometimes the upper hand from regular-season contests don’t mean much when it comes to the GISA playoffs (more specifically the state finals). If that remains the case in 2013, Thursday’s outcome in Perry maybe isn’t quite a catastrophe.
But for that one night, it was all Jeff Treadway’s Eagles, who scored five unanswered runs over the last two innings to pull away for an 11-4 win. This was Westfield’s first of four Region 2-AAA contests as Tuesday’s game with Southland at home was rained out and rescheduled for Sept. 16.
The two main bats for Stratford doing damage came from Andi Schilling and Lucy Bobbitt. The pair got on base back-to-back in a four-run first inning. They were also in the middle of a one-run second inning, which gave the visiting team its largest margin prior to the seventh.
The Hornets pulled as close as two runs thanks in part to their top-of-the-order threat, senior catcher Callie Hammerle. She reached base on all four plate appearances, but only came around to score two times.
It goes back to the first inning, when both McKenna Sibley and Schilling reached on 3-2 pitches from Westfield starter Sydney Barker. The Hornets had the first major break when the home plate umpire ruled Schilling out from a pick-off throw to first by Hammerle.
Bobbitt was at the plate and promptly singled home Sibley. Opposing pitcher Mary Wilson Avent was next and flared a single to shallow center that the left fielder, Hannah Livingston made an effort for but couldn’t quite get. The bad news for Westfield was the roll the ball took due to this allowed Bobbitt to score.
Morgan Maier reached on an error, and Stratford pulled off a double steal to lead 3-0. Shortstop Chelsea Whaley’s assist recorded the second out, but Westfield’s try for a double play at third resulted in an errant throw and 4-0 game.
Sibley and Schilling reached with two outs in the top of the second, and Bobbitt’s flare to center fell beyond the reach of Jenni McDaniel in centerfield. It was 5-0 but could have been worse; Barker got Maier to fly out with the bases loaded.
Westfield’s first two hits belonged to Hammerle (stranded on third after a first-inning triple). She singled with two outs in the home third, and Livingston drew a walk. Whaley was down 0-2, got her count to 2-2 and then doubled in two runs to left center. She scored for 5-3 on Laura Johnson’s base-hit to left.
Barker retired six of seven batters faced going into the fifth. She walked Maier, but Avent hit into a double play as McDaniel caught Maier on first base after catching the fly-out.
But then another part of the Eagle lineup came through with two outs. Amelia Brown singled, and after a walk shortstop Avery Layton hit a ball bringing a dive from McDaniel. The ruling was a trap and RBI hit, but the outfielder recovered to get Layton at second.
Hammerle earned the run back doubling, stealing third and scoring on a wild throw (6-4). Avent retired the side afterwards and only allowed one more hit, a McDaniel bunt in the sixth.
Stratford pulled away with two in the sixth on just one hit. Avent batted with the bases full, hit the first pitch, and a throwing error plated the two. One pitch later Hannah Kate Jones, the second baseman, snagged a liner for a double play.
But in the seventh, the Hornets had one more crucial error that opened things up for three more Eagle runs. Their first three runners reached and all scored on two wild pitches and an unsuccessful fielder’s choice throw.
Westfield had an eight-game winning streak snapped. Avent struck out 10 batters in seven.
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