Flyers blank FRHS

FORT RECOVERY - Hits were scarce.

The Marion Local Flyers managed just four Monday. But those, along with a walked and a couple of errors, were enough to trump the Indians' one.

Kinsey Wenning picked up the only hit for the Fort Recovery High School softball team with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning in a 5-0 loss to the Flyers.

Both teams will kick off tournament play Saturday at New Bremen. Marion Local will play the host Cardinals in Division IV sectional semifinal action at 11 a.m., and Fort Recovery will follow against Minster at 1 p.m.

The Flyers (9-9, 1-2 Midwest Athletic Conference) scored four unearned runs Monday thanks to a pair of Tribe errors in the second inning.

"Sometimes this game is taking advantage of mistakes," said Marion Local coach Russ Puthoff. "Tonight we were able to do it. They just had a couple of errors and we were able to score on them."

The second inning started with a Tribe error as a throw from Wenning sailed over the head of Carly Staugler at first base. A walk to Amber Fleck followed, and Kenzie Schwieterman looped an RBI single down the right field line for a 1-0 lead.

Joanna Snyder threw out Fleck at the plate on a ground ball from Andi Mescher, but then Nicole Goettemoeller reached first on an error similar to the one that started the inning. Wenning struck out Nicole Schwieterman for the second out of the inning, only to have Ellen Mescher hit a bloop single to right field to complete the four-run frame.

"We weren't ready to play until about the fourth inning," said FRHS coach Marie Osterholt. "We've got to be better. ...

"We can't make those mistakes and expect to win. We've got to be ready to play the whole game."

While Marion Local jumped out to the early lead, the Indians struggled to get a runner on base.

Flyer pitcher Jodi Otte retired the first 12 batters she faced, taking a perfect game into the fifth inning. An error allowed Snyder to reach base to open the fifth, but Otte escaped without any damage and the no-hitter still in tact.

Amy Hart looked as if she had the no-hitter broken up as she hit a ground ball through the right side to start the sixth inning.

But Nicole Schwieterman, playing very shallow in right field, got to the ball and threw Hart out at first.

"We put the bat on the ball, but we're not hitting it hard," said Osterholt, whose team had just two strikeouts. "We're just hitting little dribblers. And when we did hit it hard, we hit it right at them. They made some nice plays."

Otte took the no-hitter into the final frame, and Schwieterman recorded the first out of the seventh as she snagged a line drive off the bat of Carly Staugler. Wenning then finally broke up the no-hit bid with a single to right field, but Otte retired the next two batters to complete the shutout.

Shortstop Rachel Puthoff led the Flyers' solid defensive effort with five put outs. Otte fielded her position well with three put outs to go along with the two strikeouts, and Tara Hartings made four plays at second base.

"At the beginning of the year, we knew that we were going to have to play strong defense," said Russ Puthoff. "We were going to have to really buckle down and make plays. Tonight they did it.

"Jodi did a nice job of keeping her pitches down, throwing strikes, getting ahead in the count and making them work ..."

Wenning struck out three and walked two in six innings to take the loss. The only earned run against her came in the sixth after a leadoff double by Rachel Puthoff.

Fort Recovery is scheduled to play today, Thursday and Friday before meeting Minster in the sectional tournament Saturday.

The Fort Recovery/Minster winner will advance to play St. Henry in one sectional championship game May 12, and the New Bremen/Marion Local winner will take on Parkway.

The Indians defeated Minster 2-1 April 23 to halt their 16-game losing streak in the MAC.[[In-content Ad]]