Patriots defeat Fort

FORT RECOVERY — With back-to-back five-inning wins, the Patriots have found their groove.
The Indians are still trying to come together as a team with their tournament just 10 days away.
Jay County sent 12 batters to the plate in the first inning Tuesday and scored seven times on the way to a 15-0, five-inning victory over Fort Recovery.
“The girls did an excellent job stepping off the bus ready to hit,” said JCHS coach Doug Arbuckle, whose team has won five of its last six. “I thought we did a pretty good job of sitting back and waiting and using our bat speed. … We had a lot of good, hard hits … It was just an overall good effort by the girls.”
The loss was the seventh in a row for the Indians, who managed just one hit against Jay County pitcher Larissa Boles. They are 1-11 this season.
“It was awful,” said FRHS coach Marie Osterholt. “We can play better than that. …
“It was a very frustrating game.”
Chelsea Tighe fell behind in the count to start the game, but fouled off three pitches and then ripped a double to left-center field. The Patriot offense kept rolling from there.
Boles followed with a single to center field, Catherine Dunn drew a walk and Katie Aker added a bunt single as each of the first four Jay County batters reached base. Gabby Hart, Courtney Finnerty, Rachelle Jackson, Tighe and Boles all added singles on the way to the 7-0 lead.
The Patriots added one run in the second inning, two in the third, one in the fourth and two in the fifth.
Hart, who hit her first career home run in Friday’s 14-1 win over Daleville, went 3-for-4 with a double, three RBIs and two runs.
Katlin Petro narrowly missed going deep for the second straight game, hitting a pair of doubles off the left-field fence as she added two RBIs and a run.
“Pete is in a zone,” said Arbuckle. “When she sits back and gets her hands going, she puts the ball in play and hits it hard.
“Gabby is relaxed now. She’s come on these last few games. …
“We talk about not trying to do too much with what the pitcher gives you, and if you can do that good things are going to happen. I think not only (Gabby), but everyone, is doing that.”
Boles had a no hitter for 3 2/3 innings before Janelle Schwieterman hit a ground ball back up the middle for Fort Recovery’s only hit of the game. She struck out at least two batters in every inning, including three apiece in the third, fourth and fifth as each of the final 10 outs came by way of the strikeout.
“Their pitcher did a nice job, kept us off balance,” said Osterholt. “We struck out just about every time we were up. She had a nice riseball. We couldn’t lay off of it.”
Fort Recovery had an opportunity to get on the board in the fourth inning as Haley Knapke followed Schwieterman’s two-out single with a walk. Trisha Thien hit a couple of balls just foul down the right-field line before Boles came up with a strikeout to end the inning.
The only other base runners for the Indians came in the second inning when Schwieterman drew a walk and Maleia Fullenkamp reached base on a fielder’s choice.
Boles has struck out 59 batters in 34 innings.
“She’s in a groove now. I think she’s really feeling comfortable,” said Arbuckle. “She was a little under the weather, but she said she felt good.”
“She’ll challenge each batter. I like that fact that she’s mixing it up a lot. We talk about different levels, different heights, inside, outside, different speeds. If you keep changing that up, it keeps the hitters off balance.”
Four of Jay County’s wins during the last two weeks have come by double digits as it topped Muncie Southside 12-0 and Marion 13-0 in addition to the wins over Fort Recovery and Daleville.
The lone win of the year for Fort Recovery, which will open sectional play at New Bremen on May 11, came by a 16-14 score over Mississinawa Valley on April 5.
“We’ve got to work harder and get better,” Osterholt said. “That’s the only choice we’ve got.”

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