Rain can't stop Tribe (04/05/07)

FORT RECOVERY - The tarp, or tarps, to be more accurate, paid off for the Indians.

While most games were canceled Friday night thanks to soggy weather for much of the previous 24 hours, several large tarps protecting the infield allowed the Fort Recovery softball team to play. The Indians made the game count, getting better and better as the evening went on in a 9-5 victory over the Mississinawa Valley Blackhawks.

"I'm very happy," said FRHS coach Marie Osterholt while joking that some people may have questioned her sanity because of her desire to play on the cold, wet night. "(The tarps are) going to save us three games this weekend.

"Being the first game, I'm happy with the outcome."

The first few innings were marred by sloppy play by both squads, with most of the runs coming because of a mixture of walks, passed balls and wild pitches. But the Indians (1-0) pulled their game together in the fourth inning.

With one out and the score tied at five, Ashley Grube ignited the Indian bats by ripping a line-drive single to center field. Beth May followed with a hard-hit single to left field, and Grube later scored on a wild pitch.

With May on third base, Kelly Sudhoff connected on a third straight laser for Fort Recovery resulting in an RBI single to center. Carla Guggenbiller pushed the run to four straight hits with an infield single, and LeAnne Tobin drove in Sudhoff with a ground ball to shortstop.

A double by Val Fortkamp followed by an RBI single from Grube in the fifth inning pushed the Indians to the final margin.

"They settled down and hit the ball well," said Osterholt. "I'll tell you what, we played some good defense and got some timely hits. We played well as a team."

Sudhoff finished 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs, and Fortkamp and Grube each added two hits, two runs and one RBI. Fortkamp and Olivia Thien each had a stolen base, and Tobin and Amy Hart drove in one run apiece.

Six of Fort Recovery's nine hits came in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.

"That was a key factor," said Mississinawa Valley coach Michael Dean. "Our base-running kept us in the game to that point."

The Blackhawks (0-5) scored their five runs with just one hit in the first four innings. They did so as May struggled on the rubber, giving up seven free bases (five walks and two hit batsmen) in the first three innings.

But that pattern changed, with May buckling down during the second half of the game. She did not walk a batter after the third inning, and the run against her in the fourth inning was unearned.

She retired five straight batters before Sarah Rimmer blooped a single to right field with two outs in the seventh. And Rimmer didn't last long as Fortkamp threw her out trying to steal second to end the game.

May earned the win, giving up five runs - four earned - on four hits and five walks. She struck out six batters.

"I think she settled down," said Osterholt. "We kept her warm and she did what she had to do. She showed her senior experience."

Brittany Smith suffered the loss for Mississinawa Valley, allowing nine runs - seven earned - on nine hits and five walks.

Madison Blumenstock paced the Blackhawks offense with a double, two runs and two stolen bases. Lisa Breymeir singled and scored twice, and Rimmer had two hits.

"We've got a young team, only one senior," said Dean. "This is our rebuilding year. It's just going to take some time for it to come together."[[In-content Ad]]