Russia nips Indians in eight (03/28/07)

RUSSIA, Ohio - The hits were nearly even, and each team finished with three errors. But it was the free passes which came back to bite Fort Recovery Tuesday.

The Russia Raiders reached base by way of a walk or hit batsman in seven out of eight innings and they took advantage for a 4-3, eight-inning win over the Indians.

"It was just persistence, persistence, persistence," said Russia coach Roger Hammonds. "It's always a close game. Every year it's always a one-run game either way. We just kept at it and kept at it ... and kept poking away at the ball and finally got the base hit to win it."

That game-winning base hit came after a pair of free passes.

Russia's Katie Petty led off the bottom of the eighth inning with what looked like it would be a single to right field only to have Joanna Snyder charge in to make a shoestring catch. But the grab, one of a host of great defensive plays, saved the Indians (0-1) only temporarily.

Lindsey Clough, the Raiders' No. 9 hitter, followed the near-miss by Petty with a one-out walk, and then Tribe pitcher Beth May hit Julie Simon. With runners on first and second, Russia pitcher Amy Bensman made sure her season would not start with two losses.

The junior slapped a single to right field, and Snyder's throw to the plate was not in time to get Clough.

The final hit by Bensman backed up her solid pitching effort. She allowed seven hits and just two earned runs.

She also gave up only two walks while she and her teammates earned 10 free passes - eight walks and two hit by pitch.

"She pitched a great game," said Hammonds of Bensman, who also had half of her team's RBIs. "She only had a couple walks. The defense did the job when it needed to. She kept the ball down and did a nice job for us."

Hillary Monnin led the Raider offense, going 2-for-3 with a double, two runs and two stolen bases. Kristie Borchers and Brianne Schulze also had two hits apiece.

Russia (1-1) led 1-0 after the first inning only to have the Indians tie the game in the second and then take the lead on a wild, error-filled play in the third. The Raiders tied the score again in the fourth and pushed ahead 3-2 in the fifth.

But, Fort Recovery wouldn't let the home team escape without a fight, pulling even again after Lori Osterholt opened the sixth inning with a single to left field. Kinsey Wenning then reached base on an error, and Joanna Snyder smacked a single to right field to tie the game.

The Indians still had runners in scoring position with just one out, but could not reclaim the lead. They again had two on and two out in the seventh, but failed to score and went down one-two-three in the top of the eighth.

Despite coming up short coach Marie Osterholt was satisfied with the game-one effort, especially on the defensive side.

"I think they did a great job," she said. "They worked hard, they made plays. It wasn't quite what we wanted, but I think they did a super job."

Along with her shoestring catch in the eighth, Snyder, who finished 3-for-4 with a triple, a stolen base and both Tribe RBIs, made a big grab deep in right-center field as she and center fielder Carla Guggenbiller collided in the fifth.

Osterholt had an outfield assist in the seventh, firing to Heather Schmackers for a force-out at third base. And Val Fortkamp was outstanding behind the plate, twice picking off runners who strayed just a little too far off of third base.

"Their catcher is a very nice player," said Hammonds. "We got off base - maybe if we don't get picked off there a few times we don't go to extra innings. But she did a nice job behind the plate."

Following Snyder for the Tribe offense were Osterholt and Ashley Grube with two hits apiece.

May took the loss in relief of Wenning, allowing one run on two hits in two innings. Wenning gave up three runs - one earned - on six hits in six innings.[[In-content Ad]]