Tigers blank Jay Co.

In their previous three games, the Patriots had racked up a total of 29 runs.
Wednesday night, the offense disappeared.
The Jay County High School softball team managed just four hits against Danielle Brown of the visiting Bluffton Tigers as it fell 5-0.
“I just felt like we didn’t have our head in the ballgame from the start,” said JCHS coach Doug Arbuckle, whose team had played just once since April 22. “We’ve played two games in two weeks, so it’s hard to get in a groove. Still, we’ve got to come mentally ready to play the game. I just didn’t think we had that from the start.
“We weren’t ready at the plate tonight. We didn’t make the adjustments. We talked about (Brown) hitting the outside corner, and we continued to pull off the pitch and didn’t go with it.”
Control was the key for Brown, a sophomore, as she moved the ball around the strike zone to keep the Patriots off balance. She did not allow a walk and struck out five batters while the Tigers played their third straight error-free game behind her.
Jay County (3-5), which has lost three straight, struggled to make solid contact. It hit the ball out of the infield just twice.
“She’s learning,” said Bluffton coach Rick Mettler of Brown. “She doesn’t have a lot of experience. By far tonight is as sharp a game as she’s had. …
“She spotted the ball. She wasn’t over-throwing; she was pitching. She’s got a live arm, and we’ve tried to emphasize with her that we want a pitcher, not a thrower. Tonight she stayed within herself. She got ahead in the count and then she was able to use the whole strike zone.”
Rachelle Jackson held the Tigers (8-9) scoreless through the first two innings before giving up three consecutive walks to start the third.
Maggie Garrett drove in the first Bluffton run with a sacrifice fly to left field, and Taeler Meadows added an RBI single to center.
Brown also drew a leadoff walk in the fifth inning. She advanced to second when Mettler was hit by a pitch, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a ground-out by Garrett.
“I know at least one of those was an 0-2 count and we worked it to full and got the walk,” said Mettler of the walks in the third inning. “That’s one of the things the kids have done a pretty good job with this year. We’re not a team that strikes out a lot. … We’ve drawn twice as many walks as we have strikeouts, which usually you would expect to be just the opposite … We’ve been pretty good at the plate about being patient and understanding the count.”
Meadows’ RBI single in the third inning came with two outs. Karlie Longenberger also smacked a two-out double to score a run in the fourth inning, and Brown delivered a two-out single in the sixth.
“They had some timely hits. Hats off to them,” said Arbuckle. “When runners were on and in scoring position they put the ball in play and made some things happen. That’s what good teams will do.  … I give them credit.”
Longenberger led Bluffton from the No. 9 spot in the order, going 2-for-3 with a double, a run an RBI and a stolen base. Brown added a single, two walks, two runs and an RBI.
“She’s really starting to hit her comfort zone,” said Mettler of Longenberger. “The last four or five games she’s really seeing the ball well and she’s hitting the ball. We’re getting productivity out of the bottom of the order.”
Jay County’s best scoring chance came in the first inning, when Chelsea Tighe delivered a leadoff single and advance to second on Katie Aker’s sacrifice bunt. Tighe then stole third base, but back-to-back strikeouts ended the threat.
The Patriots didn’t get a runner past first base in the remainder of the game.
Gierhart bounced back from a first-inning strikeout to finish 2-for-3 with a single to center in the fourth inning and an infield hit in the sixth.
“Lexie had two good, solid hits,” said Arbuckle. “Lately she’s really been hitting the ball hard, whether it’s on the line or on the ground. … She’s been hitting the ball real well.”
Jackson, who had the other hit for the Patriots, took the loss. She gave up three runs on four hits and three walks in four innings.
Nikka Chaney allowed two runs on two hits and two walks in three innings of relief.[[In-content Ad]]