Tribe takes sectional title (05/11/04)

NEW BREMEN, Ohio — As she watched the St. Henry Redskins warm up prior to Tuesday’s game, Fort Recovery coach Marie Osterholt told her team two things. “They’re ready to play this game,” she said, “but so are we.”

She was right.

The Indians jumped a giant hurdle, winning the first softball sectional title in school history by a 7-5 score over St. Henry at New Bremen.

It was a banner day for the Tribe (15-7) as they also tied the school record for wins in a single season. It marked the first sectional championship for any Fort Recovery team since the baseball team won the title in 2001.

“It feels wonderful,” said Osterholt, whose team was as boisterous in the dugout throughout the game as they have ever been. “That was one of our goals at the beginning of the year. Now we need to keep going.”

“It’s awesome,” said senior shortstop Lisa Grisez. “Just to know you’re the first ones is something to be proud of.”

The Indians will try to set a new school record for wins when they host Minster Thursday at 5 p.m. They will continue tournament play when they take on tonight’s Marion Local/New Bremen winner in district semifinal action at New Bremen Tuesday, May 18 at 5 p.m.

Coach Josh Link’s St. Henry team (8-12) has been a huge obstacle for the top-seeded Indians, having defeated them in last year’s sectional championship game. But, some fancy pitching moves and timely hitting helped it from being a thorn in their sides again.

The Tribe led 7-1 after four innings, but the Redskins scored twice in the fifth. Each of the first four batters reached base against relief pitcher Alyssa Tobe in the sixth, and Osterholt made her move. She brought back starter Julie Smith, who pitched the first two innings before giving way to Tobe.

Facing a bases loaded situation with one run already across the plate and no outs, Smith struck out Brittany Barlage. Megan Siefring knocked an RBI single to left field, but Smith preserved the lead by enticing Kendra Buschur into a fielder’s choice and striking out Lisa Uhlenhake.

She tossed a one-two-three seventh to end the game, and earned a rare statistic for a starting pitcher — a save. She tossed four innings and allowed one run on four hits. She struck out four and walked one.

Tobe got the win, giving up four runs — two earned — on four hits in three-plus innings. She also struck out four and walked one.

Osterholt said her goal was to keep the Redskin hitters off balance by making the pitching moves.

“They’re team players,” she said of her pitching tandem. “They work hard and they’ll do anything to help this team win. They were tough.”

Fort Recovery’s batters were retired one-two-three in the first, fifth and sixth innings, but got huge hits when runners did reach base in the other three frames. The biggest one — which resulted in the winning runs — came in strange fashion.

With two runners on base and two outs in the fourth inning, Krystal Rammel hit a hard bouncer down the third-base line. Third baseman Kendra Buschur looked as if she could have made a play on the ball, but apparently thought it would go foul and backed off.

It hooked over third base and was ruled fair, and Rammel rolled to second with a two-run double scoring Grisez and Joscie Kaup. The hit capped a three-run rally, in which Ciera Rammel, Grisez, Kaup and Krystal Rammel knocked consecutive two-out hits.

The Indians scored twice in the third inning, taking advantage of a Redskin error. Brenda Rindler brought in both of those runs with a two-run single to left field to score Kaup and Ciera Rammel.

They also took advantage when Danielle Kremer couldn’t handle a ground ball from Renee Evers with two outs in the second inning. With Evers and Krystal Rammel on base Kelsie Will ripped a triple over Lindsay Thobe’s head in left field, driving in a pair of runs.

Krystal and Ciera Rammel each finished with two hits. Krystal drove in two runs and scored twice, and Ciera also scored twice. Rindler and Will each had a pair of RBIs, and Kaup scored twice and drove in a run.

“We got the hits when we needed them,” said Osterholt. “We battled the whole game and never gave up. We played tough the whole game. I’m proud of them.”

“You have to just keep plugging away and know something good is going to happen,” said Kaup.

“You’ve got to play hard to the end,” added Grisez.

Danielle Kremer had two hits, a run and an RBI for St. Henry, and Brenda Hemmelgarn had two hits and an RBI. Lisa Uhlenhake doubled and drove in a run, and Lindsay Thobe doubled and scored.

Karla Buschur took the loss, allowing seven runs — three earned — on eight hits. She struck out four and walked one.[[In-content Ad]]