May 23, 2018 at 4:55 p.m.
Jay drops opener
Delta uses four-run fourth to hand Patriots a loss in the opening round for third straight year
Jay drops opener
By Nate Fields-
ARCADIA — The sectional opener continues to be a game that plagues the Patriots since dropping to Class 3A in 2016.
For the third consecutive season, the Jay County High School softball team dropped its first sectional game, this time in a 5-3 contest to the Delta Eagles (17-9) in a game that started as a pitcher’s duel Tuesday at Hamilton Heights.
“I felt like we hit [off Delta pitcher Natasha Coy] pretty well,” said JCHS coach Amy Hawbaker, whose team entered sectional with five straight wins and victories in eight of its last nine games. “We had probably twice as many hits off her as we did when we faced her earlier in the season. Sometimes, you need to string together a little better, but she was by far the toughest pitcher we’ve faced in the last three weeks, so I was proud of the way they came up to the plate and attacked the ball.”
Through three innings, both JCHS starter Kailee Denney and Coy had mostly fended off the attacks of the opposing bats. But with the game tied at 1-1 heading into the bottom of the fourth, Delta struck.
Madison Delaney got the Eagles going, dropping a leadoff single in the gap in left-center field. After Kassidy Dishman reached safely, Alana Morgan singled to shallow center field to load the bases. That spelled the end of Denney’s pitching day.
Kaylee Inman took over, but she couldn’t get out of the jam. A pitch slipped past the catcher and into the backstop, allowing Delaney to score and break the tie. Delta added three more runs via a fielder’s choice, an RBI single and a sacrifice fly before Lainey Bonser grounded out to end the inning.
The Patriots (11-7) tried to rally in their half of the sixth, but the comeback fell short. Hannah Phillips stepped to the plate with two outs and delivered a single. Kady Finnerty then drove in Phillips on an RBI double that landed just inside the foul line in right field. A Delta fielding error at first base allowed Finnerty to score and pull the Patriots within two, but they got no closer as a strikeout ended the game.
For the third consecutive season, the Jay County High School softball team dropped its first sectional game, this time in a 5-3 contest to the Delta Eagles (17-9) in a game that started as a pitcher’s duel Tuesday at Hamilton Heights.
“I felt like we hit [off Delta pitcher Natasha Coy] pretty well,” said JCHS coach Amy Hawbaker, whose team entered sectional with five straight wins and victories in eight of its last nine games. “We had probably twice as many hits off her as we did when we faced her earlier in the season. Sometimes, you need to string together a little better, but she was by far the toughest pitcher we’ve faced in the last three weeks, so I was proud of the way they came up to the plate and attacked the ball.”
Through three innings, both JCHS starter Kailee Denney and Coy had mostly fended off the attacks of the opposing bats. But with the game tied at 1-1 heading into the bottom of the fourth, Delta struck.
Madison Delaney got the Eagles going, dropping a leadoff single in the gap in left-center field. After Kassidy Dishman reached safely, Alana Morgan singled to shallow center field to load the bases. That spelled the end of Denney’s pitching day.
Kaylee Inman took over, but she couldn’t get out of the jam. A pitch slipped past the catcher and into the backstop, allowing Delaney to score and break the tie. Delta added three more runs via a fielder’s choice, an RBI single and a sacrifice fly before Lainey Bonser grounded out to end the inning.
The Patriots (11-7) tried to rally in their half of the sixth, but the comeback fell short. Hannah Phillips stepped to the plate with two outs and delivered a single. Kady Finnerty then drove in Phillips on an RBI double that landed just inside the foul line in right field. A Delta fielding error at first base allowed Finnerty to score and pull the Patriots within two, but they got no closer as a strikeout ended the game.
Coy showed why Hawbaker talked so highly of her.
Through her first three innings pitched, the Delta pitcher struck out three batters and retired the first nine she faced.
Finnerty noticed a theme on a lot of Coy’s pitches, but the team couldn’t seem to make good, consistent contact with its bats.
“Just a lot of outside pitches that we were trying to pull, which we should’ve just been going with it instead of trying to pull them, but other than that, just a good pitcher,” Finnerty said.
Denney stayed right with Coy early, allowing just one hit through the first two frames and forcing Delta to leave five runners stranded on base during that stretch.
In the bottom of the third inning, Delta’s Sami Herron scored the first run of the game after she followed up a single with a stolen base.
Consecutive grounders allowed her to reach home.
During the top of the fourth, the top of the Patriots’ lineup responded when Kensey Litton got things started with a leadoff double.
Phillips followed with a sacrifice bunt to advance Litton to third with one out. Finnerty reached base on a fielding error, and that allowed Litton to score and knot the game at 1-1.
Despite the loss, Tuesday’s game was a sharp improvement over the Patriots’ 12-1 loss to the Eagles in April.
“Overall, I thought we did pretty good,” said Emily Corn. “The first time we played Delta I felt like we gave up (in the) first inning. … I’m proud of my team.”
Through her first three innings pitched, the Delta pitcher struck out three batters and retired the first nine she faced.
Finnerty noticed a theme on a lot of Coy’s pitches, but the team couldn’t seem to make good, consistent contact with its bats.
“Just a lot of outside pitches that we were trying to pull, which we should’ve just been going with it instead of trying to pull them, but other than that, just a good pitcher,” Finnerty said.
Denney stayed right with Coy early, allowing just one hit through the first two frames and forcing Delta to leave five runners stranded on base during that stretch.
In the bottom of the third inning, Delta’s Sami Herron scored the first run of the game after she followed up a single with a stolen base.
Consecutive grounders allowed her to reach home.
During the top of the fourth, the top of the Patriots’ lineup responded when Kensey Litton got things started with a leadoff double.
Phillips followed with a sacrifice bunt to advance Litton to third with one out. Finnerty reached base on a fielding error, and that allowed Litton to score and knot the game at 1-1.
Despite the loss, Tuesday’s game was a sharp improvement over the Patriots’ 12-1 loss to the Eagles in April.
“Overall, I thought we did pretty good,” said Emily Corn. “The first time we played Delta I felt like we gave up (in the) first inning. … I’m proud of my team.”
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