Patriots open with thrilling win (04/07/04)

PORTLAND — There were plenty of big plays to be made Tuesday night, and for the most part the Patriots made them. That made for a refreshing start to the season for a team which hasn’t had much success in the last two.

The Jay County softball team battled back from a 4-0 deficit, eventually topping the visiting Mississinewa Indians 7-6 when Amber Champ scored on a squeeze bunt by Saffron Redwine in the bottom of the eighth inning.

“They just didn’t quit,” said first-year coach Jack Wood, who saw his team make a pair of plays at the plate, a handful of outstanding catches in the field and a gun-down of the potential winning run on an attempted steal. “I think this will kind of set the precedent for them that they’re never out of it. That was one of their goals coming in — to stay consistent.”

Consistency hadn’t been the constant over the last two seasons, when the Patriots posted a combined 11-45 record. But, only one set of numbers matters now, 1-0.

“It’s great,” said catcher Erica Murray, who was on the throwing end of one great play and the receiving end of two more. “When we won, I felt like we could win a lot more this year.”

“It boosted out confidence,” added Champ.

The sophomore second baseman was the hero in the eighth inning, which was going to be the final frame regardless of the score beacuse of darkness. She led off the inning by ripping a triple to right-center field — her first hit of the game — after she had struck out looking in her previous at bat.

Miranda Betz followed with a fly out to second base for the first out of the inning before Wood had a chat with Redwine and then relayed the plan to Champ.

Redwine laid down a bunt, which spun in the dirt and settled right on the first base line. Mississinewa pitcher Molly Mathias, third baseman Brittany Hunt and catcher Heather Swarts could only watch helplessly as Champ scooted across home plate with the winning run.

Champ said she was a little nervous when Wood called for the squeeze, but she had gotten just what she wanted when she was at the plate.

“It was probably the best pitch I’ve ever had,” she said. “It was in the perfect spot — right down the center.”

Champ’s run came on the heels of a dangerous top of the eighth inning in which Mathias led off by reaching base on an error. However, Megan Habiby and Carmen Cruise grounded out to third baseman Stephanie Imel, and shortstop Chelsea DeBoy made a great stab on a line drive off the bat of Megan Worrell.

DeBoy’s grab was one of a host of great plays in the field for Jay County. The shortstop started an excellent 6-3-2 double play in the second inning, with Katie Alberson firing from first to Murray at home to get Cruise for the third out of the inning. Imel came up with a huge diving catch on a bunt try with two on and nobody out in the third inning.

With the game tied in the sixth Jenni Chittum gunned down Cruise at home as she tried to score from second on a single to center field. Then Murray fired to second to catch Swarts attempting to steal with two outs and the game still tied in the top of the seventh.

“Those were big plays,” said Wood, praising his team for being able to come back from mistakes and minimize big hits for the opposition. Mississinewa, after all, had nearly twice as many hits (13) as the Patriots (7). “That’s one thing we’ve talked about as a a team. If you make a mistake you forget about it and make the next play. You have to keep them out of the big inning.”

The Indians (0-1) got a leadoff walk in the first inning by Cruise to spark a rally. Three of the next four batters notched hits — including a two-run bomb by Lacey Murgaw — for a 4-0 lead.

Jay County answered with a run in the bottom of the frame when Imel scored because of a couple of Mississinewa errors.

The Patriots then took advantage of two walks and a hit by pitch in the third, as Katie Alberson followed with an RBI and Ashleigh Myers poked a two-run single.

The Indians pulled back ahead 6-4 with three straight hits by Swarts, Mellor and Mathias in the fifth inning. But, Redwine opened the bottom of the frame with a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice by Chittum.

Imel drove her in with a double to center field, and then scored her third run of the game on an RBI single from Alberson. Alberson and Myers each finished the game with a pair of RBIs, and Redwine scored a run before adding the game-winning RBI.

Myers allowed six runs — five earned — as she went the distance for the win. She struck out two, and did not issue a walk after the opening batter.

“I think that’ll go a long way for her confidence,” said Wood of Myers. “She pitched a real good game. She moved the ball and had a couple of real good change-ups.”

Habiby took the loss for Mississinewa, allowing one run on four hits in three innings of relief. Mathias started the game and gave up six runs — five earned — on three hits before leaving in the fifth inning.

Swarts finished 3-for-4 for the Indians with a pair of doubles and two runs scored. Cruise also had two hits and scored once, Justus went 2-for-3 with a run and Murgaw was 2-for-4 with a run and two RBIs.

Jay County will play at Delta Thursday at 4:30 p.m.[[In-content Ad]]