Smith powers Stars past Jay Co. (05/15/03)

BERNE — The slump is over for the South Adams softball team. Jay County is still waiting to end one of its own.

After a 10-game losing streak, the Starfires pushed home a run in the seventh inning to win its second contest in a row Wednesday 2-1 over the Patriots.

Jay County (5-17) has now lost nine games in a row. It will try to end the slump today at Anderson at 5 p.m.

The two teams battled to a stalemate for much of the game, South Adams scoring one run in the first, and the Patriots finally tying the score in the top of the sixth. However, when the game was on the line it was the Starfires who seized the moment.

After a one-two-three top of the seventh, Jessica Smith led off the inning with a sharp grounder to Stephanie Imel at third base. Imel had a chance to make the play, but the hard-hit ball got past her for a single to left field.

Kelly Mertz cashed in with a single of her own to left field, giving South Adams runners on first and second with no outs. Jill Lehman popped to Imel for the first out of the inning, but then Mickayla Smith made sure she would not have to trot back out to the mound for an eighth inning.

Mickayla Smith hit her second double of the game — a rocket off the wall in straight away center — to bring in Jessica Smith with the winning run. Mickayla Smith finished 2-for-4, and drove in both of her team’s runs on the day.

“They took advantage of the opportunity we gave them there,” said Jay County coach Harold Towell. “Ninety-nine times out of 100 Stephanie (Imel) makes that play.”

“This is the first time all year we’ve had the lead, lost it, and then were able to come back and win it,” said South Adams coach Jeff Bradtmiller. “We’ve been in all the ball games, we just haven’t been able to get over the hump.”

He also said the team’s big 17-0 win over Fort Wayne Wayne Tuesday, which ended its long losing streak, helped against the Patriots.

“It was nice to get a little bit of confidence back,” he said. “For some reason or another we were a little cold tonight. But, we were able to pull it out when we needed to.”

The Starfires got on the board quickly when Jenny Lehman started the bottom of the first inning with an infield single. Mickayla Smith followed with her first double for the 1-0 lead.

Lehman went 2-for-4 for South Adams with a run scored. Jessica Smith also had a pair of hits and a run, and Carrie Nichols added a double.

Mickayla Smith earned the win, allowing one unearned run on five hits in seven innings. She notched seven strikeouts.

“She’s pitched consistently like that all year,” said Bradtmiller. “Teams are going to hit her. The way we react to it is usually how we go.”

South Adams will try to continue their winning ways at Woodlan today at 4:30 p.m.

The lone Jay County run came in the sixth inning when Imel reached first on an error by shortstop Kelly Mertz. Imel moved to second on a ground out from Nikki Ingram, and took third on a wild pitch.

Ashley Cook delivered the only RBI of the contest with a ground out to Smith on the mound.

The Patriots also had a chance to score taken away from them in the fourth inning with Katie Alberson on second and Calah Redwine at first.

Alberson tried to advance to third on a botched play and was inexplicably called out at third base even though she seemed to be on the bag well before the throw arrived or the tag was made. Then with two outs, Ashleigh Myers popped out to Jessica Smith at third to end the inning.

Imel was the leading hitter for Jay County as she finished 2-for-3. Ingram, Alberson and Calah Redwine added one hit each.

Myers took the loss, allowing two runs on eight hits in seven innings. She walked one and struck out one.

“We needed one more big hit to win that game,” said Towell. “They’re playing more solid. We’re still not there — we still need to get more hits — but we’re playing solid.”[[In-content Ad]]